Can Traditional Journalism Be Saved?Randy Shawbyline‚ May. 17‚ 2007In the wake of Bill Moyers’ PBS expose on the mainstream media’s selling of the war in Iraq, this is a difficult time to come out with a book touting journalism’s high ideals. But Neil Henry, a former Washington Post reporter who now teaches at the UC Berkeley School of Journalism, makes a valiant case for the importance of traditional journalism while not flinching from its abuses. In fact, what makes American Carnival such an enjoyable read is Henry’s tales of journalistic wrongdoing, and his providing specific facts about corporate and political pressure shaping the news. American Carnival may not convince young readers that they should attend journalism school, but, as Henry’s subtitle suggests, it does explain why journalism is currently “under siege” and why excessive reliance on the Internet and other “new media” has its pitfalls. |