Words & Money - 9781844676804

Ten years after the publication of The Business of Books, his groundbreakingcritique of conglomeration in the book industry, André Schiffrin turns hisattention to the broader crisis in the media. Just as corporatization andthe lowest-common-denominator pursuit of the bottom line have had aparlous effect on publishing, media consolidation has contributed to theongoing demise of serious journalism in newspapers, magazines, seriousbroadcast news, and online journalism. Schiffrin compares the media crisisin the United States to the situation in Europe and across the globe, and hedemonstrates how the American corporate model has extended its reach.But he also describes and considers a range of alternative policies culledfrom many countries that, if pursued, could help to save journalism and themedia in the US. This is a superlative essay that will make everyone seriouslyinterested in the media and publishing think again.