Spin! How the News Media Misinform and Why Consumers Misunderstand

PURCHASE: Paperback ($14.99) | Ebook ($4.99) | Kindle Edition ($4.99)

“Bob Conrad says they’re biased, error-prone, misleading and, on occasion, devious or even liars. No, he’s not referring to public relations people. He’s talking about the news media…. Without changes to journalism, the casualty will be the truth. Not to mention media credibility and diminishing public trust. It’s a wonder there’s still so much excellent news reporting every day…. Open-minded journalists, embattled PR pros and students in both disciplines will find Conrad’s book thought-provoking. It also helps explain why it’s a challenging yet exciting time to work in public relations.”

– Jeff Domansky, The PR Coach

“Spin brings to light a controversial and critical issue–how the media can shape the news instead of report it. As a Ph.D. … he gives a unique insight into the pressures, politics, and changes in the media that lead to quickly reporting, and sensationalizing stories, based on scanty evidence all to get lots of readers. Journalistic integrity seems to be waning. Personally I got a lot of insight from the chapter about the Toyota recall debacle in which relatively small problems leading to lots of vehicles recalled were blown up into computer-controlled, unstoppable, runaway cars that can only be characterized as science fiction. This book is short and to the point and should be read by all!”

 –Jeffrey K. Liker, PhD
Author of The Toyota Way and Toyota Under Fire

Ever watched the news and felt like something was missing? Or read a news story and felt like you were being misled? This book explains why. The news industry has changed dramatically in recent years and not for the best. From Sarah Palin to Toyota, from science to environmental advocacy, the waters of truth are frequently muddied by the news media. This book reviews studies about the news media by researchers, it describes the author’s personal experiences in dealing with reporters and it details a number of real-life examples that dig deep beyond headlines.

Product Details
Paperback: 90 pages
Publisher: XSG Media (January 3, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0615573223
ISBN-13: 978-0615573229
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.7 ounces

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The Good, The Bad, The Spin

Available in paperback ($14.99), as an eBook ($4.49) or for the Kindle ($4.99)

“No matter who you are, or how you interact with the on-line world, this book is a good reminder that the ultimate goal of communication is the dissemination of truth.”

–Ron Andersen, This Is Reno

“Includes important tips and lessons learned from a variety of fascinating examples. Read it to learn or read it for pure entertainment.”

—Judy Strauss, Ph.D.
Marketing Professor, University of Nevada, Reno
Co-author, Radically Transparent: Monitoring and Managing Reputation Online

“Lots of trenchant observations. I especially enjoyed your essay on delusional thinking. I often notice how people … seize on a notion because it connects for them aesthetically or emotionally or for any of a variety of reasons, and then they search out evidence to support their idea while rejecting evidence that contradicts it. Good that we have people like you and Michael Shermer to point it out.”

—Todd Borg, Author

From the introduction:

To be human, as science has shown, is to be easily swayed by our perceptions of our surroundings. Social psychologist Robert Cialdini, in his seminal book called Influence: Science and Practice, says the future must be vigilant about information overload. Specifically, “because technology can evolve much faster than we can, our natural capacity to process information is likely to be increasingly inadequate to handle the abundance of change, choice and the challenge that is characteristic of modern life.

“More and more frequently, we will find ourselves in the position of lower animals – with a mental apparatus that is unequipped to deal thoroughly with the intricacy and richness of the outside world,” he continues.

Being aware of this reality, especially in a time when we must, now more than ever, guard against information overload, is therefore critical. But we must first be cognizant that information overload is occurring in the first place. It is because of this that I regularly reflect on what is passing through our filters and what sense is being made of it.

Available in paperback ($14.99), as an eBook ($4.49) or for the Kindle ($4.99)

Product Details
Paperback: 92 pages
Publisher: XSG Media (November 18, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1456342150
ISBN-13: 978-1456342159
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.7 ounces

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FREE e-book (download link below)

Strategic Advising: An Interview with Crisis Management Expert Jim Lukaszewski

By Bob Conrad, PhD, APR

Jim Lukaszewski has been a crisis management strategist and strategic advisor for nearly 30 years. He runs the Lukaszewski Group and has been called one of the “28 experts to call when all hell breaks loose.” Jim’s latest book, Why Should the Boss Listen to You: The Seven Disciplines of the Trusted Strategic Advisor, is published by Jossey Bass.

Jim was interviewed by Bob Conrad exclusively for the public relations blog, The Good, The Bad, The Spin. In this free e-book, we cover how to be — and become — a trusted, strategic adviser, what strategy really is and what it means to be “at the table” with senior leaders.

Download Strategic Advising at Smashwords.com.