I must admit, I actually bought this book mainly to make a statement. I consider journalism to be in a death spiral, a vicious cycle of dependency. Readership/consumers-of-TV-News is down, so they fire some reporters. The reporters that remain don't have the time or inclination to dig, so they rely more on the information fed to them by government & corporate mouthpieces, or social networking trends. The readers/watchers see the information as unreliable or fluffy, and no longer feel they MUST read the daily paper or watch the nightly news, so they read/watch less often. Revenue dips, more reporters get fired, more unreliable & inconsequential news, less readership, revenue dips, CBS's Sharyl Attkisson, ABC's Jake Tapper (now of CNN) & FOX's Ed Henry are the last of a dying breed - the type that asks tough questions, follows the story wherever it leads, and reports just the facts & the questions to which those facts lead.
I've watched her interviews. She makes it clear: Her job is to present the facts, your job to draw conclusions and make determinations. Perfect! Here's my hard-earned money for the Kindle edition, Sharyl. You earned it. And maybe someone will see that real stories, honest stories, penetrating stories DO sell and DO make money. Give us the facts, news outlets. We're big boys & girls, and we can handle it.
Let me climb down off my soapbox for a moment, and tell you about the book itself. It's a very, very important book. Not only must you read it, but you must read every word of every chapter. Then you must lend it to a friend, and re-read it when your friend returns it to you. Then, discuss it widely & often. Even if you think President Obama walks on water or air - because this Administration is just a symptom of the larger problem.
Most likely, this Administration believes that it's fighting "The Establishment", and therefore must do all it can to provide a narrative, protect that narrative & defend against those Powerful Forces. This includes not providing grist for the mill of its adversaries.
In reality, their paranoia & spin control make it likely that they won't be believed with their first & second stories ("No policies were cancelled", "The amount of policies cancelled pales before the newly covered.") because we know there always will be another. And when they finally get to the message they settle on ("Only bad, bad policies were cancelled in favor of these good, good ones!"), we then have to take 3 looks at them to decide if we're being spun. A true story, even if it makes them look silly once in a while, would at least give them the priceless commodity of Credibility.
Put differently, changing their beautiful story 3 times provides more grist for their adversaries' mill than telling the gritty truth the first time. (Parenthetically, I personally believe there are 2 Establishments: the Conservative Establishment & the Liberal one & they're about evenly empowered. Many people have picked a clear side, but the people in the middle - and the thinkers within the 2 groups - have worked to develop radar for when they're being spun by either side.)
Part of Sharyl's job as an investigative reporter is to make complex situations understandable in 50 words or less. This skill makes this book an easy, smooth read even for people that know more about Kanye & Kim than about Fast & Furious.
So don't get scared by the size of the book or the subject matter. Buy it, dig in, finish it, and talk about it at the water cooler: Should White House surrogates be able to make multiple calls to newsrooms? Even before a story airs? Should they control the narrative, or just release information with the bare minimum of context & spin and let us decide? Should corporate sponsors have any say about what gets reported? Should newsrooms report even things that may have a chilling effect on very important legislation, if there's no national security interests involved? Should government agencies be able to hire PR firms for message control or damage control?
Finally, I do have to thank her for letting me know that there may actually be a connection between vaccines & autism. In the past, I accepted the spin that there was none, but now I will look into it and see if there was (when mercury was allowed in vaccines) & if there still is a connection. I'm intrigued, at the very least.
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About the author
Why CBS News Is 11th In A Field Of 5
Sharyl Attkisson has written an extremely interesting book. As a 30+ year investigative reporter Attkisson takes you deep into the decision making process, or lack there of, as to how an investigative report makes it to air. The Edward R. Morrow days of CBS news are now officially over with the last of that post era reporter, Bob Schieffer, set to retire in few weeks. However, except for 60 Minutes, investigative news, at all of the big 3 networks has been over for years. News is now just packaged entertainment. Ever noticed how the evening news is the same on all 3 networks? Attkisson explains why. Sharyl Attkisson takes the reader into how an investigative news reporter follows leads and then works them into a story. She tells of her days working on the USDOJ's "Fast & Furious" gun walking failure, and how the Administration covered, spun, and lied about it. One of her bigger stories was Benghazi. Attkisson tells of how her computer was repeatedly hacked by a US government source (confirmed) and how CBS slow walked helping her get to the bottom of the problem. The books talks the talk and Attkisson walks the walk. It is well written and after some opening background gets right down to it. Now away from the pariahs, of CBS news, I sincerely hope she lands at a network that will give her free rein and the support she so desperately lacked by the bosses at CBS. Fox comes to mind, for one. The book is a good read and Attkisson a more than accomplished author. I recommend this to anyone with an interest into how a news cycle works, the hoops and interference the reporter must go through to get the story on the air, and how one very good investigative reporter can make the Obama Administration more paranoid than it already are (if that is possible).
Top reviews from other countries
Simon Kelly
Really great read of the very unhealthy relationship between the Obama administration and the media
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 26, 2020Gina
Read Stonewalled by former CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson.
Reviewed in France on December 8, 2014Jenny
Read it and you will watch the news with a critical eye
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2019
