Description
Book SynopsisDonald Trump might have been the loudest and most powerful voice maligning the integrity of news media in a generation, but his unrelenting attacks draw from a stew of resentment, wariness, cynicism, and even hatred toward the press that has been simmering for years. At one time, journalism''s centrality in reporting and interpreting important events was relatively unquestioned when a limited number of channels and voices produced a consensus-based news environment. The collapse of this environment has sparked a moment of reckoning within and outside journalism, particularly as professional news outlets struggle to remain solvent. Alternative voices compete for attention with and criticize the work and motivations of journalists, even as a growing number of journalists question their core norms and practices. News After Trump considers these struggles over journalism to be about the very relevance of journalism as an institutional form of knowledge production. At the heart of this ques
Trade ReviewFor journalists who worked through the Trump years, much of the analysis in News After Trump will be familiar. But for people outside the profession looking to learn more about how the Trump years shaped the mainstream American press, the book may serve as a useful guide -- both as a history and as an explanation of the major arguments that continue to divide journalists today. * Quinta Jurecic, Lawfare *
Trump's period in office sent shockwaves across an already fragile U.S. news media industry. This beautifully written book explains how all of that happened and why it matters for the future of American democracy. But more than that, it maps out a brave new understanding of journalism itself. Deftly avoiding nostalgia for halcyon days that never actually existed, News After Trump roots its argument in the complex, hybrid realities of today's media system while making it abundantly clear that confronting deception, inequality, and bigotry is journalism's urgent civic mission. * Andrew Chadwick, Loughborough University *
What if the answer to America's declining trust in—and relevance of—journalism is a reimagined journalistic commitment to morality, community, and authenticity? News After Trump offers a provocative and compelling proposition: instead of doubling down on 'detached objectivity,' journalists must tap into their authentic moral voices, drawing upon their own experiences, communities, and identities as they engage with events and issues. It's hard to feel optimistic about journalism and democracy right now, and yet, I leave this book convinced that by tapping into their moral voice(s), journalists can help rebuild public trust and make the lives of would-be populist authoritarians much, much harder. * Dannagal G. Young, University of Delaware *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction: Decentering Journalism in the Contemporary Media Culture Chapter 1: Where We Are: The Media and Political Context Chapter 2: The Trump Campaign: Outsized Coverage from the Press, Outsized Attacks on the Press Chapter 3: The Trump Presidency: Four Years of Battling and Belittling the Press Chapter 4: The Press Fights Back: Reclaiming a Story of Relevance for the Press Chapter 5: Journalistic Moralities: Confronting Trump's Lies and Racism Conclusion: What Relevant Journalism Looks Like: Developing A Moral Voice Bibliography
