The Wizards of Media Oz: Behind the Curtain of Mainstream News [Paperback]

Norman Solomon (Author), Jeff Cohen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2002

Fortunately for our sanity and self-respect, there have always been the muckrakers; those few who have challenged the official truth, who have obstinately sought ought the hard truth.

In Upton Sinclair's time, there were Lincoln Steffens and Ida Tarbell, among the contumacious troublemakers. Further along came the indomitable George Seldes and his "Lords of the Press" as well as his wondrous newsletter, "In Fact," that kept us from living in total darkness. And, of course, the north star of independent journalists, I.F. Stone and his revelatory weekly.

Today we are blessed with a couple of young investigative journalists, Norman Solomon and Jeff Cohen, who, along with their media watch colleagues at FAIR, are letting in the light. In FAIR's magazine, "Extra!," I am finding all the news that the Respectables find unfit to print. It is great therapy for me; it keeps my blood pressure down and my skull from going numb.

Now, Solomon and Cohen have gathered some of their columns into a lovely compendium, undressing the "liberal media." They call it WIZARDS OF MEDIA OZ: BEHIND THE CURTAIN OF MAINSTREAM NEWS. It is an eye-opener.

Don't leave home without it.

-From the Introduction by Studs Terkel

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Cohen and Solomon are the sharpest media watchers in the business," -- Barbara Ehrenreich

"Solomon and Cohen know media bias and blather like a rancher knows BS." -- Jim Hightower, commenting on the authors' previous work

"The authors have a knack for articulating questions that lie dormant in the midst of headline news.... They have thousands of facts to back up their criticism of what they see as consistently sloppy, stupid, cowardly, corporate-run news coverage.... The charges are relentless, supported by facts and quotes, quite disturbing and uncomfortable--mighty welcome in these perilous merged-media times." -- Patricia Holt, Book Editor, San Francisco Chronicle, commenting on the authors' previous work

"The bold, muckraking tone of these columns offers a welcome respite from the decerebrated discourse that too often passes for contemporary journalism." -- Los Angeles Times, commenting on the authors' previous work

About the Author

Norman Solomon's books include "False Hope: The Politics of Illusion in the Clinton Era," "Unreliable Sources: A Guide to Detecting Bias in the News Media" and "The Power of Babble." He writes a nationally syndicated column called "Media Beat."

Jeff Cohen is the founder and executive director of FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting), the media watch organization.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Common Courage Press (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156751118X
• ISBN-13: 978-1567511185
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,540,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for any news watcher, November 5, 1999

By 

Charles (Sonoma State University, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wizards of Media Oz: Behind the Curtain of Mainstream News (Paperback)

Any conservative who bashed this book is clearly touched by what it reveals, and the b.s. of the corporate media this text points out. The only next question will be what corporation is going to buy amazon.com, there by controlling this medium. A wonderful text for any media critic

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An eye-opening revelation of what lies behind nightly news., February 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wizards of Media Oz: Behind the Curtain of Mainstream News (Paperback)

Solomon and Cohen reveal to the reader the "wizards" who pull the levers behind the headlines, the corporations who desire to slant the situations in their favor, by their use of money and influence. More of a liberal lean, in an era when parents need to hear from their children that "liberal" is not a dirty word. Unafraid to name names, to point out those who benefit from corporate/political shenanigans, and smoke and mirror games. Journalists take a hit as well, and rightly so, for their part in pulling the wool over the eyes of the public. Worthwhile reading for anyone who believes that Dan, Peter, and Tom are not telling the whole story. Worthwhile for discussion groups!

11 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The authors make some good points,but are too biased, July 11, 1998

By 

J. Davis (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wizards of Media Oz: Behind the Curtain of Mainstream News (Paperback)

The book is a series of critiques of the news media from an unabashed leftist perspective. Cohen and Solomon are scathing in their criticisms of the news media. They consider most journalists timekeepers for their corporate bosses, and a good deal of their analysis is correct. Unfortunately, being extremely liberal, they do not discuss the vice versa, media unfairness toward conservatives and conservative viewpoints; I don't know if this is an oversight or deliberate, but I would assume it's the latter. Still, this is well worth reading, so long as the reader takes it with a grain of salt.