A worthy but exhausting case study of the 1991 Philadelphia mayoral election, in which reporters emphasized the horse race over substantive issues. Kaniss (assistant dean, Annenberg School for Communication, Univ. of Pennsylvania; Making Local News, not reviewed) draws on observations of campaign events, interviews with journalists and politicos, and analysis of articles and newscasts to assemble a media-angled narrative of the mayor's race. While Kaniss's style is quite readable, her chronological account seems overstuffed. Still, she has some good set pieces: querying the Philadelphia Inquirer's editorial board on their endorsement logic; describing how an advisor coached candidate Frank Rizzo during a TV interview; showing how an aggressive political reporter can find dubious scandal. And she has several savvy observations: Inexperienced TV reporters often rely on the major local newspaper and its lead reporter—in this case, the Inquirer's Sal Paolantonio—for direction; TV news coverage values personality conflicts over issues; a live TV campaign forum may be the only time a candidate's words are heard directly by voters; coverage of black candidates that focuses on race rather than issues can itself appear to be a form of racism. The author also describes some folkways of reporting, showing how the ambitious Paolantonio cultivates his sources. The book's best part is its concluding chapter. Inquirer editor Maxwell King, informed that most coverage slighted issues, sounds genuinely concerned, which Kaniss takes as a sign that the shallowness of newspaper political reporting is ``not necessarily a deliberate objective [but]...the result of day-to-day decisions by a complex cast of actors.'' A television news director, by contrast, expresses no regret. Kaniss finds hope in two national TV trends: the ``truth squads'' news programs employed during the 1992 presidential campaign and the growth of local all-news cable stations like New York City's Channel One. Very thorough. News junkies, except those from Philadelphia, may want to skim.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-253-33114-5
Page Count: 624
Publisher: Indiana Univ.
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1994
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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