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A review by guinness74
Newsfail: Climate Change, Feminism, Gun Control, and Other Fun Stuff We Talk About Because Nobody Else Will by Allison Kilkenny, Jamie Kilstein
3.0
Per FTC regulations, I received this book as part of the GoodReads First Reads giveaway program.
Let me start by saying that podcasts are not my thing. They're not how I prefer to receive information. And, unfortunately for the authors of this book, I happened to download one of their podcasts before reading this book. I listened for about 10 minutes to 3 women who were discussing anything but what might have been the topic. It was more of a mutual admiration society wherein one would tell the others where she'd seen their work recently, and the others would ooh and aah. And, all of this was poorly recorded (in my not so professional opinion) as the audio levels were sort of all over the place for each speaker. Almost like one was sitting directly in the microphone, and the other was off on a couch somewhere enjoying a glass of wine or something. It was very disconcerting and I didn't enjoy it at all.
Next, I experienced this book in a sort of dichotomy. I read the first half or so before the most recent mid-term elections and I wasn't impressed. It was funny, but not uproarious; it was authoritative, but a little whiny. And, the authors kept referring to themselves as "the authors" throughout the book, which made for some rather odd reading. "We" is a pronoun for a reason. Anyway...so I did not start off liking it. However, as with all First Reads books, I really want to make it through before I review because there's a reason I requested it in the first place. So, the second half was read after the mid-term elections (in which my "side" was taken to the woodshed) and I'm not sure if I began to read it in a different light, or if I simply resonated with the latter chapters more. Regardless, it got better.
Here's the thing: I applaud what they're doing. And possibly, if you like podcasts, you will enjoy theirs. This book doesn't really read like a podcast, though. It's almost the "Guide to Misadventures in Podcasting." But, they raise some excellent points about media and journalism and its ties to corporate dollars in the United States. They also manage to be self-deprecating, which I typically enjoy.
In short, it's not groundbreaking, but it's worth a read if you think that maybe the news isn't all that great.
Let me start by saying that podcasts are not my thing. They're not how I prefer to receive information. And, unfortunately for the authors of this book, I happened to download one of their podcasts before reading this book. I listened for about 10 minutes to 3 women who were discussing anything but what might have been the topic. It was more of a mutual admiration society wherein one would tell the others where she'd seen their work recently, and the others would ooh and aah. And, all of this was poorly recorded (in my not so professional opinion) as the audio levels were sort of all over the place for each speaker. Almost like one was sitting directly in the microphone, and the other was off on a couch somewhere enjoying a glass of wine or something. It was very disconcerting and I didn't enjoy it at all.
Next, I experienced this book in a sort of dichotomy. I read the first half or so before the most recent mid-term elections and I wasn't impressed. It was funny, but not uproarious; it was authoritative, but a little whiny. And, the authors kept referring to themselves as "the authors" throughout the book, which made for some rather odd reading. "We" is a pronoun for a reason. Anyway...so I did not start off liking it. However, as with all First Reads books, I really want to make it through before I review because there's a reason I requested it in the first place. So, the second half was read after the mid-term elections (in which my "side" was taken to the woodshed) and I'm not sure if I began to read it in a different light, or if I simply resonated with the latter chapters more. Regardless, it got better.
Here's the thing: I applaud what they're doing. And possibly, if you like podcasts, you will enjoy theirs. This book doesn't really read like a podcast, though. It's almost the "Guide to Misadventures in Podcasting." But, they raise some excellent points about media and journalism and its ties to corporate dollars in the United States. They also manage to be self-deprecating, which I typically enjoy.
In short, it's not groundbreaking, but it's worth a read if you think that maybe the news isn't all that great.