First published 2019
Mark Levin examines how American journalism transformed from its founding principles into something unrecognizable today. The five-time bestselling author and FOX News host argues that press freedom faces its greatest threat not from government censorship but from journalists themselves. Levin traces this decline through self-censorship, groupthink, selective omission, and the presentation of opinion as factual reporting. He guides readers through American press history, starting with the patriot newspapers that championed the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Early Republic newspapers openly declared their political loyalties without pretense. The shift began during the Progressive Era when claims of press objectivity first emerged. This supposed neutrality created today's contradiction: a press corps aligned with specific political ideology while denying its partisan nature. Levin demonstrates how modern journalists have squandered public trust through their own choices rather than external pressure. The book offers readers historical context for understanding how reportorial integrity gave way to propaganda disguised as news.
Genres: american, political-science, politics, non-fiction, 21st-century, journalism, american-history
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: informed-consent
Period: Progressive Era
258 pages · Hardcover · Threshold Editions