Bibliograph

When the press fails, political power and the news media from Iraq to Katrina, W. Lance Bennett, Regina G. Lawrence, and Steven Livingston

Type

Label

When the press fails, political power and the news media from Iraq to Katrina, W. Lance Bennett, Regina G. Lawrence, and Steven Livingston

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (p. 235-249) and index

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

When the press fails

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

74492048

Responsibility statement

W. Lance Bennett, Regina G. Lawrence, and Steven Livingston

Series statement

Studies in communication, media, and public opinion

Sub title

political power and the news media from Iraq to Katrina

Summary

"Why, in these times when we most need a critical, independent press, does this essential pillar of democracy fail us? A look at the intimate relationship between political power and the news media, When the Press Fails argues that reporters' dependence on official sources disastrously thwarts coverage of dissenting voices from all but the most influential circles." "The result is both an indictment of official spin and an urgent call to action that begins by questioning why the mainstream press neglected to cover considerable evidence against the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Drawing on interviews with journalists and Washington insiders and analyses of coverage by major news outlets, the authors show that such catastrophic blind spots, particularly during the Abu Ghraib controversy, have stemmed from the media's reluctance to use other credible sources when high-level officials are not questioning the administration publicly. Contrasting these failures with the critical reporting on Hurricane Katrina - a rare event that caught officials off guard, enabling journalists to enter a no-spin zone - When the Press Fails concludes by proposing new practices to reduce reporters' dependence on power."

Table Of Contents

Press politics in America : the case of the Iraq war -- The semi-independent press : a theory of news and democracy -- None dare call it torture : Abu Ghraib and the inner workings of press dependence -- The news reality filter : why it matters when the press fails -- Managing the news : spin, status, and intimidation in the Washington political culture -- Toward an independent press : a standard for public accountability

Classification