The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect, Completely Updated and Revised (Paperback)

by Bill Kovach (Author), Tom Rosenstiel (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"At a time when technological and financial forces are creating formidable challenges to journalism's traditional values, Kovach and Rosenstiel have written an immensely valuable primer on who we are, what we do, and how we should do it."
-- David Halberstam

"The Elements of Journalism is a remarkable book that does a superb job of describing the problems, articulating the values, outlining the risks, and offering understandable and practical ways to respond to the difficulties of the present state of journalism. The Elements of Journalism ought to become required reading for every institution (and individual) engaged in journalism."
— Neil Rudenstine, President, Harvard University

"Of the many books that have been written about reporting the news, this one best captures the shortcomings, subtleties, and possibilities of modern journalism. It deserves to become as indispensable to journalists and journalism students as The Elements of Style."
— Tom Goldstein, Dean, Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University

"In an age when partisan rancor and ratings-driven showmanship have crowded out the more subtle virtues of solid journalism, Tom Rosenstiel and Bill Kovach provide a timely refresher course in the importance of press fundamentals. They remind us that at its best, journalism is a high public calling, and all those who practice it have a deeper obligation to their readers and viewers than to the demands of the market."
— David Talbot, editor-in-chief, Salon.com


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
The Book That Every Citizen and Journalist Should Read

“What this book does better than any single book on media history, ethics, or practice is
weave . . . [together] why media audiences have fled and why new technology and megacorporate ownership are putting good journalism at risk.” —Rasmi Simhan, Boston Globe

“Kovach and Rosenstiel’s essays on each [element] are concise gems, filled with insights worthy of becoming axiomatic. . . . The book should become essential reading for journalism professionals and students and for the citizens they aim to serve.” —Carl Sessions Stepp, American Journalism Review

“If you think journalists have no idea what you want . . . here is a book that agrees with you. Better—it has solutions. The Elements of Journalism is written for journalists, but any citizen who wonders why the news seems trivial or uninspiring should read it.” —Marta Salij, Detroit Free Press


The elements of journalism are:
* Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth.
* Its first loyalty is to citizens.
* Its essence is a discipline of verification.
* Its practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover.
* It must serve as an independent monitor of power.
* It must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise.
* It must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant.
* It must keep the news comprehensive and proportional.
* Its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; Rev Upd edition (April 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307346706
• ISBN-13: 978-0307346704
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,633 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An interesting and very important book, May 9, 2008

By	William B. Fokes (Lawrenceville GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I stumbled across this book and I am glad that I did. True journalism is an important part of America's heritage that is being challenged (and often simply ignored) by today's "media". The pace of changing technology today makes old fashioned journalism look obsolete to many, but it is actually more important than ever. How well journalism adapts to these changes will determine our country's future. The authors provide expert counsel on this complex subject in a surprisingly readable and interesting style.

5.0 out of 5 stars Journalism and Democracy, May 2, 2009

By	Robert E. Levasseur "[e-mail]" (St. Augustine, Florida, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Where are the Walter Cronkites of the world?

I don't know the answer to this question, but I have often wondered what happened to those highly respected, eminently fair, seemingly unbiased journalists who used to grace our television sets and newspapers.

This book, written by journalists on behalf of a group of high level, very concerned journalists, directly addresses in a most lucid and intelligent manner their belief that something is "seriously wrong" with their profession.

If awareness is indeed the first step on the road to recovery, this book bodes well for the development of a new journalism, one that is in sync with the electronic age and will, much like Walter Cronkite, inform us of the facts and encourage us to form our own opinions, as is our right and responsibility as citizens.

If you are concerned about our democracy and the important role that journalism plays in preserving it, I encourage you to read this excellent book.

Robert E. Levasseur, Ph.D., president of MindFire Press (www.mindfirepress.com).

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, but a little depressing, April 20, 2009

By	Mr. V (Oregon) - See all my reviews

I loved the book when it first came out (and excitedly touted it to others), and it has been updated for the new age of journalism. The problem is, this new age of journalism is the era of the craft's death.

If every publisher in America had read this eight years ago, we might be better off ... but I suspect it wouldn't have made that big a difference. RIP Rocky Mountain News, Seattle P-I, etc.