“Edge’s
book is timely, particularly for those whose understanding of the
digital threat remains stuck in the 2000s. He demonstrates ample
awareness and critique of the dangers to good journalism of excessive
profit orientation from both before and
after the 2000s’ recession.” Journalism &
Mass Communication Quarterly Read
review
“Marc Edge presents a compelling argument for why we need
to relax and accept that newspapers are resilient and they’re
here to stay . . . Edge presents a meticulously researched account
of the economic history of the newspaper, with a particular focus
on the period surrounding the 2008 recession. He debunks the popular
myth that newspapers are no longer profitable.” The
Peak Read
review
“Soundly researched. . . . Edge’s no-holds-barred
book names names of the naysayers and doomsday mongers. . . . His
argument here delivers the analytics lacking in many reports about
the 'death' of printed news. . . . Edge unabashedly advocates for
printed newspapers; unfortunately, he’s one of the few left
to do this. . . . Edge’s book delivers a dose of tonic for
those who lived through the Great Recession in a newsroom, waiting
to see if the next -30- was the bell tolling for them. He systematically
shows what went wrong in an age where it seemed every action was
a rearrangement of the Titanic’s deck chairs.” Newspaper
Research Journal Read review
“Greatly Exaggerated is a well-researched and well-explained
story of how the newspaper business changed in the second half of
the 20th and into the 21st century. . . . Edge is correct that newspapers
have survived and, despite the predictions of their imminent demise,
have made a profit on their operations. So runs the story up to
this point, although that hardly guarantees them a long future.
Complacently extending Edge’s story into the near future is
a recipe for disillusionment. In fact, what is greatly exaggerated
is just the short time frame for the death of newspapers, not the
end result.”
Literary Review of Canada Read
review
“A wonder to come across . . . Rather than dinosaurs unable
to adjust to a changing news climate, Edge says, newspapers have
shown remarkable resilience by cutting costs, refocusing coverage,
adapting to digital platforms and turning to readers for more revenue.
While a sharp decline in newspaper profits forced a number of companies
into bankruptcy, Edge says the financial troubles were caused more
by the misadventures and misjudgments of owners and executives than
by the weakening of the newspaper business model.”
Raleigh News & Observer Read
review
“Thoroughly researched . . . challenges conventional wisdom
that newspapers are doomed in an era of smartphones, tablets, Facebook,
and Twitter. It's a provocative thesis that Edge backs up with reams
of data from publicly traded newspaper companies. . . . And he accomplishes
this with a breezy, readable style. . . . A persuasive argument
that newspapers are here to stay, though they'll likely be smaller
and less influential than they once used to be. . . . For anyone
concerned about where this might lead, Greatly Exaggerated offers
a useful road map.”
Georgia Straight Read
review
“We’ve been led to believe that newspapers are dying,
and that sooner rather than later, we won’t read newsprint
any longer, that they’ll become obsolete. Granted that a lot
of folks are reading their news off of screens and tablets, does
that mean the newspaper takes on a new life in bandwidth on the
internet? Marc Edge has written a new book: Greatly Exaggerated:
The Myth of the Death of Newspapers. It’s a compelling case
that he makes that newspapers are in fact adapting and thriving.
He even suggests they’re not going anywhere. There’s
a lot of insight and research in this book.” The
Commentary.ca Read
review
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