I picked this book up after seeing it referenced by a favorite columnist of mine, John Leo. Mr. Janeway presents historical background, overview, and analysis, but little hint of any large insight which the reader might savor. It's certainly not muddled, and I learned a lot about journalism as an industry, but for me there was the distinct sense of something missing. My own intuition--and I'm not a journalist--is that his synthesis might have been more complete had it incorporated a consideration of the sorry state of education in our society, a factor I believe should not be minimized when lamenting the increasing civic apathy of the public. Imparting the spirit of participation as a citizen used to be a given as part of a "good" education, and a contemporary lack of that spirit is surely an element of the larger problem Janeway tries dutifully--and thoughtfully--but alas, incompletely, to illustrate. One addendum: stylistically, the writing here is less than engaging, a surprise, perhaps, given his status as a professional. Mercifully, it's not a long book. Marginally recommended.