Summary

Is the mainstream media dying, and what does that mean for democracy? Emmy Award-winning journalist Danny Schechter, The News Dissector, takes a close look at today's big media news outlets, the new media striving to replace them, and the impact it is all having on the health of our democracy. A self-proclaimed refugee from mainstream media-Schechter was a producer at ABC's 20/20 and at CNN-he examines the evidence: plummeting newspaper circulation, the dive in network ratings, relentless media scandals and the loss of credibility, unprecedented media concentration, the rise of aggressive partisan news, and more. It's no wonder, he says, that polls have put media dissatisfaction-even among media people themselves-at up to 70 percent. Yet a healthy, active media is crucial to the functioning of a democracy. So how do we revitalize the fourth estate? In a book that is half manifesto and half piercing investigation, Schechter searches for an answer, first by exploring the promise of new media-the Internet, webcasts, satellite TV and radio, podcasts, and other new forms rapidly being born. This, in turn, leads him to consider how these new outlets are fueling the movement for democracy in media and the rise of citizen journalism-efforts by average citizens to reclaim the public airwaves. It is, in the end, an inspiring guide to what can be done now, and thanks to Schechter's passion and his vast experience, it is also something more: a brilliant and thrilling look at a turning point in our history. Danny Schechter is the executive editor of Mediachannel.org, where he also maintains a daily media blog. While a Neiman Fellow in Journalism at Harvard University, he was also news director of the legendary Boston rock station WBCN-FM. Schechter subsequently became one of the first producers at CNN and later won two Emmys as a producer for ABC's 20/20, His independent film, WMD: Weapons of Mass Deception, analyzes media coverage of the Iraq war.