Dennis Barker is an experienced journalist who has worked for the Guardian in many different roles, from reporter, feature writer and media correspondent to general columnist, since the 1960s, and at the moment is a contributor of obituaries, mainly in the media and entertainment spheres. He is the author of many books, including The Craft of the Media Interview, How to Deal with the Media: a Practical Guide, the People of the Forces trilogy: Soldiering On, Ruling the Waves and Guarding the Skies, and One Man's Estate and three novels. He also broadcast regularly with the BBC in the 1970s.

• Acknowledgements, vii; Introduction, 1; 1 A Revealing Battle, 7; 2 The Price of Progress?, 11; 3 The Death of the Reporter, 18; 4 Upper and Lower Case, 21; 5 Prejudicial Words, 25; 6 Puns, 32; 7 Concealing the Questions, 35; 8 Puffery, 39; 9 Firsts, 43; 10 He Told Me, 46; 11 'Friends', 49; 12 Shovel It All In, 52; 13 Let Me Through, I'm a Cliche, 55; 14 Wilful Ignorance, 58; 15 The Feeling In the Office..., 60; 16 Absentee Commentators, 65; 17 Apologize!, 68; 18 Heroes and Villains, 71; 19 Rudeness, 73; 20 To Be Fare..., 76; 21 The Sub's Role, 79; 22 Critics, 82; 23 A Scandal or Not?, 86; 24 Sources and Work, 90; 25 The Unexpected, 94; 26 In Yer Face, Or Hello, Goodbye, 97; 27 The Encroaching 'Public', 101; 28 Or Is It a Publicity Stunt?, 104; 29 Closing the Notebook, 109. 30 Phoney War, 111; 31 Dumbing Down, 113; 32 Answer! Answer! Answer! Answer!, 116; 33 Gone for Ever?, 118; 34 Sex, 120; 35 Anti-TV Prejudice, 124; 36 Woolly Motives, 126; 37 My Beautiful Career, 129; 38 The Stand-Up Approach, 131; 39 A Revelatory Disaster, 133; 40 The Yob's Perspective, 141; 41 Distress, 145; 42 A Good Row, 147; 43 Single Idea, 150; 44 Picture Versus Story, 153; 45 'Snubbed', 156; 46 The Disappearing Broadsheet, 159; 47 In Real Terms, 163; 48 Same Old Celebrities, 167; 49 Money Worship, 170; 50 Reporting the Future, 173; 51 Distortion and Spin as the Story, 175; 52 Headlines and Fib-lines, 179; 53 In Extenuation: Part 1, 182; 54 In Extenuation: Part 2, 185; 55 In Extenuation: Part 3, 188; 56 Relevant Questions, 190; In Conclusion, 191; Index, 197.

Sarah Birke in New Statesman: 'Journalists are seen as a cynical bunch -- not just by politicians, but by the general public as well. Noble ideas of honesty, accuracy and a bit of hard graft seem to have been abandoned in favour of networking and re-spun press releases...[Barker] does well to call for more investigative journalism and a public campaign to rethink within the profession.' Tom Easton in Lobster, no.55, summer 2008: Apropos of Flat Earth News, he writes: 'Other reporters, including, for example, a Guardian writer of a slightly earlier vintage than [Nick] Davies, Dennis Barker, have given insider insight on what goes on. Barker's low-key [book] deserves a wide audience for its breadth and witty clarity.'

Dennis Barker is an experienced journalist who has worked for the Guardian in many different roles, from reporter, feature writer and media correspondent to general columnist, since the 1960s, and at the moment is a contributor of obituaries, mainly in the media and entertainment spheres. He is the author of many books, including The Craft of the Media Interview, How to Deal with the Media: a Practical Guide, the People of the Forces trilogy: Soldiering On, Ruling the Waves and Guarding the Skies, and One Man's Estate and three novels. He also broadcast regularly with the BBC in the 1970s.

• Acknowledgements, vii; Introduction, 1; 1 A Revealing Battle, 7; 2 The Price of Progress?, 11; 3 The Death of the Reporter, 18; 4 Upper and Lower Case, 21; 5 Prejudicial Words, 25; 6 Puns, 32; 7 Concealing the Questions, 35; 8 Puffery, 39; 9 Firsts, 43; 10 He Told Me, 46; 11 'Friends', 49; 12 Shovel It All In, 52; 13 Let Me Through, I'm a Cliche, 55; 14 Wilful Ignorance, 58; 15 The Feeling In the Office..., 60; 16 Absentee Commentators, 65; 17 Apologize!, 68; 18 Heroes and Villains, 71; 19 Rudeness, 73; 20 To Be Fare..., 76; 21 The Sub's Role, 79; 22 Critics, 82; 23 A Scandal or Not?, 86; 24 Sources and Work, 90; 25 The Unexpected, 94; 26 In Yer Face, Or Hello, Goodbye, 97; 27 The Encroaching 'Public', 101; 28 Or Is It a Publicity Stunt?, 104; 29 Closing the Notebook, 109. 30 Phoney War, 111; 31 Dumbing Down, 113; 32 Answer! Answer! Answer! Answer!, 116; 33 Gone for Ever?, 118; 34 Sex, 120; 35 Anti-TV Prejudice, 124; 36 Woolly Motives, 126; 37 My Beautiful Career, 129; 38 The Stand-Up Approach, 131; 39 A Revelatory Disaster, 133; 40 The Yob's Perspective, 141; 41 Distress, 145; 42 A Good Row, 147; 43 Single Idea, 150; 44 Picture Versus Story, 153; 45 'Snubbed', 156; 46 The Disappearing Broadsheet, 159; 47 In Real Terms, 163; 48 Same Old Celebrities, 167; 49 Money Worship, 170; 50 Reporting the Future, 173; 51 Distortion and Spin as the Story, 175; 52 Headlines and Fib-lines, 179; 53 In Extenuation: Part 1, 182; 54 In Extenuation: Part 2, 185; 55 In Extenuation: Part 3, 188; 56 Relevant Questions, 190; In Conclusion, 191; Index, 197.

Sarah Birke in New Statesman: 'Journalists are seen as a cynical bunch -- not just by politicians, but by the general public as well. Noble ideas of honesty, accuracy and a bit of hard graft seem to have been abandoned in favour of networking and re-spun press releases...[Barker] does well to call for more investigative journalism and a public campaign to rethink within the profession.' Tom Easton in Lobster, no.55, summer 2008: Apropos of Flat Earth News, he writes: 'Other reporters, including, for example, a Guardian writer of a slightly earlier vintage than [Nick] Davies, Dennis Barker, have given insider insight on what goes on. Barker's low-key [book] deserves a wide audience for its breadth and witty clarity.'

Dennis Barker is an experienced journalist who has worked for the Guardian in many different roles, from reporter, feature writer and media correspondent to general columnist, since the 1960s, and at the moment is a contributor of obituaries, mainly in the media and entertainment spheres. He is the author of many books, including The Craft of the Media Interview, How to Deal with the Media: a Practical Guide, the People of the Forces trilogy: Soldiering On, Ruling the Waves and Guarding the Skies, and One Man's Estate and three novels. He also broadcast regularly with the BBC in the 1970s.

• Acknowledgements, vii; Introduction, 1; 1 A Revealing Battle, 7; 2 The Price of Progress?, 11; 3 The Death of the Reporter, 18; 4 Upper and Lower Case, 21; 5 Prejudicial Words, 25; 6 Puns, 32; 7 Concealing the Questions, 35; 8 Puffery, 39; 9 Firsts, 43; 10 He Told Me, 46; 11 'Friends', 49; 12 Shovel It All In, 52; 13 Let Me Through, I'm a Cliche, 55; 14 Wilful Ignorance, 58; 15 The Feeling In the Office..., 60; 16 Absentee Commentators, 65; 17 Apologize!, 68; 18 Heroes and Villains, 71; 19 Rudeness, 73; 20 To Be Fare..., 76; 21 The Sub's Role, 79; 22 Critics, 82; 23 A Scandal or Not?, 86; 24 Sources and Work, 90; 25 The Unexpected, 94; 26 In Yer Face, Or Hello, Goodbye, 97; 27 The Encroaching 'Public', 101; 28 Or Is It a Publicity Stunt?, 104; 29 Closing the Notebook, 109. 30 Phoney War, 111; 31 Dumbing Down, 113; 32 Answer! Answer! Answer! Answer!, 116; 33 Gone for Ever?, 118; 34 Sex, 120; 35 Anti-TV Prejudice, 124; 36 Woolly Motives, 126; 37 My Beautiful Career, 129; 38 The Stand-Up Approach, 131; 39 A Revelatory Disaster, 133; 40 The Yob's Perspective, 141; 41 Distress, 145; 42 A Good Row, 147; 43 Single Idea, 150; 44 Picture Versus Story, 153; 45 'Snubbed', 156; 46 The Disappearing Broadsheet, 159; 47 In Real Terms, 163; 48 Same Old Celebrities, 167; 49 Money Worship, 170; 50 Reporting the Future, 173; 51 Distortion and Spin as the Story, 175; 52 Headlines and Fib-lines, 179; 53 In Extenuation: Part 1, 182; 54 In Extenuation: Part 2, 185; 55 In Extenuation: Part 3, 188; 56 Relevant Questions, 190; In Conclusion, 191; Index, 197.

Sarah Birke in New Statesman: 'Journalists are seen as a cynical bunch -- not just by politicians, but by the general public as well. Noble ideas of honesty, accuracy and a bit of hard graft seem to have been abandoned in favour of networking and re-spun press releases...[Barker] does well to call for more investigative journalism and a public campaign to rethink within the profession.' Tom Easton in Lobster, no.55, summer 2008: Apropos of Flat Earth News, he writes: 'Other reporters, including, for example, a Guardian writer of a slightly earlier vintage than [Nick] Davies, Dennis Barker, have given insider insight on what goes on. Barker's low-key [book] deserves a wide audience for its breadth and witty clarity.'