Cover Image: Becoming the Story

Becoming the Story

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Member Reviews

This book covers the decade after 9/11 in journalism, specifically looking at war correspondents. The author focuses on certain high profile examples of journalists becoming the news (Daniel Pearl, Lara Logan, Bob Woodward, to name a few) and uses these examples to make some points about the state of war reporting since 9/11. There were some very thoughtful arguments made here and I learned quite a bit more about these incidents from the book.

I had a few issues with some words and phrases that appeared very frequently in the book along with the use of citations at the end of the sentence instead of using footnotes. This book read like a textbook or a college paper at times. Other than those quibbles, this was a very interesting book for people interested in the media and how stories of conflict around the world are covered.

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4* Interesting and hard-hitting book about how journalism has changed post 911.

This book covers a ten-year period in international war reporting, starting immediately after 911. It is detailed, with facts that can be independently verified, with many of the featured journalists being household names.

The lengths reporters will go to for the story is clear from news bulletins but this reveals the sometimes lack of support from the news agencies/editors, and what reporters have to do for their own safety and for their willingness to be able to get THE story. It's sometimes graphic and it does feel as if there's point-scoring to a certain degree amongst agencies, and also countries.

An interesting read, and one that's filled me with a new appreciation for reporters.

ARC courtesy of University of Illinois Press and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

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