Newsroom Confidential: Lessons (and Worries) from an Ink-Stained Life
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-10-06 01:19:40
- Update Date：2025-09-08
- Status：finish
- Author：Margaret Sullivan
- ISBN：1250281903
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Madeleine
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This was a super fascinating read for anyone interested in hearing a first-hand perspective on working in journalism today。 There were some really interesting stories about the 2016 election and I enjoyed Margaret's perspective on the New York Times and the influence of journalism。 While I personally agreed with most of the politics in this novel， it is definitely not unbiased， but that is actually a point she makes in the book that it is impossible and detrimental for journalist to write from a This was a super fascinating read for anyone interested in hearing a first-hand perspective on working in journalism today。 There were some really interesting stories about the 2016 election and I enjoyed Margaret's perspective on the New York Times and the influence of journalism。 While I personally agreed with most of the politics in this novel， it is definitely not unbiased， but that is actually a point she makes in the book that it is impossible and detrimental for journalist to write from an entirely unbiased perspective。 Thanks to the publisher for an ARC of this one， I really enjoyed。 。。。more
Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews
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Margaret Sullivan has served as a journalist for decades， spending most of her time in Buffalo， before making her way to the New York Times as a watchdog editor。 As a former print and broadcast journalist， I enjoy these types of memoirs like catnip。 Sullivan describes how the media failed in the 2016 election cycle， and how it has further degraded in the ensuing years。 The first 70% of the book was fascinating; the last 30% felt like a really long op-ed for a magazine and I lost some steam readi Margaret Sullivan has served as a journalist for decades， spending most of her time in Buffalo， before making her way to the New York Times as a watchdog editor。 As a former print and broadcast journalist， I enjoy these types of memoirs like catnip。 Sullivan describes how the media failed in the 2016 election cycle， and how it has further degraded in the ensuing years。 The first 70% of the book was fascinating; the last 30% felt like a really long op-ed for a magazine and I lost some steam reading it。 Overall， still a good read。 。。。more
Leslie Hawkins
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Informative。 Enlightening。 Engaging。 "In 2021， Gallup measured public trust in the media at 36% overall" and "only 11% of Republicans trusted the mainstream press。" （Sullivan 227）How did we get here？ What does it mean for the functionality of our democracy？ These two questions are at the heart of Sullivan's book about the current state of news and political journalism in America。 Yes she addresses the obvious--unregulated social media， partisan news outlets that present opinion as if it were fac Informative。 Enlightening。 Engaging。 "In 2021， Gallup measured public trust in the media at 36% overall" and "only 11% of Republicans trusted the mainstream press。" （Sullivan 227）How did we get here？ What does it mean for the functionality of our democracy？ These two questions are at the heart of Sullivan's book about the current state of news and political journalism in America。 Yes she addresses the obvious--unregulated social media， partisan news outlets that present opinion as if it were fact--but she also reveals how certain practices and values within the profession of journalism helped open the door for mistrust to move in。 Reading this book was like participating in a master-class on the topic。 Although her topic is of utmost seriousness， her style is light and fluid and carries you along at a quick pace。 It is an easy read that delivers a depth of knowledge and insight。 I find myself wishing that it were required reading in high school English classes。For everyting I just said， I gave this book 5 stars。 However， I do feel that the last two chapters kind of just fizzled out。 But I often feel that way about non-fiction。 Unlike with fiction， the writer can't create the most desirable ending--they have to work with what is real， and true。 Real and true。 Sullivan makes an interesting argument for real and true over impartiality。 I hope you'll read her book and take up her cause。 。。。more
Anna
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Newsroom Confidential: Lessons （and Worries） from an Ink-Stained Life， by Margaret Sullivanchallenging informative reflective slow-paced3。75 Great for news nerds。 A deep look into Margaret Sullivan’s career — she goes over her time at the Buffalo news， as public editor for the New York Times， and her most recent media columnist stint at the Washington Post。 Her voice is as clear as ever。 Part memoir， part reporting， all sensible as Margaret Sullivan usually is。 I loved getting the peek behind th Newsroom Confidential: Lessons （and Worries） from an Ink-Stained Life， by Margaret Sullivanchallenging informative reflective slow-paced3。75 Great for news nerds。 A deep look into Margaret Sullivan’s career — she goes over her time at the Buffalo news， as public editor for the New York Times， and her most recent media columnist stint at the Washington Post。 Her voice is as clear as ever。 Part memoir， part reporting， all sensible as Margaret Sullivan usually is。 I loved getting the peek behind the curtain and hearing it it Margaret’s no-nonsense style。 Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Lissa00
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Margaret Sullivan has had a storied career in journalism。 From many years at the Buffalo News， to her time as Public Editor of the New York Times to her current role as Media columnist for the Washington Post she has had a varied range of positions within the field。 Her recent book covers her time as a journalist and editor in addition to the ways in which the field itself has been damaged by the Trump candidacy and presidency。 I thought this well written with some very good points about the cur Margaret Sullivan has had a storied career in journalism。 From many years at the Buffalo News， to her time as Public Editor of the New York Times to her current role as Media columnist for the Washington Post she has had a varied range of positions within the field。 Her recent book covers her time as a journalist and editor in addition to the ways in which the field itself has been damaged by the Trump candidacy and presidency。 I thought this well written with some very good points about the current state of media。 I did feel as if her chapters concerning her time at the New York Times had a weird tone， sanctimonious or overly defensive perhaps， but that could just be because her job with the newspaper was such a strange one。 Overall， though， I would recommend this book to anyone who would like an exploration of modern journalism。 I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
rdgit
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This should be required reading for every student of journalism。 Newsroom Confidential is part memoir， part lesson for news media across America。 Sullivan recounts her career as a journalist spanning four decades while working for some of the most influential newspapers in the country。 She holds interest while recounting the papers' successes and failures。 This is especially true while working for the New York Times as Public Editor。 That position serves the readers by making sure each article p This should be required reading for every student of journalism。 Newsroom Confidential is part memoir， part lesson for news media across America。 Sullivan recounts her career as a journalist spanning four decades while working for some of the most influential newspapers in the country。 She holds interest while recounting the papers' successes and failures。 This is especially true while working for the New York Times as Public Editor。 That position serves the readers by making sure each article published meets the integrity and ethical standards expected of the Times。 Not only did she hold the Times writers responsible for their reporting， she herself was responsible directly to the public as she answered demands from readers。 The Public Editor position， sadly， is disappearing from US publications as it now has from the New York Times。 The most important part of the book is Sullivan's honest examination of the media including all forms of "news"。 Her honesty will make some uncomfortable， some angry and some rejoicing her words that should have been said long before this。 Her criticism of "fair and balanced" is on the mark and she doesn't hold back when naming organizations that hold the responsibility for the divided nation we are today。 Most importantly， Margaret Sullivan offers hope for the future with a road map for journalists to follow。 We'll see what path the media follows。 I thank the author， publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Melanie
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My daughter won a free copy of this book from Goodreads。 I enjoyed the story of Margaret Sullivan's life。 A well-written book about her career and the related stories she covered were super interesting。 The last few chapters， however， about her outlook on the news media seemed written as advice for her colleagues。 For the rest of us， it could have been summarized in one chapter。 My daughter won a free copy of this book from Goodreads。 I enjoyed the story of Margaret Sullivan's life。 A well-written book about her career and the related stories she covered were super interesting。 The last few chapters， however， about her outlook on the news media seemed written as advice for her colleagues。 For the rest of us， it could have been summarized in one chapter。 。。。more
Christine
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I received a free version of this book from the publisher in a Goodreads Giveaway。An interesting memoir for those interested in journalism and how the most influential newsrooms （The New York Times， the Washington Post） actually work。 Sullivan explores why the media is important to democracy and why all Americans should be concerned about growing distrust with it。
Marianne Kaplan
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I've always loved listening or reading to the ideas and thoughts of bright， insightful people， especially women。 Margaret Sullivan certainly fills that bill。 Her book is a passionate discourse on the state of American media， and how trust in it has drastically declined within American readers。 Sullivan bemoans this fact， and feels that the media needs to do a better job of taking a stand on what they believe and on exposing things they think are lies or are aimed at undermining our democracy;。 S I've always loved listening or reading to the ideas and thoughts of bright， insightful people， especially women。 Margaret Sullivan certainly fills that bill。 Her book is a passionate discourse on the state of American media， and how trust in it has drastically declined within American readers。 Sullivan bemoans this fact， and feels that the media needs to do a better job of taking a stand on what they believe and on exposing things they think are lies or are aimed at undermining our democracy;。 She uses current （Trump/Clinton campaign and Trump administration） and past examples （Watergate et al） of how the media has failed or supported he American public， and she predicts an ongoing deterioration in US democracy should that trend continue。 She takes responsibility for errors that both she and her publishing employers have made and continue to make。 The book is a a bit of a downer although Sullivan does end with some concrete steps that need to be taken by both institutions and individuals who are committed to preserving our now-fragile democracy。 Provocative。 Recommend it。 。。。more
Pamela
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Thank you to St。 Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Margaret Sullivan’s memoir describes her life as a journalist and the pivotal moments in American news that defined and reaffirmed her sense of purpose in the profession。 A key focus that she revisits among the events she reported on is the importance of upholding integrity and truth in journalism and a self-awareness to strengthen inclusivity in the field。 She begins recounting her decision to pu Thank you to St。 Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Margaret Sullivan’s memoir describes her life as a journalist and the pivotal moments in American news that defined and reaffirmed her sense of purpose in the profession。 A key focus that she revisits among the events she reported on is the importance of upholding integrity and truth in journalism and a self-awareness to strengthen inclusivity in the field。 She begins recounting her decision to pursue journalism from her life growing up， learning about important events， and from her earliest days working at The Buffulo News and then proceeding to subsequent work terms at institutions like The New York Times and The Washington Post。 Sullivan’s writing style manages to find a balance between providing accounts of major sociopolitical events with her lived experience。 It would have been intriguing to have had a more detailed section dedicated to her time as a journalism student at Northwestern and graduate student at Georgetown since most of her work dives straight into her professional career。 。。。more
Sonya
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This book is about Margaret Sullivan's experiences in journalism over the course of her career。 It's not comprehensive， rather， more an overview with highlights of the behind the scenes discussions （or arguments） about how to present news fairly and whether objectivity can be a shared value in this fractious age。 Sullivan relays the changes that have come to the profession with the advent of social media and of the deepening cultural divide in our country。 I am drawn to books about the inner-wor This book is about Margaret Sullivan's experiences in journalism over the course of her career。 It's not comprehensive， rather， more an overview with highlights of the behind the scenes discussions （or arguments） about how to present news fairly and whether objectivity can be a shared value in this fractious age。 Sullivan relays the changes that have come to the profession with the advent of social media and of the deepening cultural divide in our country。 I am drawn to books about the inner-workings of institutions and this is where this book excels。 There isn't much gossip but we do get to know some of the people in power and the struggle to put out ethical stories pitted against profit。 I would have liked more gossip， but that's not the author's purpose or style。 The final section of the book is where Sullivan makes suggestions for saving our country and democracy and while it feels hopeful when reading the words， it's harder leave thinking everything is going to be okay。Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Carol Turner
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Margaret Sullivan's Newsroom Confidential is an excellent critique of the news business as it is today。 While the first few chapters are basically a memoir， they are also the necessary background for the superb remainder of the book。 I heartily recommend it。 Margaret Sullivan's Newsroom Confidential is an excellent critique of the news business as it is today。 While the first few chapters are basically a memoir， they are also the necessary background for the superb remainder of the book。 I heartily recommend it。 。。。more
Lovely Loveday
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Newsroom Confidential: Lessons （and Worries） from an Ink-Stained Life is a fascinating read by Margaret Sullivan。 The bulk of the book covered her time as a public editor at the New York Times。 I'd recommend this to anyone interested in journalism！ The author comes off as fresh， funny， and thoughtful。 Newsroom Confidential: Lessons （and Worries） from an Ink-Stained Life is a fascinating read by Margaret Sullivan。 The bulk of the book covered her time as a public editor at the New York Times。 I'd recommend this to anyone interested in journalism！ The author comes off as fresh， funny， and thoughtful。 。。。more
Susan Ortiz （logophilefiles）
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From a very young age， I’ve admired and respected journalists to the extent that I went to school for Media Studies and Journalism later in life。 Margaret Sullivan is one of the greats， so to read about her journey through the ever-changing journalism landscape was enthralling。 This book is also great for people who don’t have any attachment to the news media， though。 In this book， Sullivan touches on the “why”- why journalists think the way they do， why news organizations make the decisions the From a very young age， I’ve admired and respected journalists to the extent that I went to school for Media Studies and Journalism later in life。 Margaret Sullivan is one of the greats， so to read about her journey through the ever-changing journalism landscape was enthralling。 This book is also great for people who don’t have any attachment to the news media， though。 In this book， Sullivan touches on the “why”- why journalists think the way they do， why news organizations make the decisions they do， and– this one is big– why people should trust the media。 The last decade or so has been a challenge for news outlets， both financially and when it comes to public trust。 We are experiencing a hyper-polarizing time politically and one of the main tools has been distilling not only distrust but outright fear of journalists。 Sullivan does a great job of explaining what went wrong in 2016 and even 2020 and makes really great suggestions on how news can do better moving forward。 Whether you’re obsessed with journalism like me or just want to gain insight into how the industry works （or aspires to work）， then this book is absolutely worth picking up！ 。。。more
Dominique Absalom
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If I saw this book in a bookstore， I wouldn’t buy it。 I would pick it up， go， “oh！ How interesting！” And then put it back down。 However I would be sorely missing out。 This is a recollection of Margaret’s rise through newsrooms， from an intern to editor and chief， holding positions in some of the most coveted spaces in journalism while opening the doors for women。It is an easy read， one that is easily accessible to the masses due to its writing style （as expected from someone in journalism） but s If I saw this book in a bookstore， I wouldn’t buy it。 I would pick it up， go， “oh！ How interesting！” And then put it back down。 However I would be sorely missing out。 This is a recollection of Margaret’s rise through newsrooms， from an intern to editor and chief， holding positions in some of the most coveted spaces in journalism while opening the doors for women。It is an easy read， one that is easily accessible to the masses due to its writing style （as expected from someone in journalism） but sometimes there is a lack of linearity and cohesion。 Maybe because of instead of a book it reads more like an op-ed， it can be a bit jarring but makes sense when you consider her line of work。The reason why this book is so interesting is because its such a great introduction to the politics of the newsroom and how it impacts society; how pieces of literature， of recounts of news and investigative journalism has the power to shift perspectives， garner or lose trust。In this book Margaret also allows us to enter her mind by telling us her viewpoints on politics， society and the intersection between them and journalism， how fraught the space has become as time progresses。 I think some may find this time of book boring due to its content， but I think its a great non-fiction piece about some of the intricacies of journalism 。。。more
Emily Kennard
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I really enjoyed the first half of this book， focused on Margaret's time at the NYT， but the second half felt like a rehash of Trump-media criticisms I've heard before （although correct。） I'd recommend regardless to anyone interested or working in journalism！ Margaret comes off as fresh， funny， and thoughtful。Thanks to #netgalley for the copy！ I really enjoyed the first half of this book， focused on Margaret's time at the NYT， but the second half felt like a rehash of Trump-media criticisms I've heard before （although correct。） I'd recommend regardless to anyone interested or working in journalism！ Margaret comes off as fresh， funny， and thoughtful。Thanks to #netgalley for the copy！ 。。。more
Gail O'Connor
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I so tried to get into this story but it just didn't hold my attention。 I'm sure it's a marvelous novel but just not for me。 I so tried to get into this story but it just didn't hold my attention。 I'm sure it's a marvelous novel but just not for me。 。。。more
Abigail Singrey
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This book is a challenge to the establishment of journalism。 Margaret Sullivan wants to hold her colleagues， particularly those at the New York Times， accountable for the way they covered the Trump and Clinton campaigns and all that followed。 Her unflinching commitment to truth and ethics shines through in the book， which make me admire her greatly。 The bulk of the book covered her time as public editor at the New York Times， a position I found fascinating。 She represented public concerns and ha This book is a challenge to the establishment of journalism。 Margaret Sullivan wants to hold her colleagues， particularly those at the New York Times， accountable for the way they covered the Trump and Clinton campaigns and all that followed。 Her unflinching commitment to truth and ethics shines through in the book， which make me admire her greatly。 The bulk of the book covered her time as public editor at the New York Times， a position I found fascinating。 She represented public concerns and had the ability to quiz any editor or reporter on why they covered a story the way they did， stating that she never had a comfortable day at the New York Times。 She campaigned against anonymous sources， stating that they were overused and damaged public trust in the paper。 The book has moments of humor， such as when another editor ran a piece called: "On the Condition of Anonymity: A Poem for Margaret Sullivan。" Sullivan served as public editor for much of the 2016 campaign， leaving just before the election。 She lays the blame for the coverage of Hillary's emails at the feet of the New York Times and blames journalists for the copious amounts of coverage Trump received， She believes journalists have a hefty amount of sway in an election cycle， and thinks critical mistakes led to Hillary's loss。 She wants journalists at major newspapers to wrestle with their role in the election outcome。 She's obviously someone who never shirks a tough conversation。 As someone interested in journalism but admittedly not following the careers of individual reporters at top papers， sometimes her references went over my head。 I'm a former small-town journalist， and I hoped for more detailed stories about what went on in big newsrooms。 Instead， Sullivan often reflects on the state of journalism as a whole and how it came to be derided as fake news in recent years。 She ends with a challenge to modern journalists: does covering both sides mean giving equal space， even when the facts support one side more than the other？ I found this quote to be particularly powerful:"Objectivity doesn't mean both-sidesism。 It doesn't mean balance。 It doesn't mean neutrality or false equivalence。 It does mean open-mindedness。 It does mean a willingness to listen and learn。 It does mean being thorough in our research。 It means not thinking we start with answers but rather that we go seeking them。 It represents an acknowledgement on our part that what we know， or think we know， pales in comparison to what we don't know （and may not have even thought to ask。）"Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Leslie Zemeckis
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A behind the scenes look at our most highly rated newspapers Sullivan has a storied career in journalism。 She explains how the Publix’s trust for mainstream meadow has eroded - a champion of diversity in the newsroom Sullivan also chronicles the rise of Trump - which is depressing in itself - eye interesting eye opening account
=^。^= Janet =^。^=
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