 ADULT CRISES
Second Chances
Watersheds
Papers/Presentations/Lectures
ETHICS / BIOETHICS
The Wreck of the
William Brown
Scarce Goods
The
Limits of Principle
Papers
Presentations/Lectures
AGING / CAREGIVING
Mirrored Lives
A Place in Time
Age Speaks for Itself
Presenations/Lectures
MAPS, MAPPING, GIS
Cartographies of
Disease
Papers/Presentations
NEWS & INFORMATION
The Message is The Medium
Journalism for the 21st Century
The News as Myth
Papers
Presentations/Lectures
CYCLING & MARTIAL ARTS
BIOGRAPHY
E-mail Dr.
Koch
HOME PAGE |
News & Information
The News as Myth: Fact and Context in Journalism
(Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1990)
In plain, non-technical language, this book
argues that "the myth of the news is its supposed objectivity" and that the very
forms which presumably guarantee veracity ultimately lead to consistently incomplete and
misleading news reports. It draws a distinction between "true fictions",
articles whose general accuracy is demonstrable, even when the standards of contemporary
reportage are not met, and 'false truths' in which a correctly attributed and formally
appropriate news story is so incomplete or unbelievable as to constitute a demonstrable
falsehood. Its analysis begins with the most basic of reportorial tasks, obituary writing,
and then proceeds to issues of investigative reportage. Since its publication it has been
used not only in journalism courses, but also as a text in basic writing at the college
level.
Reviews:
"It is a critical, iconoclastic book,
but thought-provoking rather than a mindless broadside. . . definitely worth
reading." The IRE Journal
"A sincere attempt to help reporters
ask more probing questions. It is well written and features interesting notes at the end
of each chapter." Choice, 1990
"A clear, lively book, one that is
enthusiastically recommended." ALRB, 1990
Order Information:
Available from Praeger Books, a division of Greenwood
Publishing Group
Ordered through bookstores, or directly from the publisher (1-800-225-5800).
To purchase online, search for Tom Koch on Amazon.com
© TOM KOCH 1996-2006
All Rights Reserved. Trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Produced by: Stewart & Strauss Advertising, Inc. |