The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on Media & Journalism - Perfect for Media Studies, Political Science & News Analysis

Do you wonder about the media? do you hate the new york times for being too liberal? Do you hate fox news for being right wing propaganda?As a moderate, Do you hate your coworkers lunchtime debates, arguing those two positions?then this book is absolutely a must read for you, and for them.Step back from the heat of the moment, and have some well presented, deep thoughts on the overall way we create our media.This book is a intelligent, understanding and deeply expressive look at all forms of media.This is a well written book, a fun and easy read for people of all ages and all walks of life, and I promise, will teach you something revealingabout the media. I'd give it to 15 year olds, and I'd give it to college professors. that's a rare treat to have a book who's ideas are so well presented, yet so deep, that everyone would benefit from reading it.I feel like after reading this book I have a deeper tolerance for the "other side", and for people who hold different opinions than my own. And, most importantly, where I thought I was in the center, I see that Im just a point on a perfectly valid series of spectrums.read this book, explore what bias really means, and start to awaken to ones own hidden beliefs.This book puts whole constellations of complex ideas into understandable stories, two to three pages at a time.The brilliance of this book is that it gives a rock solid view of our media, and as a reflection- of all of us.You will have wonderful jumps back in time, to the history of media, how its shaped human culture, and how its shaping us- and how we shape it.You'll be presented with a real look at both sides of the debate, and then, suddenly, the lights come on about the mechanics of the debate itself, and what then is really the conflict.I learned more about republican media, liberal media, Freedom of media vs government suppression of media.I learned all the ways Bias shows up in the media, and in myself.I learned how media checks the government, and how media supports the government. I also learned how our government surpress the media, how other governments surpress the media.I love the part that talks about in the 1900's america developed the telephone as a mass means of communication. this is a "one to one" type of media.Russia on the other hand? They developed the loudspeaker instead. a "one way, one to many" communication.she shows us a story from our past- the New York Times publishing the pentagon papers. Its the age old debate "its treason to publish secret government workings, and can kill operatives in the field and give our enemies an advantage over us" versus "whistleblowers must be protected, because they are a check on government abuses"I was too young to see that one play out- Nixon orchestrating treason charges against new york times, in an attempt to stem the leaks about his lies. It is treason to spill state secrets. It is often the way too, that treason happening by government officials can come to light.Of course, that debate lives today with the Julian Assange issue- "Arrest that traitor!" vs "protect the whistleblower".Its not that one view is right or wrong always. Its just that, that argument has swung back and forth many, many times. and sometimes protecting the government wins- and rightly so- and sometimes its just the freedom of information that suffers, and protects the guilty.One of my favorite parts of the book was the 5 page tale of Social Drift- the idea that what is true, what is in debate, and what is completely taboo from debate in media, is constantly shifting. By looking at news from the 1900's, and pointing out what was "taboo" which today is now clearly discussed, helped me to see what we today consider taboo, and don't consider.We live in a time of great change. Technology is changing the media game for good. I strongly urge all walks of life to buy this book. its a fair, balanced, and overall positive view on the world we live in, and its rich and varied world views.