The Pen and the Sword
Press, War, and Terror in the 21st Century
- Calvin F. Exoo - St. Lawrence University
Recent content analysis shows that terrorism and international conflict—the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq—have been the number one story of American news since 9/11. The Pen and the Sword is the first comprehensive review of how the news media have covered—and are covering—these momentous events. This coverage is used throughout the book to introduce and to illustrate a critical perspective on the mass media, examining contemporary issues of media economics, politics, and public opinion.
"This is one of the best books on media and politics in print and is strongly recommended to all audiences."
"Exoo has written an exceptionally thoughtful contribution to the politics and media literature. This is one of the best books on media and politics in print and is strongly recommended to all audiences."
An indepth analysis of the war in Afghanistan and Iraq from the media's viewpoint and its impact on society.
A well written and laid out text that gives the insight into how the media/journalists report terrorism. This is important as it is through imedia reporting people get their understanding of terrorism.
book lacked objectivity; it seemed impossible to use this in a course unless you agreed with the author or constantly had to explain why you disagreed. Possibly it could be used as a supplemental text, but it was too single-issue to be used that way for my course.
The language of conflict: The War on Terror, counter-insurgency, WMDs, embedded correspondents,
IEDs. Anyone who has tuned in to broadcast news or read newspapers in the past 10 years will be familiar with the terms which help shape our opinions. But what is the truth? In a shade over 200 pages Exoo's The Pen and the Sword helps shed a little light on our understanding of war reporting in the 21st century.
This book offers a good insight into the role of the media during an era of heightened awareness of terrorism. The way it combines the reporting of war and its political undercurrents is a strength.
