Broken News: Why the Media Rage Machine Divides America and How to Fight Back

by Chris Stirewalt

"One of America’s most experienced and exemplary journalists has written an unsparing analysis of the dreadful consequences -- for journalism and the nation -- of ‘how the news lost a race to the bottom with itself.’” --  George F. Will
 
In this national bestseller, Chris Stirewalt, a former Fox News political editor, takes readers inside America’s broken newsrooms that have succumbed to the temptation of “rage revenue.”
 
One of America’s sharpest political analysts, Stirewalt employs his trademark wit and insight to reveal how these media organizations slant coverage – and why that drives political division and rewards outrageous conduct. The New York Times wrote that Stirewalt’s book "is an often candid reflection on the state of political journalism and his time at Fox News, where such post-mortem assessments are not common..." 
 
Broken News is a fascinating, deeply researched, conversation-provoking study of how the news is made and how it must be repaired. Stirewalt goes deep inside the history of the industry to explain how today’s media divides America for profit. And he offers practical advice for how readers, listeners, and viewers can (and should) become better news consumers for the sake of the republic.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Journalism, History, Audiobook, American History, Cultural

256 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2022

Reviews

[Stetson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Stirewalt of former Fox News Decision Desk fame has put together a brisk book of media criticism. Broken News is polemic contra the phenomenon of "post-journalism," which is an Andrey Miroshnichenko term used to describe the cultivation of a focused consumer based that "highly habituated" to particular types of content. Stirewalt's work is an accessible summary of many sophisticated system-level problems in news media and journalism. Despite, Broken News being a work of criticism, Stirewalt's jaunty voice shines through, and the work has an overall hopeful tone.

Stirewalt introduces his book, indicating that it will illustrate how "market pressures on the new media led decision makers" at all types of outlets "to embrace fear and rage as business models" (post-journalism). He recaps the familiar story about the changing technological landscape of journalism, the disengagement of Americans with journalistic content, and the associated disruption of the old print and old internet ad model, which has been supplanted by rapid, hyper-competitive attention model to which social media apps and cable TV are the portals with non-stop access. This environmental has paradoxically nationalized and fragmented journalism, leading to both the decline of quality local news and old school investigative journalism. It has also falsely turned up the dial on the tone of coverage. Hype, advocacy, sponsored content, gossip, and personality-driven tactics continue to creep into what should be the purview of solemn hard news in order to make a desperate grasp for new viewership and rage-provoking partisan opining is used to keep cultivated viewers hooked. This becomes a race to the bottom and makes for an unhealthy public discourse, which feeds forward into a dysfunctional politically and civic system.

Given that much of Stirewalt's arguments appear in other works, including those that are sources for this text like Amusing Ourselves to Death, he is careful not to dwell on overly familiar ground. His take is fresh and topical enough that I think it makes the read worthwhile. There is sometimes a bit too much throat clearing, self-aware preening, and unnecessary color and human interest vignettes, but nonetheless it an accessible work that a lot of Americans would benefit from picking up.

*Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised to learn that a man who work for Fox News was going to be responsible for writing a fair and balance portrayal of the broken new system today, but he did. From targeting our emotions to picking a side in the political race to outing someone the news really doesn’t seem to have morals today and in this book Chris explains how this behavior is not original to our main stream news like some want to believe. It has been going on for eons since newspapers were invented. anyone who puts out news who wants listeners, readers, subscribers ETC and how do you get that but by making that person believe they’re siding with the “smart” reporter!“ This book was so interesting and although I wasn’t surprised by much I was interested in it all and despite him working for Fox News I did think it was a very fair examination of news today and in the past. I would definitely recommend this book regardless of your affiliation or opinion. I received this book from NetGalley and the author and I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.

[David Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 2020 on election night the author properly called the AZ election for Biden based on the data and in consultation with AP who had contracted with FOX. The early call was met with rage from the Trump machine and led to Stirewalt’s dismissal from FOX. This book makes the case that the news business, in its desire for viewership and ratings, has tilted too heavily toward giving the audience what it wants to hear, rather than what they need to know. He argues that news outlets have prioritized stoking emotion — grievance, anxiety, or anger — over their civic-minded duty of informing their audience.

Every day, news outlets search for stories that either flatter their target audience or, more likely, show the inferiority or evil of the other side. The reason is that contempt is profitable because it is easier than impartial reporting. Stirewalt does not limit his critique to the right but takes on the entire media establishment. The book starts with the Washington Post newsroom and its leaderboards that show which stories are clicking the best with readers in the digital world.

The author explores some historical troubles of a similar nature from colonial times onward, when all news was partisan, to the rise of radio, when hosts regularly spewed propaganda. As if not to get too apocalyptic, he notes that the country’s media has faced similar times of upheaval before and still survived.

So often, when people complain about “the media,” painting it with one broad brush, they are focused on just one aspect of it, usually the 24-hour news networks. The more sober network evening news broadcasts, while certainly not as influential as they once were, still regularly get larger audiences than the highest-rated cable news shows. Stirewalt offers a set of solutions, such as curbing the use of anonymous sources or treating politics as a sport. He makes the point that as the volume of news coverage increases, “the quality of that coverage seems to be constantly in decline.”

Quotes

“Americans need more common spaces in which they can have confidence not only that information will be accurate, but that points of view will be fairly represented. We will always come up short in our inclusivity, impartiality, and capacity for holding bad actors to account, but if we throw away aspirational fairness in favor of activist, opinionated journalism we are not fighting entrenched power, but feeding it.”

[Sandra Ziegler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required Reading

I want to give this book to every member of my family with whom I can’t talk about politics anymore. When I try to explain why it’s a bad idea to watch 5 hours of political entertainment on one network every night, they just say “but the other side is so bad!” Stirewalt takes on this difficult subject by helping us understand how we got here. He provides an understanding of the history of media and its effects on our nation and politics, and prescribes some new behaviors that could really make a difference for those in his profession and for citizens as consumers of news. And he does it all with wit and humor and grace.

[Brittany McCann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chris Stirewalt uses "rage revenue" to be hypocritical about media "rage revenue."

He also makes claims that he CANNOT be unbiased.

Some interesting commentary mixed up in the bias that didn't make it complete fodder.

What more do you need to know?

1.5 stars.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at the media from someone who has worked in television....including Fox News...and has seen how journalism has declined in actually providing real news. This one would make a great group discussion piece.

[Joe M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite book of the year but has good suggestions. The author definitely has lots of experience in the news media outlet, and portrays this book to be non biased and right down the middle. It may be a bit ironic given the book’s content, but I think he’s a bit biased against my side. He does offer some good solutions for the political partisanship that we face today, but his suggestions for the media corporations will never take hold. His suggestions for how news consumers like you and I should be adapted. They’re good ideas, and I will try to implement them, but I don’t think this book will reach the news consumers who need it most (on both sides of the aisle).

[Jenna Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed listening to this book. Although there were some things I disagree w Stirewalt about, I appreciate his optimism and his dedication to standards-based news reporting.

I agree that news is not meant to be consumed 24/7 and we lose a lot when we treat government coverage as political team coverage.

He advises us not to get into arguments about politics "Argument deepens convictions rather than loosening them," stirewalt writes.

This definitely made me want to check out his podcast: ink stained wretches.

"If you learn to start questioning your own assumptions when consuming news you make to love your fellow Americans just a little more."

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent information. If you don’t have the time or interest, but follow politics and journalism, at least read the last chapter.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. Chris Stirewalt also narrates it (I listened to the audiobook) and his dry wit, casual cadence, and humorous approach to the subject matter made it much more engaging. I think the book did a great job of highlighting how we got to our current media landscape and some ideas of how to improve news media.

[OG · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is interesting. It tries to tell why and how media is broken. But in the process of describing, Chris Stirewalt mostly points to NYT and WaPo and MSNBC and other similar outlets. He mentioned Fox a few times, but that number of conspicuously low. And here is my issue with the book.

Chris Stirewalt described how media has been changed under pressure to produce more subscribers and viewers. But hey, wasn’t it an old issue since the birth of media as we know it? Aren’t newspapers trying to sell newspapers using unethical methods? The same happens to tv also. There is nothing new. The new phenomenon is Fox news which shows that you can lie, spread hate and make huge amounts of money in the process. Since CNN and MSNBC couldn’t beat the Fox, they copied Fox’s strategy and, in the process, become somewhat successful.

This is where Chris Stirewalt’s book failed. He failed to point out Fox’s strategy which made broke the tv news as we know it. Rather he discussed and pointed out the failure of other news outlets. He fails to find the origin of the issue and only discuss some late entrant into the game ignoring the biggest rule breaker in the game.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book that pretty much confirms what I've seen anecdotally in my own family and friends. The news is broken.

Instead of presenting a semi-down the middle story, each media apparatus pushes out a rage inducing product to capture a locked in audience in order to promote an othering of those not within the same siloed world view. There is no attempt to change minds, but only to lock in a dedicated viewership in which to sell ads to. If a reporter strays from the orthodoxy they must be removed from the TV screen or print media. If an alternative view to the approved narrative is presented the viewer will seethe in anger and lash out, doubling down on their beliefs.

The person in the middle of the political spectrum is left disenfranchised or just tunes out to avoid the rage machine.

The author also touches on the Legislative branch of government giving up most of its checks and balances power to the Executive branch and politicians turning the Congressional and Senate floors into attempts at five minutes of fame, showboating for the cameras in the room, instead of actually working to represent the people.

Overall an interesting read.

[Ayn Nys · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with some of what he says (the news uses fear in a way that is often toxic and wholly untruthful), but he gives himself far too much credit for being objective (he definitely is not), and I am not a fan of his sweeping generalizations. I see him as more part of the problem than part of the solution. Tread mindfully with this one.

[Kchan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s hard for me to review this as I came across this book as an avid reader of Chris Stirewalt’s columns and listener of his podcast, so I’m an inherently biased reviewer. None the less as a recommendation for people reading outside their comfort zones I think this book captures many of the feelings of moderates and more accurately conservative leaning moderates quite well.

There’s plenty to hate for both side of the political partisan spectrum, and I would guess there’s not a rush of people trying to understand the moderate’s view point but if that is something that you are interested in and if you can get past some small, but pointed barbs there’s a succinct and encompassing view of the middle that I think argues the points well and is a vitamin rich source for any news-consumer’s diet.

I will say the middle dragged on for me, and some of the stuff about Chris’s work in the Fox Decision Desk felt self-indulgent, also some of word choices, references I didn’t get and what looked like incorrect autocorrects were distracting. Also this is a nitpick but way to many chapters referenced each other and it starting to get annoying to see “As you’ll see in the next chapters” and “As we saw in the previous chapter” repeated so often in a 7 chapter book. But again that’s a nitpick.

Despite those gripes, this was largely a self-affirming joyride of hearing many of my views repeated back at me and who doesn’t love that? So for what it’s worth if you are one who leans towards the center you’ll mostly not get too many new ideas but a lot of self-love. For others closer to the poles, I think it’s a easy-reading view of probably some of your more frustratingly accommodating friends and family members and what makes them tick and definitely worth a visit.

[Michael Grell · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those who consume highly partisan news media all the time, I would suggest reading this book if you want to understand where other people and yourself develop political and or internal biases from. Before reading this book, I always thought of myself as someone who knew as much as I could about the in’s and outs of the current cable news era of the media business.

But the author Chris Stirewalt does a great job examining and painting a picture of the current news media environment today post the 2020 election. Stirewalt has no shame calling out those on the left and right and allows readers to examine why the media has divided Americans so heavily in the past 20 years. This book has so much potential for its readers to understand why they consume the hyper partisan news media on the left and the right of the political spectrum.

But unfortunately for people who often times fall into the overconsumption of hyper partisan media as Stirewalt points out many times, most of them would never look to read this book to further challenge themselves and their own current beliefs. Regardless of your political beliefs (more left leaning or right leaning) this book can teach readers of all mindsets how to be more understanding compassionate citizens when interacting with those who they may disagree with.

A Quote that I thought was very relevant in today’s world from the book: “If you learn to start questioning your own assumptions when consuming news, you may learn to love your fellow Americans just a little more. You may come to see them as people like you. That could lead to mutual respect and goodwill. Who knows? Maybe even sometimes a politics of solutions, not performative outrage”

[Alex Gruenenfelder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having previously read "Every Man A King" by the author, I was interested in how Chris Stirewalt would approach a work of media criticism, a genre of works that he overall hates. As a former Fox News political editor and conservative media veteran, who parted ways with the network soon after he repeatedly refuted allegations of 2020 voter fraud, believed the details in this particular book were necessary. Having seen the inside of newsrooms since he was a seventeen year old reporting on baseball for a newspaper, he understands where we have gone wrong. It's not just a problem of the divisive supply that the media is supplying, Stirewalt is saying, but the fact that demand has increasingly shifted in that direction, from sophisticated newspapers to 24/7 television to clicks-based websites.

The biggest conclusion of the book is that the media is directly responsible for the decline of political compromise in this country. Critical of products of the 24-hour news cycle like C-SPAN cameras in Congress and reporting on all government proceedings as though they are political, the author finds a motivation for why politicians don't compromise on policies the vast majority of the country agrees upon. This is not a profoundly novel book, covering conclusions familiar to critics of the media and often just providing facts to back up what we already know intuitively, but it is greatly readable and Stirewalt summarizes decades of recent history in a heavily approachable way. And as he charts a path for a better future, which requires more of a focus on true local news, politics junkies may find themselves called out and yet still recognize the necessity of this book at this time.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere between good and great, Stirewalt offers some practical tips on how to address our own bias as media consumers (Chapter 7, for reference). Stirewalt takes a true insider's view on the political rage machine, examining the mechanics of how we got there and why it doesn't work. He has a sardonic sense of humor and is often willing to point out his own flaws.

One obvious flaw is that Stirewalt uses Both-Sides-Ism to pander to conservative audiences (like himself). I do not find that this renders the book unreadable although it is a clearly missed opportunity for a book about challenging one's own biases. In fact, I can agree with Stirewalt that liberals he mentions, like Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, are mostly fluff and little substance, similar to some of the conservatives he mentioned like Trump, Gaetz, and Taylor-Greene. The Both-Sides-ism problem lies herein: defund the police, as an example, is impractical, uninformed, unpopular, and, if you really stretch, reductive. But to place Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez on the same platform as bigoted, intolerant, and xenophobic politicians like Trump, Gaetz, and Taylor-Green, whose rhetoric has demonstrably increased hate-crimes across the country, is a callous choice. Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are trying to improve a system, whereas the others are trying to destroy our constitutional democracy without regard. Did the BLM protests lead to an insurrection anywhere? Plainly, no. Perhaps it makes the pill Stirewalt is offering easier to swallow, but it is not helpful whatsoever.

[Bob Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris is news reporter who started in Wheeling WV and moved on to a statewide publication before signing on at Fox News. Fox reshuffled their news lineup after the 2020 election, and he was lost in the shuffle. Currently he is an editor at the Dispatch and NewsNation.
I met Chris at his book signing when the book was released several years. He was a friendly intelligent guy with a quick sense of humor. A perfect beer drinking companion and that's meant as high praise.
In this book Chris identifies many of the problems in the news business, the need to make money over the desire for objective truth telling and the trends of new agencies to "team up" and assign themselves to political affiliations. All of the issues he addresses still exist today. You might think this book would be dated due to events, but no, nothing has really changed except the onset of more new providers, i.e., the Dispatch and NewsNation. When will the news consuming customers find them?
The issues not included was the extent the news media is willing to censor itself to remain on its political team and allow itself to be censored by the political powers that be to shape or even hide stories of national importance to provide cover for politicians in power. But then who would have thought that would ever happen.
It's an easy read. Chris spins some good WV yarns throughout the book and keeps it on point. Pick it up before the upcoming election. It may open your eyes a little if you let it.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook as delivered by Stirewalt. This one explores how the media, now unprecedentedly accelerated by technology, and in their never ending quest for ratings, have perilously divided this country.

I found Stirewalt’s delivery annoyingly man-splainy despite it covering one of my favorite topics-this current state of the media. That said, he’s pretty good at discussing the erosion and impending disappearance of local news sources, and the role of the press in keeping our elected officials in check, as was designated by the founding fathers. And because nature abhors a vacuum, the creation of news has been commandeered by upstart politicians who’ve make their own news with attention-getting schemes not in their constituency’s best interests (not necessary to name names; y’all know who I’m talking about.) And might I add, the media eats it right up.

So, it’s fearless and provocative-apparently Stirewalt, since fired by Fox and now an independent podcaster, has nothing left to lose. He drops lots of good insider knowledge, as well as advice for college students interested in journalism. But again, I think I’d have liked reading the book more than listening as it would have eliminated some of that pontifical Stirewalt factor I’ve never been crazy about.

[M.J. Compton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. There were scattered nuggets of truth: "If you are consuming free news, you are not the customer, you are the product." And what he had to say about the evisceration of local news (broadcast and print) was spot on. But mostly what shines through was a white Christian conservative man from a southern state trying to sell an agenda he insists he doesn't have.

There were important things that were missing from his narrative. I had to look up when the author was born. Come to find out, I started working in local TV the same year he was born, so sure, he wouldn't remember when Fox New started out. (I am NOT a journalist and I didn't work IN a news department, but when you're in local TV you pick up a lot by osmosis.) The daily trades at that time were filled with stories of reporters being hired by Fox and having to sign agreements that they would slant the news to the right--make the network a conservative place. In other words, Fox News was created to stoke the "Media Rage Machine."

But TV news was already starting to break before Fox came in and shattered it.

Don't believe me? Watch the 1976 film NETWORK, which is a much better depiction of monetizing rage and the breakage of the news than this book.

[Greg Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because our society and form of government relies on an educated populace capable of a rational thought and action, I believe this book should be high on your list to read.

Stirewalt does not take sides with political parties or with the conservative or liberal media. He explains in clear terms with examples about how we are fully manipulated by nearly all aspects of political coverage and how politicians use it to their advantage.

Stirewalt also covers how post-journalism is changing how news is reported to focus our attention on the drama, feelings, and accusations between people rather than what is actually newsworthy and important - but it sells the "news".

His book is educational, informative, and is recommended if you want to achieve a more reasoned understanding of news and politics. It will make it easier whenever you read or watch the news, and will give you a better understanding of the political positions currently growing in our country.

[Neil White · Rating 4 out of 5]

The navigation of a post-journalistic world where people are fed content that fits their predisposition rather than accurate reporting is a critical issue for our future and liberals, conservatives, and moderates who are concerned about a sustainable political future should be listening for conversation partners about how to address this. Stirewalt now works for the American Enterprise Institute and the Dispatch, both conservative organizations, and worked on the politics beat tracking polls and making projections for Fox News. He highlights a lot of the issues in both the journalistic landscape that is highly partisan and the type of politicians it creates who are concerned more for media time and fundraising than creating policy. Overall the book has a lot of very salient points about both the problems and our responsibility in the solutions.

[Carson Callis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is a great primer for starting on a journey to be more thoughtful about the news we consume. There are so many great nuggets of wisdom that I find helpful in thinking both about media consumption and media criticism.
My favorite piece was probably the part comparing certain kinds of news to "turkeyloaf", where the news being presented is everything about how a powerful person felt rather than any new information (example: a "zinger" Twitter exchange that has a whole news article written about it).
If (like me), you're a Dispatch shill, then very little of this will be new information for you, but it's put in a nice and more concise package. Holy Croakano, indeed.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book from inside the business of media as it grapples with both the collapse of its traditional financial model and the erosion of the consensus tradition of at least trying to be objective in news that was in effect from the late 1940’s through to the turn of the century.

The linkage between those two changes, the need to find a new business model, and the increasing focus on ‘narrowcasting’ as he calls it rather than traditional broadcasting is laid out pretty clearly.

As is usually true, it is not that the people involved are better or worth than the ones who came before or will come after, it is that the incentives on their choices and behavior have changed.

[Luann]

I listened to the audio version of this book read by the author after I heard him speak during a Florida Humanities online event. I was less than satisfied with the book. I'd already been convinced that our news sources are contributing to the division in America. I wanted information on "how to fight back" as the title promises. Instead, 90% or more of the book was historical/anecdotal proof of our broken news, peppered with what seemed to me to be the author's own opinions offered as humor. Only 10% of the book offered any help, all of which could have been put in a 3 minute bullet point read.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stirewalt has performed relatively valuable service by pointing out many of the shortcomings of our current news paradigm. We are suffering, he claims, from what amounts to laziness on the part of journalists, who are motivated to supply us with the news we want not because it is good for us, but because it is easy to supply it. His recommended corrective is basically to decide on a local and national news service we are willing to pay for, and then do so. I can't say that I disagree, but it does seem pretty simple. Check him out.

[Joe Joslin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important look at news media today

This is a great book for helping to understand the news media environment that we find ourselves in today. It also offers some solutions for how news producers and consumers can help bend news coverage back toward a healthier balance.
After reading it I was able to recognize some "breaking news" reports from later in the day as attempts at generating rage clicks/views by appealing to my confirmation biases and I successfully avoided going down that rabbit hole. Worth the price of admission right there.

[Anthony D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good (not great) analysis from a talented writer

There’s nothing new in Stirewalts analysis of American news. It’s clickbait, rage inducing, disaster porn. We know this. However, he provides a nice behind the scenes view of how it got this way and why. Additionally, he’s an entertaining writer who uses offbeat colorful descriptors along with David Hume quotes. It’s a delightful book and certainly worth a read.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a journalism major and retired educator, I appreciated much of Stirewalt's historical perspective. I believe this would be a good read for journalism students, and perhaps even teachers of media literacy. However, he got a little bogged down in the weeds at times, and it was somewhat hard to muddle through. Overall, though, I agree with much of his premise that consumers of news need to be more wary of all outlets and don't get caught up in the media game of us vs. them.

[Byron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Media criticism does not get much better than this. Stirewalt offers equal measures of light and heat. This is a smart, even-handed, insightful look at how, where and why much of the press, online as well as off, have lost their ways and why it matters (or should) to all of us on both sides of this table. Anyone that cares about what's left of legitimate news will want to read this well-written book.