An urgent account of the revolution that has upended the news business, written by one of the most accomplished journalists of our time Technology has radically altered the news landscape. Once-powerful newspapers have lost their clout or been purchased by owners with particular agendas. Algorithms select which stories we see. The Internet allows consequential revelations, closely guarded secrets, and dangerous misinformation to spread at the speed of a click. In Breaking News, Alan Rusbridger demonstrates how these decisive shifts have occurred, and what they mean for the future of democracy. In the twenty years he spent editing The Guardian, Rusbridger managed the transformation of the progressive British daily into the most visited serious English-language newspaper site in the world. He oversaw an extraordinary run of world-shaking scoops, including the exposure of phone hacking by London tabloids, the Wikileaks release of U.S.diplomatic cables, and later the revelation of Edward Snowden’s National Security Agency files. At the same time, Rusbridger helped The Guardian become a pioneer in Internet journalism, stressing free access and robust interactions with readers. Here, Rusbridger vividly observes the media’s transformation from close range while also offering a vital assessment of the risks and rewards of practicing journalism in a high-impact, high-stress time.
Download and start listening now!
Be the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Alan Rusbridger lives in London with a family that includes a wife, two daughters, a dog called Angus, and a cat called Retro. He has forgotten why the cat is called Retro. Alan also edits the Guardian. He is the author of The Smelliest… in the Zoo series.
Samuel West’s theater work includes ENRON, Hamlet for the RSC, and starring opposite his father Timothy in A Number. His TV credits include Cambridge Spies, Any Human Heart, Eternal Law, and Mr. Selfridge, and he has narrated many TV documentaries. Among his films are Hyde Park on Hudson, Van Helsing, Iris, Persuasion, and Howards End. He has also directed ten plays and two operas.