allisonthurman's review

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5.0

Frightening how much the modern American press is compromised.

realbooks4ever's review

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3.0

INTO THE BUZZSAW: Leading Journalists Expose the Myth of a Free Press, pretty much says it all right there in the title. Edited by Kristina Borjesson, an Emmy and Murrow Award winner for her investigative journalism, this revised version (published in 2004) contains 19 accounts and essays about the censoring and decline of investigative journalism and the reasons behind it.
Not just for other journalists, the accounts in this book are of serious issues and should be read by everyone.
From the covering up of the number of soldiers left in Vietnam after that war, to the cancellation of investigative reports regarding growth hormones fed to cattle, and the silencing of non-government people over evidence in the TWA 800 crash investigation, the media has been dumbed-down according to the whims of corporations and government. Corporations are dollar-driven, they own a lot of the media outlets, and they want the news slanted in their favor; the government just outright lies or withholds information to keep its citizens pacified.
Each reporter has their own style, some being a bit more professional, some being a bit sensationalist. All together it makes for a well-rounded representation of independent journalism.
Although the incidents written about are all before 2004, they are still important to know and are a good example of what journalists are up against when they attempt to find the truth of matters.
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