When Journalism was a Thing

by Alexandra Kitty

Journalism used to be a thing. It used to be a powerful and wonderful thing, yet now it has become a curiosity, and not even the Internet can resurrect it. When Journalism was a Thing considers the downfall and the reasons why, but also offers a model for a new approach to the once-noble profession.

Genres: Journalism

480 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 27, 2018

About the author

Alexandra Kitty is an award-winning author of twenty books, including The Art of Kintsugi, The Dramatic Moment of Fate: The Life of Sherlock Holmes in the Theatre, The Mind Under Siege: Mechanisms of War Propaganda, A Different Track: Hospital Trains of the Second World War, and The Sport of Presidents..

Reviews

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in a journalist’s home and having been a journalist myself, I was keen to read When Journalism was a Thing. As a profession, journalism used to be a powerful, positive force, one many young people aspired to pursue, especially after The Washington Post broke the Watergate scandal and helped to depose a President.

The advent and explosive growth of digital, however, relegated print to a red-haired stepchild position or worse ... changing the face of journalism forever. And the evolution from a truth-seeking entity to a biased ratings-driven hack has destroyed the profession’s credibility, claims author Alexandra Kitty.

Kitty, who has published three books, including Don’t Believe It!: How Lies Become News, and Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism, explains the forces that led to the death of “old journalism” while offering a model for a new version she believes can be noble again. She says, “It will take humility, honesty, idealism, and most of all, bravery to make the bold revolutionary changes ... where the battle for truth [not ratings] counts the most.” Highly recommended!

Pub Date 27 Jul 2018

Thanks to John Hunt Publishing Ltd and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#WhenJournalismWasAthing #NetGalley

[Sandra Gonzalez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I requested this book because I thought it would be really interesting to hear the professional opinion about the current state of the media. I have had questions and now find myself searching for ways to stay well informed with true accounts and not skewed versions of information. This book is about journalism’s downfall, but it also provides ways in which journalists can come back from their fall.
When I read this book I wasn’t sure which side Kitty was on. It was really confusing. Was she bashing the right wing media or the left? I guess this is a good thing since I am looking for an unbiased opinion.
There were many points made by Kitty that I agreed with. Mainly the point that journalism is NOT what it used to be. We are not seeing much investigative reporting. Most times, journalists are regurgitating what other networks or journalists are already airing out. The fact that they don’t even bother to fact check is just crazy to me-I mean it’s their job. So I really enjoyed that Kitty calls out the media on this.
One thing I did notice was the tone. It seemed angry and almost reprimanding. I felt like I was getting a scolding. In the end, I got the impression that she faulted the left wing media more than the right. This was both upsetting and appalling at the same time. I really don’t know how a side that includes Breitbart as a news source can be less at fault for the trash and conspiracies that are being disseminated.
This book could have been cut in half and still made its key points. I felt it was repetitive and it dragged on for that reason.

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very timely book in an era when journalism and journalists are being attacked as fake news,this is a clear concise look at what journalists do & how important their jobs are.Young journalists should grab this book anyone interested in free presses role wil find this book well worth reading.Thanks #netgalley #johnhunt publishers.

[Erica (The Literary Apothecary) · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lover in investigative journalism, I wanted to learn about the author's take on the rise and fall of general journalism.

Journalism is still everything, yet to some it has become like a joke. Kitty explores the downfall of the profession and presents a solid strategy for its resurrection.

Informative read!

[Cristie Underwood]

The author did a great job of explaining what journalists do and why they are imperative to our Democracy. With the current agenda of attacking the press by our President, it is more important than ever for everyone to understand the importance of having an unbiased press to alert us as to what is going on in our Country and the world.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, another fairy tale about the good ol' times, when bringing the message of powerful men to the masses was ”a thing”, now as an English major one has to do dumpster diving like Kitty. Never mind the inflation of diplomas generated by the inflation of diploma mills. Concentrate on ”a thing”.