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In Losing the News, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Alex S. Jones offers a probing look at the epochal changes sweeping the media, changes which are eroding the core news that has been 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. In a tumultuous new media era, with cutthroat competition and panic over profits, the commitment of the traditional news media to serious news is fading. Indeed, as digital technology shatters the old economic model, the news media is making a painful passage that is taking a toll on journalistic values and standards. Journalistic objectivity and ethics are under assault, as is the bastion of the First Amendment. Jones characterizes himself not as a pessimist about news, but a realist. The breathtaking possibilities that the web offers are undeniable, but at what cost? Pundits and talk show hosts have persuaded Americans that the crisis in news is bias and partisanship. Not so, says Jones. The real crisis is the erosion of the iron core of news, something that hurts Republicans and Democrats alike.Losing the News depicts an unsettling situation in which the American birthright of fact-based, reported news is in danger. But it is also a call to arms to fight to keep the core of news intact. Praise for the hardcover:"Thoughtful."--New York Times Book Review"An impassioned call to action to preserve the best of traditional newspaper journalism."--The San Francisco Chronicle"Must reading for all Americans who care about our country's present and future. Analysis, commentary, scholarship and excellent writing, with a strong, easy-to-follow narrative about why you should care, makes this a candidate for one of the best books of the year."--Dan Rather
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L O S I N G T H E N E W S Institutions of American Democracy Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Jaroslav Pelikan, Directors Other books in the series Schooling in America: How the Public Schools Meet the Nation’s Changing Needs Patricia Albjerg Graham The Most Democratic Branch: How the Courts Serve America Jeffrey Rosen The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein L O S I N G T H E N E W S T h e Fu t u r e o f t h e N e w s T h at Fe e d s D e m o c r a c y A l e x S. J o n e s 1 2009 1 Oxford University Press, Inc., publishes works that further Oxford University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education. Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With offices in Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam Copyright © 2009 by Oxford University Press, Inc. Published by Oxford University Press, Inc. 198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016 www.oup.com Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Jones, Alex S. Losing the news : the future of the news that feeds democracy / Alex S. Jones. p. cm. — (Institutions of American democracy) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-19-518123-4 1. Journalism—Political aspects—United States. 2. Journalism—Economic aspects—United States. 3. Journal