Big News

"In the thousand-channel universe, politicians must find innovative ways to reach citizens on television. The rise of programming that blends information with entertainment--infotainment--on Canadian television, especially in Quebec, has provided an opportunity for today's politicians to use it to their advantage. But their appearances on these programs also fuel concerns regarding the declining authority of journalism in the public sphere. Breaking News? traces the development of infotainment and exposes the impact of these kinds of programs on modern political communication. Frédérick Bastien questions if infotainment trivializes political discourse and lacks gravitas when dealing with weighty subjects, and if it will come to replace hard news programming. And why, although journalists may criticize politicians' appearances on these programs, they themselves choose to appear on them regardless. This book lays out the implications of infotainment for politicians who must adjust to this form of media, for citizens who can't rely on the codes of ethics that have conventionally guided the production of news programs, and for journalists who must reassert their unique role in democratic society. He argues that, ultimately, infotainment makes a positive contribution to democratic life by piquing the audience's interest in public affairs and motivating them to pay more attention to political news in general."--

An urgent account of the revolution that has upended the news business, written by one of the most accomplished journalists of our time Technology has radically altered the news landscape. Once-powerful newspapers have lost their clout or been purchased by owners with particular agendas. Algorithms select which stories we see. The Internet allows consequential revelations, closely guarded secrets, and dangerous misinformation to spread at the speed of a click. In Breaking News, Alan Rusbridger demonstrates how these decisive shifts have occurred, and what they mean for the future of democracy. In the twenty years he spent editing The Guardian, Rusbridger managed the transformation of the progressive British daily into the most visited serious English-language newspaper site in the world. He oversaw an extraordinary run of world-shaking scoops, including the exposure of phone hacking by London tabloids, the Wikileaks release of U.S.diplomatic cables, and later the revelation of Edward Snowden’s National Security Agency files. At the same time, Rusbridger helped The Guardian become a pioneer in Internet journalism, stressing free access and robust interactions with readers. Here, Rusbridger vividly observes the media’s transformation from close range while also offering a vital assessment of the risks and rewards of practicing journalism in a high-impact, high-stress time.

The 100th anniversary of the creation of Greater New York via consolidation of what had previously been dozens of separate communities. These are the greatest moment in New York City history, recreated from the news and picture files of the New York Daily News. From Typhoid Mary to the opening of Yankee Stadium to the unforgettable blackout, it's a time to remember. This 224 page book is a colorful panoply of politics, culture, crime, sports, etc.... The personalities, the events, the flow of time. The Daily News, for so long the eyes and the ears of the city, chronicles the past and brings it back to life in "Big Town Big Time!"

When devastating news rattles a young girl's community, her normally attentive parents and neighbors are suddenly exhausted and distracted. At school, her teacher tells the class to look for the helpers—the good people working to make things better in big and small ways. She wants more than anything to help in a BIG way, but maybe she can start with one small act of kindness instead . . . and then another, and another.Small things can compound, after all, to make a world of difference. The Breaking News by Sarah Lynne Reul touches on themes of community, resilience, and optimism with an authenticity that will resonate with readers young and old.

From the editor in chief of Breitbart News, the New York Times bestselling “must-read” (Sean Hannity) investigation into how the establishment media became weaponized against Donald Trump and his supporters on behalf of the political left. In this timely and “important book” (Glenn Beck), Marlow explains how the establishment press destroyed its own credibility with a relentless stream of “fake news” designed to smear Donald Trump and his supporters while advancing a leftist agenda. He also reveals key details on how our information gatekeepers truly operate and why America’s “fake news” moment might never end. Breitbart—and Trump—began banging the drum about “fake news” during the 2016 election, and it resonated with millions of voters because they intuitively knew the corporate media was willing to say or write anything to achieve their political ends. It’s a battle cry that continues to this day. Deeply researched and eye-opening, Breaking the News rips back the curtain on the inner workings of how the establishment media weaponizes information to achieve their political and cultural ends.

Famous for his nearly forty years in broadcast journalism, Robert MacNeil is one of the most respected television journalists in America. Now in Breaking News, a blistering, behind-the-scenes novel about the savagely competitive world of television news, he writes about this world he knows best--a world where integrity is held hostage in the relentless pursuit of the bottom line. Anchorman Grant Munro is at what should be the pinnacle of a brilliant career. Having covered every major story from the Kennedy assassination to the Clinton sex scandals, Munro has won the admiration, respect, and trust of his viewers. About to turn sixty in an industry no longer controlled by top-notch journalists but by profit-hungry conglomerates, Munro suddenly feels his career threatened--especially when Bill Donovan, a handsome reporter with little experience but a high Q rating, vies for his anchor post. Dragged into a media circus where "soft news" and tabloid television are becoming the staples of nightly news broadcasts, Munro negotiates a minefield of scheming, greed, and betrayal to hold onto what he prizes. Acclaimed for his two previous novels, Robert MacNeil is a proven storyteller, now triumphantly on his home turf. Breaking News is not only an intimate look at a fascinating industry, but a profound study of character under pressure.

Traces young Emma Perez's journey into journalism, mystery solving, and fame when she investigates a worm found in a friend's hamburger.

Changes in technology and media consumption are transforming the way people communicate about politics. Are they also changing the way politicians communicate to the public? Political Communication in Canada examines the way political parties, politicians, interest groups, the media, and citizens are using new tactics, tools, and channels to disseminate information, and also investigates the implications of these changes. Drawing on the most recent data, contributors to this volume illustrate shifts in political communication, from the brand-image management of political parties and the prime minister, to the evolving role of political journalists.