Journalism has been revolutionised by the internet and social media. On Five Books, our interviews with seasoned journalists, academics and news experts recommend books that seek to understand that revolution. We also have interviews on the history, practice and ethics of journalism.
Jay Rosen of NYU's School of Journalism chooses his best books on journalism in the internet age. Todd Gitlin, professor of journalism at Columbia, looks at the future of the media and former Guardian editor, now Principal of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, Alan Rusbridger, chooses his best books on the future of journalism. Meanwhile, on the shifting economics of the media, Richard Tofel, general manager of ProPublica, looks at the changing business of journalism and James T Hamilton, Professor of Communication at Stanford, chooses his best books on the economics of news.
Journalists Toby Young and Robert Cottrell choose their best books on the craft, and foreign correspondent Martin Bell chooses his best books on reportage and war. Young, Cottrell and Bell all choose Scoop by Evelyn Waugh. Peter Stothard, former editor of the Times and the Times Literary Supplement, chooses his best books on editing newspapers. Award-winning investigative reporter Heather Brooke talks about holding power to account and Nick Davies, also an investigative journalist chooses his best books on investigative journalism and talks about how that is changing.
Guy Raz chooses his essential reading for reporters; John M Hamilton looks at American foreign reporting, and historian and journalist Timothy Garton-Ash at the history of the present. Lorraine Adams looks at the truth behind the headlines and discusses how and why newspapers sometimes fail to make the first draft of history. Amanda Smith looks at newspaper dynasties.
On more ethical issues, Max Mosley and Mike Dodd both look at privacy and lawyer Anthony Julius at censorship.
The best books on Immersive Nonfiction, recommended by Will Storr
A good writer must always aim to write the truth – a more complex narrative than one of heroes and villains. But to find the truth, sometimes you’ve got to get up and go there yourself, says Will Storr, journalist and author of Selfie. Here he selects five books that have inspired his own immersive approach to nonfiction.
The best books on Free Speech, recommended by Timothy Garton Ash
Free speech is the bedrock of a healthy society, but how do we deal with the torrents of horrible comments—and worse—we see on the internet every day? Timothy Garton Ash, author of Free Speech: Ten Principles for A Connected World, outlines a plan for navigating the complexities and recommends the best books to help us think about free speech.
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1
An Economic Theory of Democracy
by Anthony Downs -
2
The Creation of the Media: Political Origins of Modern Communications
by Paul Starr -
3
Paper Route: Finding My Way to Precision Journalism
by Philip Meyer -
4
Watergate's Legacy and the Press: The Investigative Impulse
by Jon Marshall -
5
The Watchdog That Didn't Bark: The Financial Crisis and the Disappearance of Investigative Journalism
by Dean Starkman
James T Hamilton recommends the best books on the Economics of News
James T Hamilton recommends the best books on the Economics of News
Many features and failures of contemporary journalism are the result of supply and demand rather than conspiracy theories, says the director of Stanford’s journalism program and author of All the News That’s Fit to Sell. He chooses five great books on the ‘economics of news.’
The best books on The Truth Behind the Headlines, recommended by Lorraine Adams
Why do huge stories sometimes go unreported? Our news media are good at promulgating conventional wisdom but find it much more difficult to deal with evidence that contradicts it, says the former Washington Post reporter
The best books on Holding Power to Account, recommended by Heather Brooke
Heather Brooke’s investigative journalism was the catalyst for the MPs expenses scandal of 2009. With an eye to how power corrupts, from Orwell’s Animal Farm to an apartheid memoir, she looks at importance of sticking to one’s principles and the dangers that arise when we don’t
The best books on The Future of Journalism, recommended by Alan Rusbridger
Former editor-in-chief of The Guardian talked to us in 2012 about brave new frontiers for journalism, the hunt for a business model to pay for it all, and what he hoped (and feared) the Leveson Inquiry would decide about press regulation.
The best books on Censorship, recommended by Anthony Julius
As both a solicitor advocate and literary scholar, Anthony Julius occupies a privileged place to navigate complex interactions between literature and law. He picks the best books on censorship, including three novels subjected to their own censorship controversies.
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1
Preface to Plato
by Eric A Havelock -
2
The Printing Press as an Agent of Change
by Elizabeth L Eisenstein -
3
The Creation of the Media: Political Origins of Modern Communications
by Paul Starr -
4
Raymond Williams on Culture and Society: Essential Writings
by Raymond Williams -
5
Media Unlimited
by Todd Gitlin