News Is a Verb

February 1, 1999
YA-A veteran journalist takes a look at the state of the modern press in this insightful and highly personal essay. News is not about the craft of newspaper writing, but rather the crafting of today's papers. Hamill's thesis is that fatuous, celebrity-centered journalism is dumbing down America's newspapers, patronizing readers, and undermining the press's credibility. The author's ideas for correcting these problems and strengthening other aspects of the modern newspaper will interest YAs who are considering a career in journalism. Students of current events will also find intelligent analysis of a chain of issues that effect movie grosses and political races alike: Is the media's attention to half-truth, scandal, and celebrity due to wrongheaded editorial decisions or to an accurate understanding of the public's appetite for drivel? If a sports announcer's personal oddities are given A-1 coverage while stories of global importance are relegated to the back pages, will the end result be successful newspaper sales or a nation disinterested in issues central to its own survival? Hamill considers these issues and concludes that publishers must not succumb to "giving people what they want," but rather must make a commitment to quality of content. YAs will be inspired by his outspoken love of journalism, his conversational and candid style, and his thought-provoking discussion of many of today's hot topics.-Pamela Cooper-Smuzynski, Fairfax County Public Library, VA