With his plummy English accent, narrator Samuel West imbues this insider account of the newspaper business with a gravitas that reflects the author’s unwavering belief in journalism's role in democracy. As editor in chief of THE GUARDIAN during the 20 years when newspapers were struggling to figure out a business model for the digital age, Rusbridger played a major role in the WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden stories as well as the NEWS OF THE WORLD phone-hacking scandal. West’s pace has the listener feeling the adrenaline pumping as the reporters begin breaking important stories, but his measured tone aptly conveys the author’s concerns about trying to balance deep research and a 24/7 news cycle. This is required listening for anyone who cares about the future of journalism. L.W.S. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

"The brilliant Breaking News is essential – and entertaining – reading for anyone who cares a whit about the hallmark of a democratic state being more than a lavatory wall." —Harold Evans, The Guardian

"An absorbing journalism memoir by an editor who played a role in some of the biggest investigative stories of our time, including the revelations about U.S. government surveillance disclosed by Edward Snowden . . . The portrait of Rusbridger that emerges is that of the rarest of newsroom species—someone with genuine bona fides as a journalist and an unassailable commitment to the profession’s enduring values who also possesses the curiosity, nimbleness of mind, and openness to change necessary to navigate the relentless, shape-shifting challenges that lie ahead for media companies today." —Michael Luo, The New Yorker

"[Rusbridger's] painstaking account is fascinating, even for those of us who lived both the peril and the promise. The rapid technology changes, collapsing business model, 9/11, media convergence, paywall wars, dawn of social media, rise of the 'citizen journalist' and more are here valuably detailed by a gifted reporter focused on the story of his own profession . . . The confidence and skill with which Rusbridger asserted his leadership, at times under government and legal pressure, sound an almost nostalgic note for an era when the sole job of a talented editor was to be an editor." —Anne Marie Lipinski, The New York Times Book Review

"An engaging memoir . . . We love a good newspaper yarn, and Rusbridger provides a dandy." —Robert Kaiser, Financial Times

"When Rusbridger, considered by many to be the most consequential British newspaper editor of his time, chooses to share this gloomy prognosis, it seems to me it’s our collective responsibility to seriously ponder his story and his conclusions . . . eloquently told." —Marvin Kalb, The Washington Post

"Through this fascinating inside account, each chapter worthy of its own book, Rusbridger discusses how [The Guardian] adopted new ways to publish to the internet and smartphones, as well as libel suits, Wikileaks, Edward Snowden and the experience of other news outlets. A must for anyone concerned with the state of journalism today. " —Library Journal

"Rusbridger . . . shows us continually in his lucid and sometimes-alarming text that technological and cultural changes have occurred so rapidly that newspapers barely had time to inhale before their centuries-old institutions began to crumble, then to reassemble into something quite unrecognizable only a generation ago. . . . He highlights the questions that the traditional media were asking themselves: Should we charge readers for online access? How much? And how? (Rusbridger tells us of plans that worked and others that failed.)" —Kirkus Reviews

“Rusbridger’s Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now is a vivid and compelling insider’s account of how he and other journalists, including those in the United States, coped with [technological] changes . . . Breaking News details how The Guardian managed to land major scoops, including the truth about phone hacking perpetrated by London tabloids and the disclosure of U.S. diplomatic cables . . . [An] important memoir of a great editor’s experience.” —Roger Bishop, BookPage

With his plummy English accent, narrator Samuel West imbues this insider account of the newspaper business with a gravitas that reflects the author’s unwavering belief in journalism's role in democracy. As editor in chief of THE GUARDIAN during the 20 years when newspapers were struggling to figure out a business model for the digital age, Rusbridger played a major role in the WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden stories as well as the NEWS OF THE WORLD phone-hacking scandal. West’s pace has the listener feeling the adrenaline pumping as the reporters begin breaking important stories, but his measured tone aptly conveys the author’s concerns about trying to balance deep research and a 24/7 news cycle. This is required listening for anyone who cares about the future of journalism. L.W.S. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

2018-09-12

A former editor of Guardian News and Media (1995-2015) chronicles the profound recent changes in journalism using the Guardian's story as his primary illustration.

Rusbridger (Play It Again: An Amateur Against the Impossible, 2013), now principal of Lady Margaret Hall at Oxford, shows us continually in his lucid and sometimes-alarming text that technological and cultural changes have occurred so rapidly that newspapers barely had time to inhale before their centuries-old institutions began to crumble, then to reassemble into something quite unrecognizable only a generation ago. The author also tells the tale of how the Guardian metamorphosed during his tenure—from a relatively small newspaper into a web-dominating news presence—but he also narrates the activities of some of the other media giants, including the New York Times and the Washington Post. He highlights the questions that the traditional media were asking themselves: Should we charge readers for online access? How much? And how? (Rusbridger tells us of plans that worked and others that failed.) Should we maintain a print presence? What should be the focus and display of our online offerings? Not surprisingly, the longtime editor of this progressive publication has some sharp words about Rupert Murdoch, Donald Trump, and the proliferation of (and accusations concerning) "fake news." He also takes us through some of the key stories and issues of the time—and describes the Guardian's involvement in them—including Julian Assange and WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden and the issue of government secrets and the sometimes-contradictory right of the people to know. Evident throughout is the author's patent pride in the Guardian and his disdain for writers, publications, and consumers that eschew fact in favor of bias and hype. Rusbridger ends on a note of hope—and concern: "Trust me, we do not want a world without news."

In equal measure: informative, alarming, discerning, hopeful, proud, and humble.