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Blur
Amid the hand-wringing over the death of "true journalism" in the Internet Age--the din of bloggers, the echo chamber of Twitter, the predominance of Wikipedia--two veteran journalists and media critics present a pragmatic guide to navigating the 21st-century media terrain. Bill Kovach has contributed to Blur as an author. Kovach is the curator of the Nieman Foundation for...more
ebook, 0 pages
Published
October 5th 2010
by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
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Probably the best book (other than Elements) that I have ever read to teach journalism students what they need to know about what it really means to be a journalist, even though the book is also aimed at a broader audience of news consumers.
Although I'm biased since I used to work for Bill and Tom, I think that what they have done here is tremendous, because it is an artful marriage of the core values of journalism and how to keep them alive with a keen understanding of how journalism is changi...more
Although I'm biased since I used to work for Bill and Tom, I think that what they have done here is tremendous, because it is an artful marriage of the core values of journalism and how to keep them alive with a keen understanding of how journalism is changi...more
One semester of high school journalism (tedious beyond the telling) was enough to drive me away from the admittedly meager interest I had in entering the field myself, though I've remained an avid consumer of the news. In recent years, however, I've been increasingly frustrated and dismayed by what passes as news on cable television and the tenor of the political "discussion" that this news intersects with.
So with this layman's interest in the topic, I jumped at the opportunity to read Bill Kova...more
So with this layman's interest in the topic, I jumped at the opportunity to read Bill Kova...more
The matarial is certainly thought-provoking, especially their examination of the "Journalism of Affirmation" which made me realize how much I, as well as most others, select my sources of information based on the ones with which I agree the most. Whether MSNBC or Fox, such journalists WANT to create an atmosphere of argument rather than the validation of evidence required for the "Journalism of Verification".
The strongest point for me is the idea of our OWN responsibility in choosing our sources...more
The strongest point for me is the idea of our OWN responsibility in choosing our sources...more
And another First Reads win.
I was hoping this would address digital media more than it does. The focus of the book is on journalism so the book probably would appeal to journalists and journalism students moreso than other readers. There is some interesting information here but I had hoped for more impact and more readability.
I was hoping this would address digital media more than it does. The focus of the book is on journalism so the book probably would appeal to journalists and journalism students moreso than other readers. There is some interesting information here but I had hoped for more impact and more readability.
The book starts off with an intriguing premise, following how news and information is transmitted following a nuclear disaster. Intriguingly,we find that the anecdote provided was mostly true, taken from real stories surrounding the Three Mile Island accident. Using TMI as a starting point, the authors begin to discuss how news dissemination and journalism have changed in the age of digital information that has arisen since TMI. The authors really care about the quality of journalism and prescri...more
Semua hal di dunia ini pada dasarnya bergerak, tidak statis, tidak ajeg, tidak melulu itu-itu saja. Dunia jurnalisme juga begitu, ternyata. Yang tadinya kita hanya mengenal "jurnalisme sejati" melalui media-media cetak, seiring waktu, kita lalu diperkenalkan dengan yang namanya era baru jurnalisme, yaitu jurnalisme di media siber.
Buku ini dari awal sudah mempertanyakan, siapa itu wartawan? Apakah para penulis berita online di internet, blogger, Tuips (pengguna Twitter yang kadang-kadang juga tid...more
Buku ini dari awal sudah mempertanyakan, siapa itu wartawan? Apakah para penulis berita online di internet, blogger, Tuips (pengguna Twitter yang kadang-kadang juga tid...more
While going over territory familiar to media critics and communications scholars, Kovach and Rosenstiel mix informative and fascinating anecdotes along with a discussion of media basics and their paradigm of the modes of journalism. The book really takes off toward the end where the authors discuss how journalism must evolve in the 21st century -- not "to survive," per se, as many people are concerned about -- but in order to provide the essential services it provides in order for our democracy...more
"How to know what's true in the age of information overload", is the enticing subtitle of this book. However, reading this book will not make you an expert in identifying a story that is prejudiced, or embellished or even untrue. It does give you some pointers to help you identify what is true and what is not.
Be skeptical. And don't just accept a statement because it happens to agree with your beliefs. The news cycle can be daunting so choose your sources carefully and question whether the news...more
Be skeptical. And don't just accept a statement because it happens to agree with your beliefs. The news cycle can be daunting so choose your sources carefully and question whether the news...more
Sekarang, informasi datang berlimpah ruah. Tak hanya dari media arus utama, seperti TV, koran, majalah, dan semacamnya. Arus informasi itu justru datang dari banyak media yang diproduksi sendiri oleh warga, jejaring sosial.
Maka, tantangan baru pun muncul. Jika sebelumnya susah mengakses, saat ini konsumen informasi justru kebingungan menentukan, manakah informasi yang bisa dipercaya dan mana yang tidak.
Buku ini memberikan panduan bagaimana konsumen informasi bisa mencari informasi mana yang lay...more
Maka, tantangan baru pun muncul. Jika sebelumnya susah mengakses, saat ini konsumen informasi justru kebingungan menentukan, manakah informasi yang bisa dipercaya dan mana yang tidak.
Buku ini memberikan panduan bagaimana konsumen informasi bisa mencari informasi mana yang lay...more
The author Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel attempt to resurrect good journalism with their book Blur. Both being authors of The Elements of Journalism, this book also has the failing of being as dry as a textbook. However, most of the book has interesting examples of how the government, corporations, and media manipulate the public, and it is our job to be able to identify what is happening. There are different kinds of ways to report a story and if the public can identify what that is, we can be...more
This book was...well, OK. I bet it would be interesting if you were interested in journalism or journalistic ethics.
The main point for news consumers is that it's good to ask the following questions when analyzing a news story:
- What kind of content am I encountering?
- Is the information complete; and if not, what am I missing?
- Who or what are the sources, and why should I believe them?
- What evidence is presented, and how was it tested or vetted?
- What might be an alternative explanation or un...more
The main point for news consumers is that it's good to ask the following questions when analyzing a news story:
- What kind of content am I encountering?
- Is the information complete; and if not, what am I missing?
- Who or what are the sources, and why should I believe them?
- What evidence is presented, and how was it tested or vetted?
- What might be an alternative explanation or un...more
I have been looking for a book on this subject, i.e., how to vet things we hear and see. The authors have great backgrounds for this. We will see.
The book is about analyzing the news in the light of journalism (if indeed there is any journalism in most of the news). I am more than disappointrd in the names partisans use for their different catagores.
I learned that buzz words such as "Obama Care" and "Death Tax" instead of Health Care and InheiratenceTax, are actually printed on wallet size card...more
The book is about analyzing the news in the light of journalism (if indeed there is any journalism in most of the news). I am more than disappointrd in the names partisans use for their different catagores.
I learned that buzz words such as "Obama Care" and "Death Tax" instead of Health Care and InheiratenceTax, are actually printed on wallet size card...more
As a former journalism teacher, I found this fascinating. As an English teacher, I found a lot of information I can use with my classes, especially in explaining research. It's far too easy, as Kovach and Rosenstiel point out, to get only part of the story because that's what's fastest and easiest. What made this book truly worthwhile was the fact that it blended stories of actual events in with their definitions and descriptions of what's happening to the news today to make their ideas more cle...more
“Saya percaya, semakin baik mutu jurnalisme, makin baik pula mutu masyarakat.”–Bill Kovach
2 likes · like · see review
A very detailed look at how the media has changed. Almost reads like a journalism textbook.
media literacy
http://blogs.edelman.co.uk/richardsam...
http://blogs.edelman.co.uk/richardsam...
Will assign this book for the information literacy course I'm planning.
A great book on evaluating the quality of information available. This could to be a textbook for a journalism class. It's a bit dry in places but also has many examples of each of the forms of journalism.
This book comes off as a text book at times. At others, it takes us on an adventure into the type of journalism it is describing. I hope that all that want to see thru today's media "Blur", educate themselves. This is a good start. Creating a checklist from the text becomes useful, due to the fact that the ways we are being manipulated are numerous. Knowing what we are being told and how is now more important than ever. Also, knowing how to participate in the new ways are huge. Givie it a shot,...more
Though it's a bit dry and academic in places, Blur is a great book for learning to think about news in a more critical way. In today's 24/7, non-stop news economy, we're all aggregators, editors, and even journalists. Kovach breaks down the news we experience into distinct types, discusses the shortcomings and strengths of each type, and takes a swing at describing what the "next news" should be like to best serve citizens of a democracy.
Meh. It was okay. Lots of interesting antecedence about the transformation of the media.
GoodReads giveaway.
Finally got to this… sorry folks (the book people) that it took so long.
The good news is that I read it / skimmed it for possible sections for a student that I am working with; think there is one section that will work. The rest seems somewhat basic, but it is about two years after it was published… again mea culpa....
Finally got to this… sorry folks (the book people) that it took so long.
The good news is that I read it / skimmed it for possible sections for a student that I am working with; think there is one section that will work. The rest seems somewhat basic, but it is about two years after it was published… again mea culpa....
The TL;DR version: Everyone is probably lying to you. Most likely through omission, either to get you on their side, or because reporters don't have to work for information anymore. You should probably ask some questions before blindly accepting what's being spoon-fed.
I did not need a book to tell me this.
I did not need a book to tell me this.
This is a very accessible overview of how to "read" the news today. While the book is a little dry, there's a lot of practical advice on the questions a reader/viewer should ask to evaluate what they are reading. It's how to be news-literate in today's world of information overload.
Consumer guide to bias and distortion in today's media. Not quite as interesting as it sounds: examples focus on small local stories, with resulting 'so what?' reaction. Guess I was hoping for a scoop (and yes I realise that would actually defeat the purpose of the book).
This informational book is a great look into the media. It discusses the collection of news both accurate and sort-of informational. Blur is an eye opening media guide. It is a wonderful way to help you determine what resources to trust and which to question.
Blur sometimes reads a little like an academic work, but its content is essential for anyone who works in any way with the processing, dissemination and interpretation of information.
Further evidence of me not enjoying nonfiction.
Valid points are made, great examples are given, thought provoking topic, and yet...I had to push myself to read this through to the end.
Valid points are made, great examples are given, thought provoking topic, and yet...I had to push myself to read this through to the end.
Should be required reading for anyone interested in what they're really getting from the media. Outstanding. I'll never look at what I read online or see on TV quite the same way.
This book is an incredibly useful guide to understanding today's over saturated media culture. Required reading for anyone who wants to be well informed.
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“One of the most useful pieces of advice we've learned in our journalism careers is summed up in the phrase "beware the fallacy of evil men.”
—
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Mar 21, 2013 06:56am