Getting It Wrong: Ten of the Greatest Misreported Stories in American Journalism

Did the <i>Washington Post</i> bring down Richard Nixon by reporting on the Watergate scandal? Did a cryptic remark by Walter Cronkite effectively end the Vietnam War? Did William Randolph Hearst vow to &quot;furnish the war&quot; in the 1898 conflict with Spain? In <i>Getting It Wrong</i>, W. Joseph Campbell addresses and dismantles these and other prominent media-driven myths - stories about or by the news media that are widely believed but which, on close examination, prove apocryphal. In a fascinating exploration of these and other cases - including the supposedly outstanding coverage of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina - Campbell describes how myths like these can feed stereotypes, deflect blame from policymakers, and overstate the power and influence of the news media.