I have devoured a buffet of books over this holiday break, but perhaps the one that will stick with me the longest is Stonewalled by Sharyl Attkisson. Those of us in the English world should have a special affinity for the value of proper journalism. As someone who daily works with students to become great writers--seeking facts, researching diligently, chasing the truth wherever it leads--I was dismayed and disgusted at the lack of integrity that Attkisson exposes in our nation's newsrooms. Attkisson's account of her time as a reporter at CBS News is a harrowing tale of deception, censorship, and abuse of power at the highest levels in our country. From prominent newspapers to nightly television broadcasts, the institution that is responsible for holding politicians and corporations accountable to the public has lost its way, allowing corruption and deceit to affect not only our daily lives, but the course of history. Stonewalled is a dense book at 400 pages, but I couldn't seem to put it down and zipped through it in just three evenings. It's a riveting page-turner that has echoes of the famous book and film from the 1970s, All the President's Men. Attkisson has won numerous awards for her investigations into both Republican and Democrat scandals, and the best compliment I can offer her (and this book) is that I can't tell what her personal political views are, which is the way it should be. For anyone with an interest in journalism, writing, or simply seeking truth, Stonewalled is definitely worth checking out. And I encourage everyone to engage in a vociferous and vigilant version of her "Substitution Game" as often as possible.
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AuthorDr. Spivey is a college English professor and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. Archives
October 2017
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