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A review by amilee_h
¡La exclusiva! by Annalena McAfee
4.0
When watching a news program or scrolling through headlines, do you sometimes roll your eyes and think "how is THIS news?" Then this is a book for you.
Setting: A London newsroom ca. 1997, just prior to the internet takeover of journalism. Two journalists: One a veteran war correspondent past her prime and, some would say, past her fame as well. The other a young thing who considers top 10 lists and the latest celebrity sex scandal more significant than pesky things like facts or history. Battle lines are drawn as the two meet for an interview.
The newsroom staff are annoying, self-centered, and self-important and it shows. There are some Mad Men-esque views into this world of deadlines, cutthroat competition, and expense reports. Honor Tait, a war correspondence now in her 80s, is the old guard watching with horror the coming tide of "journalists" who promote the celebrity over knowledge. Tamara Sim could be a chick-lit heroine as drawn, but we are shown the darker side of that coin, the damage that results from replacing facts with soundbites and from assuming that, in a career, over-confidence can compensate for lack of knowledge. Imagine Bridget Jones as perceived by her superiors rather than herself.
There were two plot twists that you could see coming a mile away, and a third that ultimately revealed the true nature of both main characters (in my opinion). Overall an excellent book with well drawn characters.
Setting: A London newsroom ca. 1997, just prior to the internet takeover of journalism. Two journalists: One a veteran war correspondent past her prime and, some would say, past her fame as well. The other a young thing who considers top 10 lists and the latest celebrity sex scandal more significant than pesky things like facts or history. Battle lines are drawn as the two meet for an interview.
The newsroom staff are annoying, self-centered, and self-important and it shows. There are some Mad Men-esque views into this world of deadlines, cutthroat competition, and expense reports. Honor Tait, a war correspondence now in her 80s, is the old guard watching with horror the coming tide of "journalists" who promote the celebrity over knowledge. Tamara Sim could be a chick-lit heroine as drawn, but we are shown the darker side of that coin, the damage that results from replacing facts with soundbites and from assuming that, in a career, over-confidence can compensate for lack of knowledge. Imagine Bridget Jones as perceived by her superiors rather than herself.
There were two plot twists that you could see coming a mile away, and a third that ultimately revealed the true nature of both main characters (in my opinion). Overall an excellent book with well drawn characters.