My Trade: A Short History of British Journalism

It's a history of British journalism, yes - but more than that. Marr combines this with a personal memoir of his times as a print and broadcast journalist and a "behind-the-scenes" look at journalism: how it works, when it doesn't work, what's really going on behind the spin that journalists are just as capable as politicians of putting out.

Criticisms? Firstly, due to Marr's background, the book concentrates mainly on print, rather than television, journalism (though the section on TV is fascinating). Secondly, the hardback version at least has been very badly edited, with all sorts of typos, layout problems (words missing, paragraphs that start out formatted as plain text and suddenly become quotes etc.).

But these don't detract from what is an excellent guide to British journalism in all its forms - an excellent read!


Step behind the scenes of journalism   January 28, 2005
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

If you are a journalist, a wannabe journalist or just interested in current affairs then this book will make a fascinating read for you. It can be dipped into , although I have read it cover to cover, to find remarkable insights into the "fourth estate" past and present.
And he doesn't limit himself just to facts - conclusions and judgements about his own trade are made very honestly. And his (sometimes hilarious) anecdotes about what happens behind the scenes make compelling reading.
I find Marr (the BBC's Political Editor) intriguing and he is one of the few people on television who is consistently worth listening to . He clearly has an amazing network and knowledge which lead to a very high standard of journalism. He has kept that up with this tome.


Entertaining if not always insightful   January 8, 2005
 2 out of 10 found this review helpful

Marr has produced an entertaining book, his history of journalism looking at significant themes such as ownership, the demise of Fleet Street, the rise of pundits and the peculiarities of the TV interview. There is no index, but his comments on fellow journalists are always mild-mannered anyhow.

He does tackle criticism of journalists (too close to politicians, fictional stories and the preference of TV for pictures rather than facts) but it's not always convincing. And he fails to address the post-moderist critique that all analysis is contingent and relative.