Running Toward Danger: Stories Behind the Breaking News of September 11 (Hardcover)

~ Newseum (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The media juggernaut that brought us O. J. and Chandra-gate rose to the occasion in a "heroic fashion" on September 11, writes Brokaw in his apt foreword to this collection of oral histories by journalists who covered the terrorist attacks. In these short and piercing reminiscences, reporters, photographers, editors and producers race to Ground Zero, penetrate police cordons, dodge falling skyscrapers, patch together cell-phone links and search out all-night film-processing stores to bring us the story of the millennium. The book is not without self-congratulation ("journalists...calm and inform a terrified nation"), defensiveness (especially over the horrific "jumper" photos of office workers plummeting to their deaths), or Dan Rather's oddness ("I drank...some kind of a protein drink. I don't want to be chewing on the air"). But it vividly conveys the stop-the-presses freneticism-and real achievement-of news organizations in quickly extracting hard information and a coherent story from the chaos. The many close-up photos of explosions and carnage-still with the power to shock and awe-remind us of the nerve of those who crept close enough to snap them. Many pictures by freelance photographer William Biggart, the only journalist killed while reporting the story, appear within.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

9/11 The Newseum, an interactive museum of news located in Arlington, VA, was operating as usual on September 11, 2001. After seeing smoke billowing from the ravaged Pentagon, its staff members immediately closed the museum and worked through the night assembling an exhibit of wire service photos from around the world. This book is the outgrowth of that initial exhibit. What sets it apart from the plethora of books on 9/11 is its focus. Told chronologically through 100 first-person vignettes and 75 powerful color and black-and-white photographs, the book covers the varied experiences of members of the press. Big-name anchors weigh in, but the stage belongs to the reporters and photographers who usually work behind the scenes. Authors Trost, a former Wall Street Journal reporter, and Shepard, award-winning media critic, provide a firsthand and very human look at the process behind the coverage, revealing how the immediacy of ongoing television and Internet coverage helped journalists, photojournalists, and anchors shape a nation's perception of a tragically unique day. A valuable addition, especially to school libraries. Audrey Snowden, formerly with Clark Univ., Worcester, MA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. (September 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0742523160
• ISBN-13: 978-0742523166
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #510,264 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Running Toward Danger: Stories Behind the Breaking News of 9, August 15, 2002

By	"rgrobart" (Grayslake, IL United States) - See all my reviews

Fantastic book. Great insight about the journalistic coverage of this national tragedy. The book was well put together, well edited, and pictures were horribly specatucular (given the nature of the subject). Great job to the authors! Would highly recommend!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As Close as You'll Ever Get, September 8, 2002

By	JKB "jkb_fr" (Buxeuil, France) - See all my reviews

This compelling account of the events of Sept. 11 is unlike any other. More than 100 journalists who were there take you straight to the scene with photographs and descriptions of what they saw and what they did and how they felt. The excerpts are short, the photos dramatic. One journalist died and many others were too close for comfort. You can feel the tension. And the anguish. Kudos to Shepard and Trost.

5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting, insightful read., January 28, 2006

By	K. Du Pont (Invercargill, New Zealand) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A great insight into the world of the 'forgotten superheros', the people who deliver the news of the tragedies that occur. This is very interesting, giving lots of different points of view from across the affected area. It could have done with more pictures and photos, but the stories of the pressure-filled newsrooms paint a good enough picture to keep you interested throughout this book.