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.
These are tough times for journalism. Newsroom executives' bonuses tend to be based on their company's profit margin. Journalists are constantly jockeying for the time and space necessary to tell their stories as they see fit. Only 47 percent of Americans even read a newspaper. And Time and Newsweek--news magazines, remember?--"were seven times more likely to have the same cover story as People magazine in 1997 than in 1977."
It's no wonder that in 1997, the Committee of Concerned Journalists formed to "engage journalists and the public in a careful examination of what journalism was supposed to be." The Elements of Journalism reports the results of that study, which included 21 public forums (attended by 3,000 people), in-depth interviews with 100 journalists, editorial content studies, and research into the history of journalism. Part of what the committee members learned, they already knew. Journalism is complicated business: journalists are paid by management but work for the citizens; they tend to be self-taught (there is little evidence of mentoring and much disdain for journalism schools); and they need to be objective even when they're not impartial. This has always been the case. But the committee also detected a trend, one abundantly evident to anyone who has tried to find news on the evening TV news: "news was becoming entertainment and entertainment news."
"Unless we can grasp and reclaim the theory of a free press," warn Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, the book's authors, "journalists risk allowing their profession to disappear." Through their discussions with journalists, the Committee of Concerned Journalists defined nine "clear principles" of journalism, which Kovach and Rosenstiel explore in great detail. The first principle is, "Journalism's first obligation is to the truth." The last: "Its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience." In between come issues of loyalty, verification, independence, and power monitoring, among others.
Invigorating reading for newsroom interns, jaded reporters, and anyone else who needs to be reminded of the rigorousness, integrity, and meaning of journalism. --Jane Steinberg
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Abstract/Strategic overview; Journalist's, not public's, perspective:
This book is probably a good overview for someone new to these issues. However, for someone like me who has been interested in these issues for years, there is little here that you wouldn't have already seen in the newspaper coverage of this topic. I had hope of finding some pithy characterizations of the issues, but this book contained none that I hadn't already seen. However, for the newbie, this book does a good job at collecting and presenting them (and citing sources). And it is very readable. My... more info
Captures all important elements of journalism:
After reading Lippman's Public Opinion, this book provided a good review of what has happend in recent years. The journalism is heading for a new direction, while preserving the old core values. No stone is left unturned in this book with regard to journalism.
very good:
I received the book in a good delay, and it was in perfect condition!
Great finish, no start.:
I read this book as a first year grad student studying journalism. It's an interesting read - probably the only book I read that whole semester that I actually liked. It leaves the reader with a sense of purpose and commitment to the craft of journalism. Then I went out and start reporting in the real world. I immediately realized "Elements of Journalism" is hopelessly idealistic. The book has a great vision for where the profession should be, but no suggestions on how to get there.
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