Merchants of Truth: Inside the News Revolution

Description

From the first woman editor of The New York Times, the definitive in-the-room account of the battle between prestige journalism and upstart digital mavericks for control of the truth The gripping and definitive in-the-room account of the revolution that has swept the news industry over the last decade and reshaped our world. The last decade has seen the News industry face unprecedented change. The sometimes-century old institutions which were once the bastions of truth have had their dominance eroded by vast innovations in viral technology and, as millennial appetites force the industry to choose between principles of objectivity and impartiality, the survivors must confront the horrifying cost of their success- sexual scandal, fake news, the election of President Trump and the shaking of democracy. Taking us behind the scenes at four media titans - BuzzFeed, VICE, The New York Times and The Washington Post - Abramson reveals the human drama behind this shift- one involving deal-making tycoons, thrusting reporters, hard-bitten editors, egomaniacs, bullshitters, provocateurs and bullies, with some surfing and others drowning in the breaking wave of change. 'A cracking, essential read. Abramson knows where most of the bodies are buried and is prepared to draw the reader a detailed map' Guardian

Jill Abramson was the executive editor of The New York Times, the first woman to hold its most senior editorial position, between 2011 and 2014. During her seventeen years at the paper she was also the first woman to serve as its managing editor and as its Washington bureau chief. Before joining the Times, she spent nine years at the Wall Street Journal. She is now a senior lecturer at Harvard University and writes a bi-weekly column for the Guardian about US politics. She lives in New York City.

A cracking, essential read ... [Abramson] knows where most of the bodies are buried and is prepared to draw the reader a detailed map * Guardian * A masterwork ... a vastly useful immersion in the ways of contemporary journalism * Financial Times * Chock-full of arresting titbits ... describes the perfect storm that has engulfed newspapers over the past dozen years * Telegraph * Amazing. Filled with colourful inside stories, this book is essential for anyone who wants to understand today's media and how it is affecting our society -- WALTER ISAACSON Deeply researched, wonderfully written and filled with fascinating portraits. Jill Abramson tells the truth about the news business as only she can tell it. An important book at a crucial time -- GAY TALESE A fascinating read -- Liz Thomson * The Arts Desk *