Synopsis
'Informative, amusing, sometimes shocking' – Giles Foden, The Guardian
A critical examination of the British press over the last century, from legendary foreign correspondent John Simpson.
Through many decades of groundbreaking journalism across the globe, John Simpson has become one of the most recognisable and trusted British reporters. In Unreliable Sources, he draws upon this extensive experience to trace the history of the press in the UK, and explore the complex relationship between the media and the events they report.
He shows how, while the press likes to pretend it's independent, it also enjoys wielding its power and has at times exercised it irresponsibly. He examines the relationship between British society and the media, from the Daily Mail's influence on anti-German sentiment leading up to the First World War to the Sun's propping up of the Thatcher government and beyond.
Authoritative, brilliantly readable and not shying away from controversy, Unreliable Sources is a fascinating piece of self-analysis from one of the pillars of modern journalism. Can the press ever be truly free and would we want it to be?
Details
19 March 2010
9780230741614Reviews
Informative, amusing, sometimes shocking
Unreliable Sources is an easy read, brimming with cogent and often caustic judgments
Simpson has a newsman's forensic nose for the continuities amid the chaos of war, and his conviction is that those on the ground almost always know best
Lively and intelligent analysis . . . a book as authoritative as it is enjoyable
