MEDIA BOOKS

This page features all the best Media books as well as books about the press and media bias. Other media books cover the effect of corporate mass media on news and culture, the decline of investigative journalism, and failures of the fourth estate (news media).

Losing the News   (by Alex Jones)

The Future of the News That Feeds Democracy

Alex S. Jones explores how the epochal changes sweeping the media have eroded the core news that was once the essential food supply of our democracy. At a time of dazzling technological innovation, Jones says that what stands to be lost is the fact-based reporting that serves as a watchdog over government, holds the powerful accountable, and gives citizens what they need. Jones explores ways the iron core can be preserved.

Censored 2009   (by Peter Phillips, Project Censored)

The Top 25 Censored Stories of 2008-07   (by Peter Phillips, Project Censored)

Censored 2009 highlights the 25 most important underreported news stories from the past two years, including ... real news from Iraq, behind the scenes plans for the Security and Prosperity Partnership ("NAFTA on steroids"), US militarization of Latin America, an Executive Order to seize protesters' assets, and the Act to rout out "homegrown terrorism." Find out what your favorite news shows aren't telling you! (by Peter Phillips, Project Censored)

Moyers on Democracy   (by Bill Moyers)

Moyers on Democracy collects many of Bill Moyers' most moving statements to connect the dots on what is happening to our country—the parallel growth of private wealth and public squalor, the accelerating class war against ordinary Americans inherent in the growth of economic inequality, the despoiling of the earth we share as our common gift, the dangers of an imperial executive, the undermining of the electoral process, and the shift in the press from watchdogs to lapdogs—and to rekindle the reader’s conviction that "the gravediggers of democracy will not have the last word."

Free Ride

John McCain and the Media   (by David Brock and Paul Waldman)

We live in a gotcha media culture that revels in exposing the foibles and hypocrisies of our politicians. But one politician seems to generally escape this treatment, getting the benefit of the doubt and a positive spin for nearly everything he does: John McCain. In a fascinating study of how the media shape the political debate, Brock and Waldman show how the media enabled McCain's rise from the Keating Five scandal to become the underdog hero of the 2000 primaries and, ultimately, the 2008 GOP nominee.

The Political Economy of Media

Enduring Issues, Emerging Dilemmas   (by Robert McChesney)

The influence of media on society is unquestioned. Its reach penetrates nearly every corner of the world and every aspect of life. But it has also been a contested realm, embodying class politics and the interests of monopoly capital. In The Political Economy of Media, one of the foremost media analysts of our time, Robert W. McChesney, provides a comprehensive analysis of the economic and political powers that are being mobilized to consolidate private control of media with increasing profit—all at the expense of democracy.

The Lolita Effect   (by M. Gigi Durham)

The Media Sexualization of Young Girls and What We Can Do About It

Pop culture—and the advertising that surrounds it—teaches young girls and boys five myths about sex and sexuality: (1) Girls don't choose boys, boys choose girls—but only sexy girls; (2) There's only one kind of sexy—slender, curvy, white beauty; (3) Girls should work to be that type of sexy; (4) The younger a girl is, the sexier she is; (5) Sexual violence can be hot. Identifying these mass-media myths and breaking them down can help girls learn to recognize progressive and healthy sexuality and protect themselves from degrading stereotype traps and sexual vulnerability.

Getting Off   (by Robert Jensen)

Pornography and the End of Masculinity

In Getting Off, Robert Jensen argues that the journey from faux manhood to true humanity can be navigated via a candid and intelligent exploration of porn's devastating role in defining modern masculinity. Jensen shows how mainstream pornography reinforces social definitions of manhood and influences men's attitudes about women and how to treat them. Anti-porn arguments have largely been assumed to be "anti-sex" and thus the critical debate has been silenced. This book breaks that silence by posing crucial questions about porn, sex, manhood, and social justice.

Generation Digital   (by Kathryn C. Montgomery)

Politics, Commerce, and Childhood in the Age of the Internet

For most children and teens today, using the internet, playing videogames, downloading music onto an iPod, or multitasking with a cell phone is no more complicated than setting the toaster oven to "bake" or turning on the TV. In Generation Digital, media expert and activist Kathryn C. Montgomery examines the ways in which the new media landscape is changing the nature of childhood and adolescence and analyzes recent political debates that have shaped both policy and practice in digital culture.

Children, Adolescents, and Media Violence

A Critical Look at the Research   (by Steven Kirsh)

Children, Adolescents, and Media Violence provides a comprehensive review and critique of the literature related to the effects of media violence on children. Key features: * Covers multiple forms of media violence (e.g., animated violence, sports violence, dramatic violence, gaming violence). * Discusses the five major theories utilized to explain the impact of media violence on children and adolescents. * Places media violence in the context of other risk factors for aggression (e.g., peers, parenting, personality). * Extends the discussion to address the potential benefits and harm associated with consumption of nonviolent media.

Hollywood Science

Movies, Science, and the End of the World   (by Sidney Perkowitz)

In this book, scientist and dedicated film enthusiast Sidney Perkowitz discusses the portrayal of science in more than one hundred films. Beginning with early classics like Voyage to the Moon and Metropolis and concluding with more recent offerings like The Matrix, War of the Worlds, A Beautiful Mind, and An Inconvenient Truth, Perkowitz questions how much faith we can put into Hollywood's depiction of scientists and their work; how accurately these films capture scientific fact and theory; whether cataclysms like our collision with a comet can actually happen; and to what extent these films influence public opinion about science and the future.

I Am America (And So Can You!)   (by Stephen Colbert)

With I Am America, Colbert puts rapier to paper, combining funny monologs with lists, illustrations, and charts to take on the tall task of fixing everything that's destroying America—and make us laugh all the while....   Read full description of I Am America (And So Can You!)

America (The Book):  A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction

American-style democracy is the world's most beloved form of government, which explains why so many other nations are eager for us to impose it on them. In "America (The Book)," Jon Stewart and company serve up humor-seasoned insights into our unique system of government, dissecting its institutions, explaining its history and processes, and exploring its myths.
(by Jon Stewart and the writers of "The Daily Show")

Static   (by Amy Goodman, David Goodman)

Government Liars, Media Cheerleaders, and the People Who Fight Back

Static takes on government liars, corporate profiteers, and the media that have acted as their cheerleaders. The authors cut through the official static to show the truth about war, torture, and government control of the media and to present the voices of dissidents, activists, and others who are often frozen out of official debate. Written by Amy Goodman, host of the alt-news show Democracy Now!, and investigative journalist David Goodman, Static is a manual for how to become informed, fight back, and defend democracy.

When the Press Fails   (by Bennett, Lawrence, and Livingston)

Political Power and the News Media from Iraq to Katrina

A sobering look at the intimate relationship between political power and the news media, When the Press Fails argues that today's news is gravely hampered by reporters’ dependence on "official sources" and their lack of high-level sources within government willing to question official government policies and statements. The book contrasts the major reporting failures on WMDs in Iraq and the Abu Ghraib controversy with the refreshingly critical reporting on Hurricane Katrina—a rare event that caught officials off-guard, enabling journalists to enter a no-spin zone. When the Press Fails concludes by proposing new practices to reduce reporters’ dependence on power.

Fighting for Air

The Battle to Control America's Media   (by Eric Klinenberg)

Fighting for Air  is an investigation of the corporate takeover of the media, and what it means for Americans. Klinenberg covers the death of local programming and the rise of remotely run, preprogrammed radio shows, empty television news stations, and copycat newspapers to show how expanding conglomerate ownership of all media has harmed American political and cultural life. Fighting for Air also reveals a rising generation of activists and citizen journalists who are insisting on the local coverage we need and deserve.

Digital Destiny   (by Jeff Chester)

New Media and the Future of Democracy

With the explosive growth of the internet and broadband communications, we now have the potential for a truly democratic media system offering a wide variety of independent sources of news, information, and culture. But the country's powerful communications companies have other plans, and they're using their political clout to gain ever greater control over the internet and other digital communication channels. We face an electronic media system designed principally to sell rather than serve. Jeff Chester gets beneath the surface of media and telecommunications regulation to explain clearly how our new media system functions, what's at stake, and what we can do to fight the corporate media's plans for our "digital destiny"—before it's too late.

The Greatest Story Ever Sold

The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina   (by Frank Rich)

This book examines the trail of fictions manufactured by the Bush administration from 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina, exposing the most brilliant spin campaign ever waged. Find out how they managed to sell a war against an enemy that did not attack America on 9/11 (Iraq), intimidated the Democrats into incoherence and impotence, and turned a presidential election into an irrelevant referendum on macho imagery and same-sex marriage.

Cable News Confidential   My Misadventures in Corporate Media

Producer, pundit, and media critic Jeff Cohen offers a fast-paced romp through the three major cable news channels—Fox, CNN, and MSNBC—and delivers a serious message about their failure to cover the most urgent issues of the day. Propelled by amusing anecdotes featuring famous pundits and media personalities, Cable News Confidential highlights the foibles, hypocrisies, and absurdities Cohen witnessed at news organizations run by entertainment conglomerates. (by Jeff Cohen)

All Governments Lie   The Life and Times of Rebel Journalist I.F. Stone

I. F. Stone—one of America's most independent and revered journalists—was ahead of the pack on the most pivotal 20th-century trends: the rise of Hitler, covert actions of the FBI and CIA, the horror of Vietnam, the class greed of Reaganomics, and more. Here, the remarkable Stone is brought into sharp focus, with a narrative that additionally provides a far-reaching assessment of journalism and its role in our culture. (by Myra MacPherson)

Lapdogs   How the Press Rolled Over for Bush  (by Eric Boehlert)

Lapdogs is the first book to demonstrate that for the entire George W. Bush presidency, the news media have utterly failed in their duty as watchdog for the public. Eric Boehlert reveals how, time after time, the press chose a soft approach to covering the government; and, as a result, reported and analyzed crucial events incompletely and even inaccurately. Supported by dozens of troubling examples of journalistic malpractice, Lapdogs thoroughly dissects the press's recent misconduct and gives voice to the growing public dismay with the mainstream media.

When News Lies   Media Complicity and the Iraq War

When News Lies  offers an indictment of the role media played in misreporting and even promoting the second Iraq war. It is an analysis of how and why the media got it wrong. Schechter argues that collusion between media companies and the Bush Administration made the war possible: "The government orchestrated the war while the media marketed it. You couldn't have had one without the other." (Included with the book is the DVD Weapons of Mass Deception.) (by Danny Schechter)

The Death of Media   And the Fight to Save Democracy

Emmy Award-winning journalist Danny Schechter—"The News Dissector"—takes a close look at today's big media news outlets, the new media striving to replace them, and the impact it's all having on the health of our democracy. Schechter explores how the Internet, webcasts, satellite TV and radio, podcasts, and other new forms are fueling the movement for democracy in media and the rise of citizen journalism—efforts by average citizens to reclaim the public airwaves. (by Danny Schechter)

The New Media Monopoly   (by Ben H. Bagdikian)

When the first edition of The Media Monopoly was published in 1983, critics called Ben Bagdikian's warnings about the chilling effects of corporate ownership and mass advertising on the nation's news "alarmist." Since then, the number of major media corporations controlling the majority of America's newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television stations, book publishers, and movie companies has dwindled from fifty to ten... to FIVE today. This edition is completely updated and revised.

The Future of Media   Resistance and Reform in the 21st Century

Despite increasing criticism of the US media, little serious discussion has emerged as to what concrete steps are needed for lasting reform. The Future of Media  collects the most up-to-date thinking from the vanguard of media theorists, commentators, journalists, scholars and policymakers, who examine where we are now and lay out a five- to 10-year roadmap for change. (by McChesney, Newman, Scott (Editors))

Mediated   (by Thomas de Zengotita)

How the Media Shapes Your World and the Way You Live in It

Mediated  takes us on a tour of our media-saturated society—from coverage of terrorism to high-school cliques to reality TV. At every turn we see ourselves as we are, immersed in options, driven to unprecedented levels of self-consciousness—and obliged by these circumstances to transform our very lives into performances. Mediated  tackles everything we take for granted.

Unspeak   How Words Become Weapons, How Weapons Become a Message, and How That Message Becomes Reality  (by Steven Poole)

Author Steven Poole coins the term "Unspeak" to describe phrases like "pro-life," "intelligent design," and "the war on terror"—pet names for issues that frame each issue favorably for the speaker. Unspeak is used by politicians, interest groups, and corporations to suggest something without actually saying it; to assert something without having to justify it; and to negate any possible opposing point of view via "framing." Unspeak—coming to flapping lips near you.

What Liberal Media?   The Truth About Bias and the News

Widely acclaimed and hotly contested, veteran journalist Eric Alterman's ambitious investigation into the true nature of the US news media touched a nerve and sparked debate across the country. As the question of whose interests the media protects—and how—continues to raise hackles, Alterman's sharp, utterly convincing assessment cuts through the cloud of inflammatory rhetoric, settling the question of liberal bias in the news once and for all. (by Eric Alterman)

Boiling Point   How Politicians, Big Oil and Coal, Journalists and Activists Are Fueling the Climate Crisis—And What We Can Do to Avert Disaster

In "Boiling Point," journalist Ross Gelbspan argues that, unchecked, climate change will swamp every other issue facing us today. Institutional denial and delay has now grown into a crime against humanity. Gelbspan points the finger at not only the fossil fuel industry but also at media and environmental activists, who have unwittingly worsened the crisis. (by Ross Gelbspan)