Description
Book SynopsisBecoming the News studies how ordinary people make sense of their experience as media subjects. Ruth Palmer charts the arc of the experience of “making” the news, from the events that bring an ordinary person to journalists’ attention through their interactions with reporters and reactions to the news coverage and its aftermath.
Trade ReviewBecoming the News examines the seemingly mundane experience of having been mentioned in the news-an important social phenomenon that scholars have ignored and one that changes how huge numbers of Americans think not only about the news media but about themselves. Palmer weaves a compelling tapestry of classic social theory, modern scholarship, and outstanding interviews. Built on thoughtful and sensitive research and brimming with insight, Becoming the News is a breakthrough contribution to the fields of sociology and journalism studies. -- David Pritchard, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments 1. Victims of the Press? 2. What's in It for Them? Weighing the Pros and Cons of Becoming a News Subject 3. The Interview Stage Part 1: Encountering Journalists 4. The Interview Stage Part 2: From Interaction to Story 5. Truth (Perceptions) and Consequences: How News Subjects Judge Accuracy and Error 6. That's Me! ... But It's Not Me: Aesthetic, Emotional, and Existential Effects of Confronting Our News Selves 7. Celebration, Condemnation, Reputation: Audience Feedback as an Indicator of Status and Stigma 8. Making the News in a Digital World 9. Lessons for Subjects and Journalists Note on Method Notes Bibliography Index
