I just finished reading The Exception to the Rulers: Exposing Oily Politicians, War Profiteers, and the Media that Love Them
From Publishers Weekly
Journalist and radio host Goodman brings her hard-hitting, no-holds-barred brand of reporting to an array of human rights, government accountability and media responsibility issues, and the result is bracing and timely. Goodman isn't about to let anyone slide by with easy explanations, not even then President Clinton when he called in on her daily Pacifica news show. And she is fierce and tireless in her commitment to dig behind official versions of the facts to get to very different stories. Her analysis of Iraq War contracts won by certain key Bush campaign donors will open many eyes, not only with its neat comparison of donation amount with contract value but also with its bold presentation of "Crony Connections." A gadfly's life in these turbulent times is neither restful nor boring, and Goodman's perspective on events like genocidal massacres in East Timor and mainstream coverage of the Jessica Lynch rescue is both important and alarming. Instances in which newspapers like the New York Times and the Washington Post have published stories based on leaked reports from unnamed government sources only to have to retract the stories later as being unfounded allow Goodman to argue that sophisticated news management techniques of spin, disinformation and controlled access to sources are undermining the reliability of media reporting. How, she asks, could journalists "embedded" with U.S. troops in Iraq be objective reporters of all that was occurring there, and whose interests were being served? These and other provocative questions power Goodman's stirring call for a democratic media serving a democratic society.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
This is a reasonably accurate description of the book. Goodman takes on politicians (both Republican and Democrat), points out the cost of their ties to multinational corporations, and makes a strong case for why America desperately needs an alternative media. Fellow bloggers, we are part of this alternative media. I believe that the primary contribution of this book is the evidence Goodman provides to suggest that the American corporate-political apparatus uses the mainstream media as a propaganda machine to control the American people. You've heard about the military engaging in psychological warfare to "win the hearts and minds" of people in other countries, but you might not have realized that the same tactics are employed here. In her call for a strong independent media that is not controlled by corporate interests, I found Goodman to be a source of inspiration.
No book is perfect, but I have only two complaints about Exception to the Rulers. First, Goodman's description of her antics sounds an awful lot like Michael Moore and is often similarly inappropriate. For example, she recounts attending an awards ceremony where the main speaker was scheduled to give interviews to the media immediately after the ceremony. Unable to wait, Goodman interrupted the ceremony to question the speaker. She didn't seem to understand (or care) that most readers were not going to be sympathetic to this. If the speaker already agreed to answer questions at a scheduled time, making an unecessary scene does not help your case. My second criticism is that Goodman takes every opportunity to pat herself on the back by promomoting her show, Democracy Now! While I agree that the show is worth promoting as an example of independent media, the promotion was excessive.
Criticism aside, I recommend the book. It is both entertaining and informative. As a call for a strong independent media, it is likely to inspire those of you who provide this function.
Tagged as: book review, independent media
