Spin! How the News Media Misinform and Why Consumers Misunderstand
“Spin brings to light a controversial and critical issue–how the media can shape the news instead of report it. As a PhD … (the author) gives a unique insight into the pressures, politics, and changes in the media that lead to quickly reporting, and sensationalizing stories, based on scanty evidence all to get lots of readers. Journalistic integrity seems to be waning. Personally I got a lot of insight from the chapter about the Toyota recall debacle in which relatively small problems leading to lots of vehicles recalled were blown up into computer-controlled, unstoppable, runaway cars that can only be characterized as science fiction. This book is short and to the point and should be read by all!”
–Jeffrey K. Liker, PhD, author of The Toyota Way and Toyota Under Fire
Ever watched the news and felt like something was missing? Or read a news story and felt like you were being misled? This book explains why. The news industry has changed dramatically in recent years and not for the best. From Sarah Palin to Toyota, from science to environmental advocacy, the waters of truth are frequently muddied by the news media. This book reviews studies about the news media by researchers, it describes the author’s personal experiences in dealing with reporters and it details a number of real-life examples that dig deep beyond headlines.
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Product Details
Paperback: 90 pages
Publisher: XSG Media
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0615573223
ISBN-13: 978-0615573229
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.7 ounces
Reviews
“Dr. Conrad’s last chapter gives solutions for news media to do things in ways that have more integrity, honesty and accountability. This is brilliant and essential if we are to become more transparent and truthful as a society.”
“Public relations professionals are often accused of “spinning” stories, but this concise book (77 pages) presents a different point of view. It shows how journalists intentionally or unintentionally spin news, often ignoring the efforts of PR persons to provide accurate information. For example, in “he said she said” journalism two news sources with opposing points of view are falsely treated as equivalent even when one provides valid information and the other does not. Unfortunately, news consumers are more likely to believe negative information regardless of its accuracy. Conrad examines other ways journalists skew the news, beginning with deciding what to cover (filtering). Some of the other factors are cognitive biases such as a preference for emotional anecdotes over statistics. Since reading this book, I’ve been seeing examples of media spin everywhere.”
“SPIN! offers a quick, powerful read packed with honest and informed critique, verifiable examples and sensible solutions to the seemingly ever-eroding quality of journalistic integrity.”
“SPIN! provides a thoughtful analysis of accuracy and ethics in journalism at a time when the intersection of traditional and new media is creating a new relevance for professional public relations.”