Overview

Matt Carlson confronts the promise and perils of unnamed sources in this exhaustive analysis of controversial episodes in American journalism during the George W. Bush administration, from prewar reporting mistakes at the New York Times and Washington Post to the Valerie Plame leak case and Dan Rather's lawsuit against CBS News.     Weaving a narrative thread that stretches from the uncritical post-9/11 era to the spectacle of the Scooter Libby trial, Carlson examines a tense period in American history through the lens of journalism. Revealing new insights about high-profile cases involving confidential sources, he highlights contextual and structural features of the era, including pressure from the right, scrutiny from new media and citizen journalists, and the struggles of traditional media to survive amid increased competition and decreased resources. 

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9780252078859

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Reviews

Carlson's book is a must-read for people trying to understand what direction journalism should take in redefining itself in the face of rising threats - technological, economic, political, and otherwise. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly Carlson offers an interesting, well-written, and lucid cultural analysis of the 'unique risks and rewards' that occur 'from the bargain struck' between reporters and confidential sources. Journalism Matt Carlson addresses an interesting issue in journalism: the use of confidential sources in several recent episodes. He has scoured the public record for what is known about the cases and for the public discussion generated by them. This book serves an important purpose by aggregating and putting in one place these recent cases. Elliott King, author of Free for All: The Internet's Transformation of Journalism

"""Carlson's book is a must-read for people trying to understand what direction journalism should take in redefining itself in the face of rising threats - technological, economic, political, and otherwise."" Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly ""Carlson offers an interesting, well-written, and lucid cultural analysis of the 'unique risks and rewards' that occur 'from the bargain struck' between reporters and confidential sources."" Journalism ""Matt Carlson addresses an interesting issue in journalism: the use of confidential sources in several recent episodes. He has scoured the public record for what is known about the cases and for the public discussion generated by them. This book serves an important purpose by aggregating and putting in one place these recent cases."" Elliott King, author of Free for All: The Internet's Transformation of Journalism"

""Carlson's book is a must-read for people trying to understand what direction journalism should take in redefining itself in the face of rising threats - technological, economic, political, and otherwise."" Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly ""Carlson offers an interesting, well-written, and lucid cultural analysis of the 'unique risks and rewards' that occur 'from the bargain struck' between reporters and confidential sources."" Journalism ""Matt Carlson addresses an interesting issue in journalism: the use of confidential sources in several recent episodes. He has scoured the public record for what is known about the cases and for the public discussion generated by them. This book serves an important purpose by aggregating and putting in one place these recent cases."" Elliott King, author of Free for All: The Internet's Transformation of Journalism

<p> Contributes significantly to understanding not only the use of anonymous sources (the benefits and the dangers) but also journalism broadly. Recommended. -- Choice

Author Information

Matt Carlson is an assistant professor of communication at Saint Louis University

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