Censored 2004: The Top 25 Censored Stories Book

Project Censored's annual reporting on the disgrace that is major media news coverage today.

Library Journal

For the past 26 years, Project Censored has produced a popular yearbook that highlights the most underreported stories and helps push them into the mainstream. Thousands of stories are screened each year and evaluated by experts to determine which prove that censorship exists even in the most democratic nation of the world. Two of this year's underreported stories focus on corporate control of access to information, and with five huge conglomerates owning the lion's share of U.S. media outlets, this is hardly a surprise. Project Censored director Phillips (sociology, Sonoma State Univ.) warns that this centralized control means an increasing tendency for corporate interests to dictate news content. Overlooked topics from 2002-03 include secret U.S. actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the plight of refugees, and violations of human and civil rights. Titles like "The Neoconservative Plan for Global Dominance" (No. 1 on this year's list) may seem concocted by conspiracy theorists, but each story seems to have been scrupulously researched. The book features an update on last year's stories, a guide to independent media outlets and organizations, and additional topical material, including an essay on the USA Patriot Act by former ALA president Nancy Kranich. Tom Tomorrow's fact-based comic strips add some levity to this bleak view of the media landscape. Highly recommended.-Susan M. Colowick, Timberland Regional Lib., Tumwater, WA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.