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The Presidents: Noted Historians Rank America’s Best–and Worst–Chief Executives – Brian Lamb
Over a period of decades, C-SPAN has surveyed leading historians on the best and worst of America’s presidents across a variety of categories — their ability to persuade the public, their leadership skills, the moral authority, and more. The crucible of the presidency has forged some of the very best and very worst leaders in our national history, along with much in between.
Based on interviews conducted over the years with a variety of presidential biographers, this book provides not just a complete ranking of our presidents, but stories and analyses that capture the character of the men who held the office. From Abraham Lincoln’s political savvy and rhetorical gifts to James Buchanan’s indecisiveness, this book teaches much about what makes a great leader–and what does not.
As America looks ahead to our next election, this book offers perspective and criteria that may help us choose our next leader wisely. |
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Prisoner – Jason Rezaian
“An important story. Harrowing, and suspenseful, yes—but it’s also a deep dive into a complex and egregiously misunderstood country with two very different faces. There is no better time to know more about Iran—and Jason Rezaian has seen both of those faces.”— Anthony Bourdain
The dramatic memoir of the journalist who was held hostage in a high-security prison in Tehran for eighteen months and whose release—which almost didn’t happen—became a part of the Iran nuclear deal. |
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The Voice of America: Lowell Thomas and the Invention of 20th-Century Journalism – Mitchell Stephens
Few Americans today recognize his name, but Lowell Thomas was as well known in his time as any American journalist ever has been. Raised in a Colorado gold-rush town, Thomas covered crimes and scandals for local then Chicago newspapers. He began lecturing on Alaska, after spending eight days in Alaska. Then he assigned himself to report on World War I and returned with an exclusive: the story of “Lawrence of Arabia.” |
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Trailblazer: A Pioneering Journalist’s Fight to Make the Media Look More Like America – Dorothy Butler Gilliam
Most civil rights victories are achieved behind the scenes, and this riveting, beautifully written memoir by a “”black first”” looks back with searing insight on the decades of struggle, friendship, courage, humor and savvy that secured what seems commonplace today-people of color working in mainstream media.
Told with a pioneering newspaper writer’s charm and skill, Gilliam’s full, fascinating life weaves her personal and professional experiences and media history into an engrossing tapestry. When we read about the death of her father and other formative events of her life, we glimpse the crippling impact of the segregated South before the civil rights movement when slavery’s legacy still felt astonishingly close. We root for her as a wife, mother, and ambitious professional as she seizes once-in-a-lifetime opportunities never meant for a “”dark-skinned woman”” and builds a distinguished career. We gain a comprehensive view of how the media, especially newspapers, affected the movement for equal rights in this country. And in this humble, moving memoir, we see how an innovative and respected journalist and working mother helped provide opportunities for others.
With the distinct voice of one who has worked for and witnessed immense progress and overcome heart-wrenching setbacks, this book covers a wide swath of media history — from the era of game-changing Negro newspapers like the Chicago Defender to the civil rights movement, feminism, and our current imperfect diversity. This timely memoir, which reflects the tradition of boot-strapping African American storytelling from the South, is a smart, contemporary consideration of the media. |
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As I Saw It: A Reporter’s Intrepid Journey – Marvin Scott
Over a career spanning more than 50 years, veteran journalist Marvin Scott has seen it all. From international headlines to local heroes, the eleven-time Emmy Award–winner and member of the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame has covered the news with objectivity and integrity, bringing journalistic excellence to every level of reporting. Scott has interviewed six presidents, visited the frontlines of war in the Middle East and Asia, and witnessed the rise of America’s space program―all in a day’s work. |
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Sometimes You Have to Cross When It Says Don’t Walk: A Memoir of Breaking Barriers – Lesley Visser
When Lesley was 11, she told her mother that she wanted to be a sportswriter. The job didn’t exist for women in 1964, but her mother—instead of suggesting she become a teacher or a nurse—replied, “Great! Sometimes you have to cross when it says, ‘Don’t walk.'”That answer changed Lesley’s life. Even though no one had done it before, it gave her the strength and self-confidence to try—permission to cross against the light.
When Lesley began, the credentials said, “No Women or Children in the Press Box,” but she didn’t let that stop her. Lesley covered sports for more than 40 years, pioneering women’s journalistic presence in men’s professional sports, from inside the locker room to out on the field. She’s the first and only woman to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and to ever present the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the Super Bowl. And she’s the only sportscaster in history to have worked on the network broadcasts of the Final Four, Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, Triple Crown, Olympics, U.S. Open, and the World Figure Skating Championship. Lesley currently appears on CBS’s “We Need to Talk,” the first-ever nationally televised all-female weekly hour-long sports show.
Lesley’s had her share of hurdles and stumbles. But with passion, perseverance, and dedication, she found a way to achieve her dream, learning valuable lessons along the way. (Hint: Humor goes further than anger, and no, we can’t all look like Beyoncé.)
In Sometimes You Have to Cross When It Says ‘Don’t Walk,’ Lesley Visser shares her historic journey through the world of sports broadcasting with innate wisdom and good humor. For sports fans who grew up with Lesley, her memoir reads like a walk down memory lane, full of behind-the-camera, VIP-access stories involving John Madden, Jerry Jones, Bill Belichick, Joe Torre, and many more famous sports figures. But even those hearing her story for the first time, no matter what their background, will be inspired to chase their dreams, blaze new trails, and pursue the life they want. |
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We Say #NeverAgain: Reporting by the Parkland Student Journalists – Edited by Melissa Falkowski and Eric Garner
A journalistic look at the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland and the fight for gun control–as told by the student reporters for the school’s newspaper and TV station.
This timely and media-driven approach to the Parkland shooting, as reported by teens in the journalism and broadcasting programs and in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas newspaper, is an inside look at that tragic day and the events that followed that only they could tell.
It showcases how the teens have become media savvy and the skills they have learned and honed–harnessing social media, speaking to the press, and writing effective op-eds. Students will also share specific insight into what it has been like being approached by the press and how that has informed the way they interview their own subjects. |
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News Reporter RED-HOT Career Guide; 2548 REAL Interview Questions – Red-Hot Careers
Land your next News Reporter role with ease and use the 2548 REAL Interview Questions in this time-tested book to demystify the entire job-search process. If you only want to use one long-trusted guidance, this is it. Assess and test yourself, then tackle and ace the interview and News Reporter role with 2548 REAL interview questions; covering 70 interview topics including More questions about you, Values Diversity, Interpersonal Skills, Toughness, Introducing Change, Detail-Oriented, Performance Management, Motivation and Values, Believability, and Scheduling…PLUS 60 MORE TOPICS… |
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OFF AIR: My Journey to the Anchor Desk – Sheba Turk
Sheba Turk is an anchorwoman like no other. Strong and capable, she forged a path to her successful career with perseverance and hard work. She seized the opportunities given to her and overcame enormous obstacles along the way. In her timely and moving book, Turk shows us that we, too, can smooth that bumpy path using the wisdom earned in the early stages of her own career. She covers topics ranging from mentorship to establishing your own brand. |
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Do I Make Myself Clear?: Why Writing Well Matters – Harold Evans
Harry Evans has edited everything from the urgent files of battlefield reporters to the complex thought processes of Henry Kissinger. He’s even been knighted for his services to journalism. In DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?, he brings his indispensable insight to us all in his definite guide to writing well. The right words are oxygen to our ideas, but the digital era, with all of its TTYL, LMK, and WTF, has been cutting off that oxygen flow. The compulsion to be precise has vanished from our culture, and in writing of every kind we see a trend towards more–more speed and more information but far less clarity. |
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Capture the Moment: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs – Cyma Rubin
The defining moments of the tumultuous second half of the twentieth century captured in riveting photographs. Collected here are the Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs (updated to include winners through 2001) pictures that influenced our thinking in times of crisis and sometimes stirred us to action. Among them are Joe Rosenthal’s World War II photograph of the raising of the flag over Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima, commemorating the more than 6,000 marines who died in the battle for that small Pacific island, and Robert Jackson’s photograph of Jack Ruby killing Lee Harvey Oswald, recalling the anguish of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The pictures document that we have lived in a violent age, showing the brutalities of war, racism, and despotism. But the Pulitzer photojournalists also recorded tender and compassionate moments, as in Brian Lanker’s pictures of joyous parents at the birth of their child, or Scott Shaw’s photographs of the rescue of a little girl trapped in a well. In coming centuries, these indelible images will inevitably be used to illustrate the triumphs and tragedies of our era. 85 duotone and 37 color photographs. |
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Savage News: A Novel – Jessica Yellin
Be noisy. Natalie Savage grew up hearing these words from her beloved father, who admired Walter Cronkite so much he named the family dog after him. Natalie—who spent her twenties missing out on life’s benchmarks—finally sees her efforts pay off when she’s assigned to cover the White House for her network, ATN. The problem? The position is only temporary, a test to see if she has what it takes. She has always relied on her grit, her principles and her news sense to gain success. But now her competition is a twenty-six-year-old spoiled frat boy who got his big television break by eating raw animal parts on a reality show.
Of course, he’s winning.Natalie, along with her scrappy production team, has to navigate ratings wars, workplace sexual harassment and an international political crisis in order to prove herself. But the closer she gets to achieving her dream job, the more she wonders if it is worth all the compromise.
Timely, funny and smart, this juicy debut is the perfect tonic for readers contending with today’s politics and the #MeToo movement. Natalie Savage will be sure to join the ranks of our favorite fictional heroines as she figures out that having it all doesn’t mean giving up everything she stands for. |
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Our Women on the Ground – Zahra Hankir (Ed.) and Christiane Amanpour
A growing number of intrepid Arab and Middle Eastern sahafiyat—female journalists—are working tirelessly to shape nuanced narratives about their changing homelands, often risking their lives on the front lines of war. From sexual harassment on the streets of Cairo to the difficulty of traveling without a male relative in Yemen, their challenges are unique—as are their advantages, such as being able to speak candidly with other women at a Syrian medical clinic or with men on Whatsapp who will go on to become ISIS fighters, rebels, or pro-regime soldiers.
In Our Women on the Ground, nineteen of these women tell us, in their own words, about what it’s like to report on conflicts that (quite literally) hit close to home. Their daring and heartfelt stories, told here for the first time, shatter stereotypes about the region’s women and provide an urgently needed perspective on a part of the world that is frequently misunderstood. |
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Investigative Journalism: A Survival Guide – David Leigh
At a time of hyper-partisanship, media fragmentation and “fake news”, the work of investigative journalism has never been more important. This book explores the history and art of investigative journalism, and explains how to deal with legal bullies, crooked politicians, media bosses, big business and intelligence agencies; how to withstand conspiracy theories; and how to work collaboratively across borders in the new age of data journalism. It also provides a fascinating first-hand account of the work that went into breaking major news stories including WikiLeaks and the Edward Snowden affair.
Drawing on over 40 years of experience with world-leading investigative teams at newspapers including the Guardian and The Washington Post, award-winning journalist David Leigh provides an illuminating insight into some of the biggest news events of the 20th and 21st centuries. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes work of journalists and news organizations. It also acts as an essential practical toolkit for both aspiring and established investigative journalists. |