Media Mythmakers is an examination of media tactics that skew the information presented to the American public. Though the primary focus is on the mainstream media (e.g. Time, CNN and local affiliates of national networks), the book also provides commentary on the tactics used by advertisers and activists to promote their products and/or causes. Author Benjamin Radford also looks at the consequences of these activities, including diminished critical thinking skills among the American public and useless legislation spwaned from media hype over comparatively rare events.

Examining the inherently subjective nature of journalism and how heavily emotion plays into what makes the headlines.

The discussion of ploys by activists to get people to make donations. Radford also discusses how awareness periods are so common that their effect is at best diminished.

The redundancy of news issues that were examined, the layout of the information and the fact that Radford's tone swayed wildly throughout the book (sometimes even mid-chapter).

Write to the author and ask him to write a second edition. This book was written in 2003, and a lot has changed in the media since then.

disappointed. I was expecting a lot more information about activist shenanigans.

is the managing editor of Skeptical Inquirer, the journal printed by the Center for Skeptical Inquiry.

There is good discussion of those who profit from tragedy and the role activists play in skewing the information provided to the people. There are also examples of the mainstream media acknowledging that there is a problem and working to address those issues (with setbacks).

The book can't decide who really needs to hear this message more and gets a little hypocritical without intending to do so. The intellectually driven people that read this book tend to respond emotionally, mostly in fear at what the media will become if these practices continue. Radford doesn't realize that people reading this book seven years later won't hesitate to analyze the book and metaphorically gut it.

I go into further detail of the greatest flaws of the book in "Media Mythmakers: An Examination"  [ASR]. These particular drawbacks are perhaps the most important issues Radford needs to address if he ever revisits this subject.

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Created Sep 12, 2010 at 9:55pm • Submit your own review...