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Media Mythmakers: How Journalists, Activists, and Advertisers Mislead Us Hardcover – July 1, 2003

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 13 ratings

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Fake news?Biased media sources?This hard-hitting critique of our media culture examines not only the ways in which the public is often deceived, but the media's role in propagating those deceptions. But Media Mythmakers goes beyond criticism to give concrete examples of the damage that manipulation of the news causes. From missing children to the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, from the efforts to end slavery to AIDS education, myths and deception in the media threaten us all. While the public is being misled, real problems go unaddressed and resources are wasted on misguided ideas.In an increasingly complex world, where accurate and unbiased information is more important than ever, this book provides a timely and much-needed analysis.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Offers hundreds of examples of deceptive practices in journalism, advertising, political activism, public relations, and charity appeals.”

—The Futurist

“This book should be required reading for all who are caught up in the thrall of US mass media; all who think they are being manipulated, misled, and lied to but are not quite sure how an why this is happening…Written in an appealing style devoid of academic jargon and pontification, this book peels away the myths that mislead and provides the facts. It should be on every library shelf. Essential.”
           
—Choice, a 2005 Outstanding Academic Title

From the Inside Flap

As the lines between advertising, news, and entertainment blur, the ideal of an informed citizenry becomes harder and harder to achieve. We, the American public, aren't sure what to believe, or where to put our money and trust. We know we're being manipulated, misled, and outright lied to by those who seek our support. Whether it comes from advertisers, activists, or the government, the manipulation is constant and pervasive.

Those who are supposed to help us understand the world and the problems we face frequently fail us. Journalists and the news media offer entertainment and sensationalism instead of significant information. Politicians and lawmakers who guide the country are little better; instead of real solutions, we are offereed merely the illusion of progress.

This hard-hitting critique of our media culture examines not only the ways in which we are deceived, but the media's role in propagating these deceptions. But MEDIA MYTHMAKERS goes beyond criticism to give concrete examples of the damage caused by manipulation of the news. From missing children to the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, from efforts to end slavery in other countries to AIDS education, myths and deception in the media threaten us all. While the public is being misled, real problems go unaddressed and resources are wasted on misguided ideas.

In an increasingly complex world, where accurate and unbiased information is more important than ever, MEDIA MYTHMAKERS provides a timely and much-needed analysis.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Prometheus (July 1, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 332 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1591020727
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1591020721
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.31 x 0.94 x 8.91 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 13 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
13 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2020
(As posted in GoodReads)
Oh my gosh; what an important all-encompassing view of the media and politics and how both do their best to influence our every decision! The book is, I don't know, 15 years old? and many of the examples and specifics are outdated, but overall, it's still totally relevant! It has prompted me to pay more attention to the sources and overall messages of common beliefs and to try to consider real and long-term effects of "remedies". Crime is still decreasing, and I need to look into the current statistics on school shootings and rape culture and drunk driving etc. It's all very well and fine to say "that's all horrible", but what exactly is it that's horrible? It would seem that the media's and politicians' goal is to simplify everything as much as possible and inform us as little as possible! There is generally more to the issue (whatever the issue is) than is being told!
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2015
While I am rather late in the game reading this book, there was still so much to learn. My own observations of the media and activists was challenged. When some of my thoughts were confirmed, it was done through the author's careful investigating and documentation.

I would enjoy an update to reflect how social media has further affected news reporting in the last decade. Anyone who is serious about journalism, activism, and weeding through misleading tactics from advertisers should read this book. In addition, consumers as a whole have and will continue to benefit from the information presented.

As always, I enjoyed Ben Radford's writing style and meticulous detail. A five star book for sure!
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2004
The fourth estate is supposed to expose nonsense in the public interest, but in this book, Radford exposes how the media itself purveys nonsense, betraying its contract with the American people.

Should be required reading for everyone -- arms you with the weapons you need to defend yourself from the daily onslought of error, half-truth, and ratings-pandering fake news.

There are hundreds of examples in this well-researched book of how the media distorts facts and displays its bias (not liberal or conservative, per se, but a coporate bias that panders to viewers who want spectacle, not facts).

Not since Neil Postman has there been a media critic who is so on the side of the critical thinker and so incisive in his critiques of the power of the media.

Highly recommended.
17 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2004
I have to be honest, I don't watch a lot of news programs. I don't watch my local news nor the endless parade of talking heads that work the 24 hour news desk on any of the big cable news channels. There is a good reason for this . . .I was able to recognize much of what Ben Radford mentions in his book - cross pollination of products and their producers, advertising disguised as news, and that not all experts are as objective as they should be.
While Ben writes about the problems in the journalism and advertising trades, there is also the suggestion that the integrity and objectivity we desrve from the media at large will only be offered if we demand it.
10 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2003
This book is a real eye opener to the truth behind the media's myths. Radford comes at everyday events, from 9/11/01 to mundane product advertising, at an angle that most of us never even considered. Communications and Media Majors will certainly appreciate his fresh takes on things that the public has become oblivious to. I highly recommend this entertaining and informative book to anyone who watches the 6 O Clock news!
13 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2004
Written in the spirit of Vance Packard and Ralph Nader, Ben Radford delivers a blistering critique of the subtle media forces that vie for our hearts, minds and wallets. Acerbic and witty, this is a provocative, engaging book that would be ideal for college media classes.
Robert E. Bartholomew, Ph.D.
8 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2010
With its broad scope, Benjamin Radford's Media Mythmakers: How Journalists, Activists and Advertisers Mislead Us explores the ways in which the media misleads the American public. It is a multifaceted study, drawing examples from advertising and activism as well as mainstream media activities. The book's fascinating information is buried in redundant text and circular organization. Is Radford's scope too broad? Is a book written in 2003 still relevant? These are just a couple questions that arise from Media Mythmakers, and only the author can truly answer them. The information the book contains may hint at the answers.

The first step in answering these questions is determining what information is well presented. Radford succeeds in detailing the mainstream media's exploitation of emotion. He explains common logical fallacies committed by martyrmakers. With that, examples of groups profiting from tragic events illustrate some of the most deplorable aspects of the media and ordinary people working together to manipulate public opinion. This book is one of the few instances where anyone pins responsibility for declining media quality on the American populace. Another concept Radford examines with particular care is bias, be it the inherently subjective nature of journalism or his own bias in writing the book. He also discusses the value of critical thinking in a variety of situations from causes du jour to the effect of media-induced hype on the legislative process. At its best, Mythmakers dissects the consequences of emotion-clouded judgment and its effects on people being accurately informed of the most complex issues of the day.

While the book provides useful information, the organization of data and analysis feels frenetic, as information gets lost in ill-formed transitions. Radford's examples jump around, and he relies heavily on three news stories for examples of substandard journalism practices: Princess Diana's death, the Columbine shootings, and 9/11. This repetition in the book becomes tiring; perhaps Radford should have treated them as case studies so errors in media could be noted in one or two chapters instead of several. Likewise, the chapters on advertising are incongruent in tone and content when compared to the rest of the book. While reading later chapters, I wondered if advertising would be further addressed. Given its brief appearance in the beginning, the information on advertising may be better examined as part of other media manipulation tactics. The book's overall format also feels cluttered. While part of it stems from the numerous sources cited, the layout is more akin to a string of extended essays combined into a hardcover book with no thoughtful transitions between them. Dedicating individual chapters to the most prominent cases of media misbehavior would have facilitated more thorough and easy to follow discussion of the exact tactics used to sway public opinion and information.

Media Mythmakers also falters in properly identifying its audience. The language used shifts between formal and colloquial. This bipolarity suggests Radford attempted to write this book to appeal to two very different groups: the intellectually ambitious and mainstream media consumers. Finding a middle ground for these groups is difficult at best, and such fluctuation in diction is not a constructive way to achieve that goal. The intellectually ambitious crowd of this decade, meanwhile, will regard much of the information presented as old news. The statistics for white collar crime are a prime example of such information; this information is now taught in introductory social science courses at various higher education institutions. If this book is intended for the more cerebral audience, expanded discussion on the less obvious topics (e.g. activist manipulation of the media and the humanitarian aid paradox) would be a more sensible approach. Meanwhile, a more mainstream audience may need to be alerted of the white collar crime statistics. No matter the audience, new information needs to be presented to reflect the changes in the media environment since 2003. The audience and its various subsections have changed significantly since that time.

Radford's book provides some useful information regarding the state of contemporary media. Finding that information is a test of reading skill and perseverance. Valuable information hides in redundancy and outdated statistics. Media Mythmakers covers a subject that deserves more careful examination than what is currently given. Radford should consider rewriting this book for the new decade, which has not only a new crop of stories bungled by the media but also a transformed audience.
9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

manu gupta
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in India on April 8, 2016
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