America's First Network TV Censor: The Work of NBC's Stockton Helffrich Book

This was an excellent book. For the most part, the writing was engaging (only to be expected from someone who works in news), and the stuff that Mapes discussed (ranging from the purpose of journalism and journalistic ethics, to the effect of anonymity in blogs, to the privilege and clout associated with power) was really interesting and kind of frightening.

As far as I can see, the book served # functions:

1. It was Mapes's defense against all the negative press she, Dan Rather, and CBS got after breaking the Bush-Guard memo story. While parts of this defense seemed a little vindictive, self-serving, and annoying, another part of it made me feel very sorry for this woman, who seemed to have good intentions but got stuck in a very, very bad situation.

2. It was an attempt at bringing the Bush-Guard story to light again, in the way that it was meant to be brought to light in the first place: Not as a CBS scandal, but as a critical look at the President's questionable history in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam era.

3. It was a stringent warning about what might happen if you get on the wrong side of people who have lots of money and power. This was interesting to me... I feel like it kind of lowered my own naïvete to read this.