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Article: Provocative thoughts from an outsider. (Books).(Democracy and the News)(Book Review)
- Article from:
- American Journalism Review
- Article date:
- January 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 University of Maryland. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Democracy and the News
By Herbert J. Gans
Oxford University Press
184 pages
$26
The biggest surprise in Herbert Gans' new book isn't his blunt diagnosis of what ails journalism or his fresh, often funky suggestions for reform. The biggest surprise is his challenge to basic assumptions about news and democracy.
To begin with, Gans argues, journalists inflate their influence on audiences and politics.