News: The Politics of Illusion

In this book, W. Lance Bennett analyzes why "news" is reported the way it is, what the influences were and are, and how we came to have our current version as published by the American press. I found this book in a used book store while doing research for some writing. It scared the heck out of me. Mr. Bennett's analysis is thorough, very well documented, and specifically identifies the way that "news reporting" became an industry not for news at all, but for marketing. It identifies the significant impacts of image and television, and how they have come to define how "news" is presented. To understand why I have put "news" in parentheses every time, you must read this book. To understand how important it is that you read this book, you must read it. This book is one of the reasons that I quit watching television over five years ago. I have a brain, I can use it, and I don't need the marketing demographics to define the version of the "news" I receive. Mr. Bennett: Thank you. Very much.