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1. Essential reading.
   I cannot recommend this book enough. In a world where so many are endowed with supremely developed reptilian brains (to use a quote from the book itself), it is essential that we, as a members of society, can still count with media organizations such as The Guardian. Alan Rusbridger takes us along in his journey as editor, to revisit cases of investigative journalism that unearthed corruption such as the phone hacking by the Murdoch press, the Snowden files, the Barclay brothers and The Telegraph, Cambridge Analytica, and even the very present dangers poised by Goggle, Facebook and the like. All so transcendent that we may have forgotten them in the daily frenzy of news.So, being just mere individuals in the face of corporations, tech giants and surveillance threats (‘they know more about us that our own mothers’), the public service that this kind of journalism renders must be celebrated and, more than anything, preserved. It only suffices to ask ourselves where would we be without a free press.Finally, to quote the author, he explains the roots of Nick Davies’ indeclinable quest for truth (the star reporter that uncovered the hideous case of News of the World): ‘Power was the subject that obsessed him the most: the misuse of power. ‘For various reasons, I got hit a lot by adults when I was a child,’ he once told me in a reflective moment. ‘And I deeply hate people who abuse power because of that. So, deep down under all those layers, that’s what drives me. I want to get my own back on people who abuse power and by good chance that’s what a good journalist should do.’

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2. Good Explanation of Media Chaos
   Perhaps because Rusbridger has spent a long time in the media business, and because he has tried to help his newspaper adapt to the new media age, this book is well worth the time spent on it. I came away with a clearer picture of why the media world is so turned upside down by the internet and some of the challenges that will face all of us going forward. Even better, the book is not only informative, but readable, with many of its points illustrated by stories and examples. A good reading investment, in my view.

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3. What broke the news? What do we do now?
   In summary:The rise of fake news begins with a media mogul, whose hands were in both fact and fiction production, and who drove the price of print downward at the end of the 20th century… He waited patiently while entertainment and technology gained ground, to acquire approximately 40% of newspaper control. He hacked phones in order to win journalism awards, and quietly settled out of public view for his crimes against humanity. All the while, the news industry grappled with financial distress, technological “progress”, suffered budget cuts, headcount losses, audience fragmentation, decreased attention span from the audience that remained, and increasing social and technological demands that decreased the quality of their work. Mass amateurization, ‘citizen journalists’, and whistleblowers prompted an identity crisis: Are journalists information gatekeepers?… How do we grapple with the question of historical vertical transmission of information versus instantaneous horizontal dissemination, while simultaneously documenting reality as it unfolds and responding to the public at large?…”All journalists want to believe that what we do matters.”… Journalism’s Code of Ethics states to Seek Truth and Report It. But when print turned to digital, the Fourth Estate became powerless to defend the fraying fabric of fact… Now what?

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4. Fascinating Book About the Guardian Newspaper
   Alan Rusbridger, editor of the Guardian from 1995-2015, has written an important book about publishing one of the most highly esteemed newspapers in the English speaking world. The challenges of establishing the newspaper online, the demise of advertising revenue, and the challenges of a newspaper disclosing corruption and Edward Snowden’sCopies of The U.S. National Security Agency documents are all described in detail. Mr Rusbridger is an excellent writer who gives you an intimate account of 20 years of Guardian history.I was so impressed by the high principles of the Guardian that I now get it online and have donated money to assure its survival. I already subscribe to the New York Times and the Washington Post online. I will be interested to see how the Guardian supplements these highly regarded newspapers.

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5. Interesting and comprehensive but may not be of much interest to a non-British audience
   As a retired American journalist who started my career the same year as the author, I enjoyed the journey through all of the economic and technological changes we saw together, the same though in different countries. I struggled through the many parts of the book that deal with British newspapers, libel laws, news personalities and so on, and he seemed to always find fault with other news outlets, never his own. And I was disappointed in his obvious liberal bias and that he seemed to see the media as victims of people who don’t share his political worldview, particularly the pro-Brexit voters. I do think it is true that a free press is vital to democracy but at the same time the media must be accountable to the people, who in the end must pay for the work of the free press and in 427 pages I did not see any evidence that he understands that.

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6. A thoughtful treatment of an important topic
   I am astounded that this book has been out for almost a month and I am the first to review it on Amazon. This is worrying since it might indicate that the book has not received the attention it richly deserves. I can’t think of a meta topic more important in this moment of our troubled history than the state of journalism. The author brings his long experience as a reporter and editor and now an academic to a thoughtful examination of how journalism — especially nester organizations — have come to the situation they are now in. Full of anecdotes about his time at the Guardian and full of probing examinations of many questions facing journalism today. An important read.

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7. Insider Look
   Explained in clear language what faces the English language print press, and tells how one member of this troubled cohort dealt with the challenge. Rather successfully, as it turned out. The Guardian on line is a good read every day.

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8. Great book!

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9. Reading at leisure

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