The Public Relations Newscast

Anyone who cares about the future of journalism will want to read an essay in the Columbia Journalism Review. Here's one quote of note: "Much of the news Americans get each day was created to serve just that purpose—to be the news of the day. Many of our headlines come from events created by public relations—press conferences, speeches, press releases, canned reports, and, worst of all, snappy comments by “spokesmen” or “experts.” Think about that as you watch your next newscast. Walter Pincus The Post's Intelligence/CIA/National Security Reporter, is the author of the essay.