We here at the Alliance are big-time readers, and one of the most common questions between our staff members is “What are you reading now?” CEO David Chavern reads constantly while on the road visiting our members, and the communications team always has their collective noses in a book or three, so we wanted to share our love of literature with you, in hopes of sparking some new conversations and changing our perspectives on the media industry — and to have fun.
We’re still working out some of the finer points of the book club, such as how frequently we’ll be reading and meeting, and what platform we want to use for discussions, but for now, you can join us by reading the first book and taking our interest survey to let us know what you’d like to see from our newest venture.
The first book we’ll be reading is Informing the News: The Need for Knowledge-Based Journalism by Thomas E. Patterson. You can buy the book online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or at your favorite local bookstore, or you can borrow it from your neighborhood library. And you’re of course free to read in any format you choose.
Patterson is the Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press at Harvard’s Kennedy School, and he has written several books on the role of the media in American politics and society. As part of the book club, the Alliance will be chatting with Patterson about his book and sharing his insights on the work, as well as its continued relevance, with all of you.
If you’re interested in participating, please read our first book by February 19, and take our survey to let us know how you’d like to see our book club proceed. You can also reach out to let us know your thoughts by emailing jennifer@newsmediaalliance.org or tweeting @EditrixJen.
Jennifer Peters is former content manager of the News Media Alliance.
