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News and How to Use It

What to Believe in a Fake News World

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News and How to Use It

By: Alan Rusbridger
Narrated by: Piers Hampton
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Nothing in life works without facts.

A society that isn’t sure what’s true can’t function. Without facts there can be no government or law. Science is ignored. Trust evaporates.

People everywhere feel ever more alienated from – and mistrustful of – news and those who make it. We no longer seem to know who or what to believe. We are living through a crisis of ‘information chaos’.

News and How to Use It is a glossary for this bewildering age. From AI to Bots, from Climate Crisis to Fake News, from Clickbait to Trolls (and more), here is the definitive user’s guide for how to stay informed, tell truth from fiction and hold those in power accountable in the modern age.

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Critic reviews

"Given that Rusbridger is, in my opinion, one of the two great newspaper editors of the past half-century (the other is the late Harry Evans), anything he writes about the press is going to be worth reading . . . Many of the mini-essays are useful distillations of his experience in, and knowledge of, the industry"
"If you are interested in the mechanics of the news, especially related to the times we are living in, going through and set to go through, then this book is a must" (NIHAL ARTHANAYAKE, BBC)
"[Rusbridger] was one of the stand-out editors of his generation and it shows in his book: an astute and agreeably random canter through the imperfect world of journalism in Britain and America . . . erudite"
"An agreeable and very worthwhile book. It invites you to think and question. It is informative and entertaining"
"Smart, relevant and punchy . . . a powerful light in the darkness"
"Captivating . . . a compelling tour d’horizon of the trade"
"An important book for anyone concerned about the erosion of trust in society"
"Praise for Breaking News: [Rusbridger] has written a book of breathtaking range . . . The brilliant Breaking News is essential - and entertaining - reading" (SIR HAROLD EVANS)
"I particularly enjoyed Alan Rusbridger's Breaking News – in places it's as exciting as a thriller (and the good guys win) but it also gave me a new understanding of the difficulties that now confront good journalism" (HENRY MARSH)
"Just when we were feeling lost in the dark labyrinth of fake news and journalism in crisis, Alan Rusbridger lights his torch and leads the way. Essential" (STEVE COOGAN)
All stars
Most relevant
The audio file here is broken. It jumps between sections mid sentence. Audible needs to fix it.

Good book ruined by scrambled narration

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Simple really. According to the writer, one time editor of The Guardian, the only news worth its salt is that printed by left wing broad sheets, for example The Guardian and its weekend sister The Observer. Of course one can trust the BBC which takes its editorial line from the The Guardian and the New York Post passes muster as an equivalent to The Guardian.

To be honest I stoped listening four fifths of the way through as I could no longer bear the assumed superiority of the author. Perhaps it’s owing to a weakness in my intellectual or moral foundation because for the same reason I can’t get through the daily edition of The Guardian.

Left wing editor promotes left wing journalism

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This is compulsory reading for anyone who wants to understand why factual reporting in journalism matters. "Accuracy is a destination" explains the former Guardian editor "the journey is what defines journalism. If those who wish to practice journalism aren't striving for accuracy, it isn't journalism."

The book is an alphabetical guide to key terms, names and case studies that explain how the media works and how grasping the basics of journalism could help create "a herd immunity to false formation".

You can almost hear the author/narrator sigh as he presents his case studies. There is a bit of repetition in places, mainly because so many issues overlap, but overall I loved it because of the integrity of the author. After Brexit and Trump it is reassuring to be provided a roadmap to 'truth'.

Herd immunity to false information

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