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Books > Language & Literature > Literature: texts > Essays, journals, letters & other prose works > From 1900 > Reportage & collected journalism
News organizations have always sought to deliver information faster
and to larger audiences. But when clicks drive journalism, the
result is often simplistic, sensational, and error-ridden
reporting. In this book, Seong Jae Min argues in favor of "slow
journalism," a growing movement that aims to produce more
considered, deliberate reporting that better serves the interests
of democracy. Min explores the role of technology in journalism
from the printing press to artificial intelligence, documenting the
hype and hope associated with each new breakthrough as well as the
sometimes disappointing-and even damaging-unintended consequences.
His analysis cuts through the discussion of clickbait headlines and
social-media clout chasing to identify technological bells and
whistles as the core problem with journalism today. At its heart,
Min maintains, traditional shoe-leather reporting-knocking on
doors, talking to people, careful observation and analysis-is still
the best way for journalism to serve its civic purpose. Thoughtful
and engaging, Rethinking the New Technology of Journalism is a
compelling call for news gathering to return to its roots.
Reporters, those studying and teaching journalism, and avid
consumers of the media will be interested in this book.
What happens when a regular person accidentally finds themselves
lost in the middle of a war? In 1991, BBC journalist Chris Woolf
travelled to Afghanistan. The government in Kabul was fighting for
survival, after the withdrawal of the Soviet Union. The parallels
to today are extraordinary. Woolf was visiting a colleague to see
if he'd like the life of a foreign correspondent. They hitched a
ride with an aid convoy and bumbled straight into the war. They
kept going, despite the horror and terror. There was no choice.
Amid the darkness, Woolf discovered the generosity and hospitality
of ordinary Afghans. They became the first journalists to pass
through the battle lines to meet with legendary warlord Ahmed Shah
Massoud, and carried home a vital message for the peace process.
They met with Soviet POW/MIAs and recorded messages for loved ones.
Unlike a conventional war story, Woolf shares an intimate portrait
of first encounters with death and real fear. He explores the
lingering effects of trauma, and explains how he put his experience
to good use. The author introduces readers to just enough of
Afghanistan's history, geography, culture and politics for readers
to understand what's going on around him. What people are saying:
"Bumbling Through the Hindu Kush is at once gripping, informative,
suspenseful, and at times it reads like a thriller." - Qais Akbar
Omar, author of "A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family Story."
"Chris Woolf has written a truly personal tale that is both
gripping and historically significant for the war between the
Soviet-backed government and Mujahidin in Afghanistan. His mix of
personal, cultural, and wartime reflections make this a story well
worth the time of Afghanistan aficionados and casual readers
alike." - Dr Jonathan Schroden, former strategic adviser to the US
military's Central Command, and to the International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan "Combat can feel like the
ant on an elephant's tail: overwhelmed and along for the ride.
Chris Woolf's memoir of his ten days in late 1991 "bumbling" into
the war in Afghanistan is just such an up-and-down tale, with the
momentary highs and gut-crushing lows common to combat. When the
teenage goat herder fires his AK-47 in the first few pages - you'll
know how that ant feels, just holding on, exhilarated, terrified,
never really knowing what comes next." - Lt-Col ML Cavanaugh, US
Army; Senior Fellow, Modern War Institute at West Point; lead
writer and co-editor, "Strategy Strikes Back: How Star Wars
Explains Modern Military Conflict." The perfect Christmas gift for
all those who like military history and think they understand war.
The author believes in giving back, so a portion of the proceeds is
donated towards helping Afghan kids with disabilities
(enabledchildren.org), and towards clearing landmines in
Afghanistan and around the world (HALOTrust.org).
As Fenella Wilson points out in her Introduction to this collection
of Neil Munro's writings on war, the theme is represented in each
aspect of his career as a writer - in his fiction, journalism and
poetry. A number of the short stories here, including two Para
Handy tales, were published Munro's lifetime, as was his
introduction to Fred Farrell's 1920 The 51st Division War Sketches,
and some of the Poems. What has not previously 'seen the light of
day' since The Great War are the reports which Munro wrote as a war
correspondent, as a civilian and later in uniform, in 1914, 1917
and 1918. They are vivid, personal, accounts from the Western
Front, widely published in a range of newspapers of the time.
Stories of Scottish regiments - in kilts, with their Pipers -
abound. They cushion, but don't diminish, the reality of everyday
life both for soldiers on all sides in the conflict, and for the
local population, amid the 'havoc' of the battlefields; 'the filthy
job of human slaughter'.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2021 The riveting story of a
nation at a crucial crossroads From the start of his stint as RTE's
Washington Correspondent Brian O'Donovan's lively and authoritative
reporting of a tumultuous period in American life has been
must-watch TV. Four Years in the Cauldron is his account of four
busy years working in the US. He draws a compelling picture, full
of telling colour and detail, of covering its fractured politics,
particularly the extraordinary presidency of Donald Trump and the
knife-edge election of Joe Biden. And he gives his unique
perspective on big stories such as the Covid emergency, the Capitol
riot, the murder of George Floyd and trial and conviction of his
police killer. He also provides a visceral sense of what it's like
living in a country shaped by guns, God, far-fetched conspiracy
theories and the running sore of racism. Yet, drawing on his
network of contacts, neighbours, friends and family connections
outside the white-hot heat of Washington politics, he writes about
the lives of ordinary American people with nuance and
understanding. Four Years in the Cauldron is a must-read for
getting to grips with the US at a moment of profound reckoning.
______ 'An intriguing look at an extraordinary time . . . the book
brings us to some fascinating places' Ryan Tubridy 'A great read'
The Last Word With Matt Cooper
Vir 45 jaar het Freek Robinson die grootste nuusgebeure in die ou én nuwe Suid-Afrika eerstehands beleef. As TV-joernalis en nuusanker was hy ’n gereelde besoeker in miljoene Suid-Afrikaners se huise.
In sy memoires deel Freek dit wat hy agter die skerms beleef het.
Dié boek verweef die lewe en loopbaan van een van ons land se mees gerespekteerde en geliefde joernaliste en gee ’n besonderse blik op die ingrypende nuusomwentelinge in ons onlangse geskiedenis.
With syndication in more than 200 newspapers and a faithful
readership nationwide, Bill Maxwell's status as one of the
country's preeminent black journalists is unquestionable. This
collection of his columns, primarily from the St. Petersburg Times,
forms a body of commentary on humanity (and lack of same) that will
capture the hearts and minds of Americans. Maxwell covers a
sweeping range of subjects, including race-a central but not
exclusive theme. He asks hard questions that courageously attempt
to understand hatred and injustice in America; and he takes on
controversial issues many columnists avoid and a wide spectrum of
national figures-from Jeb, George W. and Clarence Thomas to the
Pope and Jesse Jackson. Maxwell writes movingly about his childhood
as the son of migrant farm workers in rural Florida, his love of
books-beginning with those plucked from garbage cans-and his
everyday encounters with the white world and the black one. With a
voice that is provocative and insights that are deep and
passionate, he tackles the plight of migrant workers, the
devastation of the environment, religious intolerance, homophobia,
affirmative action, illiteracy, public education, civic
responsibility, politics-and racism. He criticizes blacks and
whites alike in his search for truth and right, especially in his
exploration of what he calls 'resurgent bigotry and Republicanism'
and 'the black writer's most agonizing task-and duty-being
dispassionate about the foibles and self-destructive behavior of
African-Americans. Setting a standard for the newspaper column as
social criticism, Maximum Insight illuminates the role of the black
writer as an interpreter of the forces that define a diverse
America.
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