In this book, W. Lance Bennett analyzes why "news" is reported the way it is, what the influences were and are, and how we came to have our current version as published by the American press. I found this book in a used book store while doing research for some writing. It scared the heck out of me. Mr. Bennett's analysis is thorough, very well documented, and specifically identifies the way that "news reporting" became an industry not for news at all, but for marketing. It identifies the significant impacts of image and television, and how they have come to define how "news" is presented. To understand why I have put "news" in parentheses every time, you must read this book. To understand how important it is that you read this book, you must read it. This book is one of the reasons that I quit watching television over five years ago. I have a brain, I can use it, and I don't need the marketing demographics to define the version of the "news" I receive. Mr. Bennett: Thank you. Very much.

Graber's dissertation clearly illustrates how the mass media effects individual beliefs, attitudes, and activities. Consider how much of the working day is spent discussing top news stories, political issues, and social situations. The average American spends seven hours of exposure per day to some form of mass media news or entertainment [television, newspapers, magazines, radio, etc.] (p.2). Taking this into consideration, the average individual will usually talk about that which they are most familiar, or that in which they are most interested. Based on these statistics, it is inevitable that news stories will be the topic of discussion, thus influence, in American's daily life.

Using children as an analogy, the fighting, bickering, fingerpointing, and blaming stops when someone is in trouble. Then trouble comes around, Americans band together, becoming unpenetrable to the adversary. Graber points this out in the chapters on Foreign Affairs Coverage and Crisis Coverage. Everyone has experienced a time of 'crisis', either locally, nationally, or globally. Once a crisis occurs, newspapers, magazines, talk shows, radio, etc. band together. This one aspect keeps America free, and democratic.

I agree with Graber that the mass media effects individual beliefs, attitudes, and activities. She has proven her point effectively.