Me and Ted Against the World the Unathorized Story of the Founding of CNN

by Reese Schonfeld

They were the odd couple of broadcast news, destined to alter global communications forever -- to free-for-all of a saga that's larger than life and more engaging than a major business book has any... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060197463
• ISBN13: 9780060197469
• Release Date: February 2001
• Publisher: HarperBusiness
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

i got lost in another mans fantasies

It is rare that people actually truely find what they want to do. Dick Schofield did. This book recites all of the excitement of a new upstart idea turning into reality. As quircky as Ted Turner was, the new staff was nothing short of a creative miracle. This book tracks the rise and fall of CNN. Some of the best stories were how with a smaller budget and less assets that CNN endlessly found workarounds which screwed over the larger networks.I actually read this while I was in a makeshift navy jail, and it did more than just pass the time.

How a Guerilla Journalist Changed the World

Me and Ted Against the World should be required reading, not just for journalism students and those interested in news and public affairs, it should be on the must-read list for everyone who loves a good tale, well written. It tells two distinct stories: one, how the good guys won; and two, how the not-so-good guys screwed up. The teller of the tales is the world's foremost guerilla journalist, Reese Schonfeld. His background, he had bumped heads with the network news establishment at United Press Movietone News and as founder of the Independent Television News Association, made him the only person on the planet with the capability of implementing the then revolutionary idea of an around the clock television news channel. What he needed was a conspirator, another revolutionary who could come up with the money and sell the concept. Enter Ted Turner. They joined forces and together they changed the world; not just the television world, the entire world. Diplomacy, warfare, commerce and culture are all vastly different entities as a result of CNN and others like it which have come along since. The story of how they succeeded, Turner as Mr. Outside, the deal maker promoter and salesman, and Schonfeld as Mr. Inside, the architect, builder and keeper of the gate, is terrific. After the revolution was won, the two revolutionaries had no more wars to win. Except against each other. That war was one-sided. One guy, Turner, owned all the weapons. The other, Schonfeld, was a great general who had troops but no supplies. Turner called Schonfeld into his office one day and in the same breath declared war and declared himself the victor. Schonfeld was fired. The empire had been built, so the guy who constructed it was no longer needed, or so Turner thought. What he failed to factor in was that Schonfeld was also the chief maintenance man. Without him, even though the money has rolled in, the empire has become tattered and gray. CNN did change the world, but now it has trouble keeping up with the very changes it put into play. Is Schonfeld's version of events entirely objective? No. He has a journalist's insistence on facts, but it's impossible to be entirely objective about something you love - especially when you have loved and lost. Does he use his forum to hand out a few receipts for sins of the past? You bet he does. Is Me and Ted Against the World one helluva book? You bet it is.

Strong Buy

This book is a must read for anybody with an interest in broadcasting or journalism and a great read for anybody else. When you finish this book I reccomend a visit to meandted.com for daily updates.

Remarkable Reading!

What an exciting account! Schonfeld shares with us the captiviating tale about how his beginnings with Ted Turner and the legacy they left behind. As entertaining as it is informative, it is hard to put this one down. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know the real story behind the founding of CNN.

A look at the real world of news media

Me and Ted is the best book I have read about the guts of broadcast/cable news in my 30+ years in media. Turner and Schonfeld were a great team. Turner pioneered in cable, raised the money and placed it all on the line when he hired reese to execute his plan. The establishment laughed, and Schonfeld gives an inside look at how CNN beat the networks and changed the world. He takes credit for his victories and identifies his mistakes. I have read all the previous CNN books and Me and Ted is, by far, the best on yet written. It is informative and many of the anecdotal stories are humerous. Any aspiring reporter, editor, journalism student or media junkie should read this book. I have purchased several copies for friends who want to know more than the obvious.