A tedious, repetitive and self-indulgent attempt to make the news cycle transparent. Rosenberg (Critical Writing and News Ethics/Univ. of Southern California; Not So Prime Time: Chasing the Trivial on American Television, 2004) and journalist Feldman sketch out what seems like a compelling argument. With the increasing pace of news production, the proliferation of blogs and the decreased emphasis on traditional journalistic practices, they aver, reporters simply aren't able to produce accurate, insightful news, and the trust between journalists and their audience has eroded. Both authors have the pedigrees and experience to back their argument: Rosenberg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning television critic; Feldman has spent nearly 20 years as a reporter. So it's all the more disappointing that, rather than providing clear examples of the ways in which the media cycle has caused catastrophic failures, they engage in self-gratifying bloviating, at one point even including a chapter's worth of their conversation. Both authors seem to be acutely aware of the potential criticism that there is a generational aspect to their argument, that maybe people their age just don't "get" the speed at which the present world must operate. In response, what ought to be a reasoned argument about the evils of the day at times assumes the defensively forced gaiety and practiced informality of old folks imitating young folks. (One of the authors, attending a Vegas conference on this new thing called "blogging," repeatedly refers to himself as "your blogmeister.") Rosenberg and Feldman touch on episodes like Scott McClellan's book and the media "firestorm" that allowed various myths to be perpetuated across thenation, but they don't venture an explanation of how one blogger's misinterpretation (the president told McClellan to lie!) turned into the next day's news feed. Slapdash treatment of an important topic.
"Compelling and insightful...any reader who wants to understand how news outlets such as CNN are run might appreciate a behind-the-scenes glimpse from a longtime insider." -Dinesh Ramdem, Carroll County Times--Sanford Lakoff
"In No Time to Think, Howard Rosenberg and Charles Feldman take a refreshing pause to contemplate today's superheated media environment and the implications of 'Shoot first, think later' news. The book deftly captures this relatively new dynamic and its depressing implications for journalism and democracy and should be required reading for anyone who cares about either. Breezily written, it's a sobering reminder of the often-overlooked price tag associated with headlong technological advancement." - Brian Lowry, media columnist/chief TV critic, Variety" --Sanford Lakoff
"Left, right? Crushed between? You need this book. Read it." - Ray Bradbury--Sanford Lakoff
"Rosenberg and Feldman deliver a caustic take on today's speed-driven news media, along with a warning to news consumers: Get smarter about the information you rely on, since there's no hope of slowing it down." - Deborah Potter, former CBS News correspondent; Executive Director, NewsLab--Sanford Lakoff
"The faster we feed the mass media beast, the faster it devours us. Step back, read Rosenberg and Feldman, then step even further back and start thinking how to save yourselves and democracy from the tsunami of blarney, blather, and bathos that passes as news today." - Bill Moyers--Sanford Lakoff
"This book deals with one of the most critical issues of our time: the ability of the news media to provide understanding and perspective of the world around us. Journalism has been defined as the "search for reportable truth." No Time to Think" shines light on key reasons for abuse of analytical reporting. Speed and greed combined with the explosion of technology is exposed in this timely book by these expert, experienced, authors. They point out the half-truths, the misconstrued truths and outright lies that permeate the 24-hour news cycle. I recommend that everyone who cares about our democracy read No Time to Think", then think it over carefully." - Dr. Judith Marlane, Professor Emeritus, Cinema and Television Arts, California State University, Northridge, USA; Author of Women in Television News Revisited--Sanford Lakoff
"This is a dangerous book because it's all true. Every one of us inside the media (and outside it, if there are any left) ought to read every word, and then question all we see, hear and say. And think. Every day, twenty-four hours a day. The book will explain why. Beautifully." - Linda Ellerbee, Television Producer, Journalist and Author--Sanford Lakoff
"Veteran journalists Rosenberg and Feldman examine the shrinking news cycle - the period of time between when a news event occurs and its reportage - through a series of incisive essays. They decry the reckless speed at which stories appear in print, electronic, and broadcast media, which sacrifices journalistic integrity and fact-checking processes...Similar in tone to Rosenberg's Not So Prime Time: Chasing the Trivial on American Television, this book pulls no punches in its assessment of the profession. Recommended for academic and public libraries." - Regina M. Beard, Library Journal, October 1, 2008--Sanford Lakoff "Library Journal "
Howard Rosenberg and Charles Feldman capture both the serious dangers and the intense competitive pressures of today's 24 hour news cycle. The traditional policy of "getting it right" often has been replaced by the urgency of "getting it first." Today's news culture rewards those who achieve both speed and accuracy. It awards no praise for second place or reporting inaccurately. Howard and Charles witnessed firsthand the accelerating speed and the decelerating standards in two of the finest news organizations in the nation, Los Angeles Times" and CNN. Their book is a very provocative read." - Tom Johnson, Former chief executive, CNN; Former CEO, Los Angeles Times --Sanford Lakoff
! /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent: ""; margin:0in; margin-bottom: .0001pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin: .5in; mso-footer-margin: .5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page: Section1;} > "The authors' premise, that a demand for a constant flow of information via the Internet and cable news networks has led to inaccuracies in reporting, is a popular refrain and one with merit. The many quotes the authors have collected from media giants such as Jim Lehrer and Arianna Huffington present the challenges facing news outlets as changing technologies, most notably the Internet, interact with traditional media." -Publishers Weekly
"The authors' premise, that a demand for a constant flow of information via the Internet and cable news networks has led to inaccuracies in reporting, is a popular refrain and one with merit. The many quotes the authors have collected from media giants such as Jim Lehrer and Arianna Huffington present the challenges facing news outlets as changing technologies, most notably the Internet, interact with traditional media." -Publishers Weekly
Mention Book News, February 2009
!--/* Style Definitions */p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal{mso-style-parent: "";margin:0in;margin-bottom: .0001pt;mso-pagination: widow-orphan;font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";}@page Section1{size:8.5in 11.0in;margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;mso-header-margin: .5in;mso-footer-margin: .5in;mso-paper-source:0;}div.Section1{page: Section1;} ""The authors' premise, that a demand for a constant flow of information via the Internet and cable news networks has led to inaccuracies in reporting, is a popular refrain and one with merit. The many quotes the authors have collected from media giants such as Jim Lehrer and Arianna Huffington present the challenges facing news outlets as changing technologies, most notably the Internet, interact with traditional media." -Publishers Weekly
Mention --Book News, February 2009
"this book is a useful contribution to the debate on the media." Morning Star. 26 January 2009.
"In this, the authors really do have a point ... In short, Rosenberg and Feldman are right to say that there's a lot wrong with rolling news." - Independent on Sunday. 4 January 2009.
"Perhaps the pithiest and simplest point of the book is this one by Keithe McAllister, former head of national news gathering at CNN: ' It's absulutely true, and anybody who says otherise is talking nonsesne, that every mistake that's made in the news business is made because of speed.'" - City A.M. 8 January 2009.
"The authors' premise, that a demand for a constant flow of information via the Internet and cable news networks has led to inaccuracies in reporting, is a popular refrain and one with merit. The many quotes the authors have collected from media giants such as Jim Lehrer and Arianna Huffington present the challenges facing news outlets as changing technologies, most notably the Internet, interact with traditional media." -Publishers Weekly
"This books is mainly about American news reporting, but enough of it is recognisable to Britain and all of it is an awful warning, delivered with anecdotal richenss and real passion." - The Times. 3 January 2009.
Discussion of book and topic, no review. Ian Sinclair, Morning Star. 17 February 2009.
Discussion of topic, mention of book at the end, Camden New Journal. 5 February 2009.
Mention -Book News, February 2009
Review, The Australian. 4 February 2009.
