Presidents and the Press

Drawing on a long career as an investigative journalist, Joe Spear tells the chilling story of how the Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan administrations have controlled and manipulated the press. Much of his book documents the Nixon strategy, which relied on a constant flow of positive news, the sophisticated use of television to evade the press and address viewers directly, and intimidation through classified or censored information. What is particularly startling is Spear's revelation about the extent to which the so-called experts (media specialists, pollsters, and the like) and technology now shape our view of the President. As editor and chief of staff for syndicated columnist Jack Anderson, Joe Spear is primarily responsible for covering diplomatic and foreign affairs and has broken some of the major news stories of our day.