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jbriaz's review
informative
fast-paced
2.75
2.75 stars/5
I read Brian Stelter's previous book Hoax, which focused on Fox News as well and other far right-wing media during the Trump presidency. I found that book to be informative and insightful, with a good mix of salacious gossip thrown in. So I decided to read this book as well after it came out. This book was more of a disappointment though for two reasons. First, it is quite repetitive. By page 200 (out of 326) I was wondering how Stelter would find another way to make the same two or three points over and over again. I get that he wants to hammer home his points with evidence. But at some point, you're just beating a dead horse and boring the reader. Second, this book did not offer much more in addition to Hoax. I learned a few new facts, e.g., Fox now tapes Trump interviews so they can edit out defamatory statements by him (instead of letting him riff live on air). I would've enjoyed this book more if I had not read Hoax.
On the good side, Stelter's prose is still quite good. He is persuasive but manages to maintain an easy, readable, casual tone throughout. I also enjoyed the salacious gossip, which admittedly was heavier in the first 100 pages of the book than the last half.
I read Brian Stelter's previous book Hoax, which focused on Fox News as well and other far right-wing media during the Trump presidency. I found that book to be informative and insightful, with a good mix of salacious gossip thrown in. So I decided to read this book as well after it came out. This book was more of a disappointment though for two reasons. First, it is quite repetitive. By page 200 (out of 326) I was wondering how Stelter would find another way to make the same two or three points over and over again. I get that he wants to hammer home his points with evidence. But at some point, you're just beating a dead horse and boring the reader. Second, this book did not offer much more in addition to Hoax. I learned a few new facts, e.g., Fox now tapes Trump interviews so they can edit out defamatory statements by him (instead of letting him riff live on air). I would've enjoyed this book more if I had not read Hoax.
On the good side, Stelter's prose is still quite good. He is persuasive but manages to maintain an easy, readable, casual tone throughout. I also enjoyed the salacious gossip, which admittedly was heavier in the first 100 pages of the book than the last half.
segue's review
informative
medium-paced
4.25
Not a lot I did not know, but put in a concise and easy to digest (albeit less easy to stomach) package.