Unspun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation

by Brooks Jackson, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Kathleen Jamieson

Book Overview

The founders of FactCheck.org teach you how to identify and debunk spin, hype, and fake news in this essential guide to informed citizenship in an age of misinformation.

Americans are bombarded daily with mixed messages, half-truths, misleading statements, and out-and-out fabrications masquerading as facts. The news media is often too intimidated, too partisan, or too overworked to keep up with these deceptions.

unSpun...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1400065666
• ISBN13: 9781400065660
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.3" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Un Spun- Finding Facts

I loved the Book! Great information for someone that wants to learn the political system. Since there is so much propaganda out there, this was a great book to understanding some of it. Short and to the point...not a big book...but long on fact finding.

Becoming "Unspun"

un.Spun gives insight into the world of the "spinners." This extremely reader-friendly book challenges the reader to consider both the said and the unsaid in making decisions in today's world. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to find the facts both in the politial and advertising worlds.

Unspun--disinformation

I thought that maybe I wouldn't learn anything new from this book,I'm skeptical of just about everything anyway, but obviously, I decided to see if I could learn something that would be helpful. I liked the book because it showed how and where to look to check information and where not to look, but more then anything it shows how to look at what is being said with a skeptical eye rather than a critical eye. I liked this book also because it helps you by telling you what questions to ask yourself when you receive information so you can tell when there is spin when it isn't all that obvious. I'm sick of books that tell me what the problem is without suggesting some ideas as to what can be done about it this is a book that not only speaks of the problem but shows ways to overcome it. It's only 188 pages so it isn't bogged down with repeated examples of the same thing. I enjoyed it and I think you will too if for nothing else than all the web addresses to start a search for the facts.

Just the facts, ma'am

This book is written by Brooks Jackson, the head of factcheck.org. It explains how factcheck.org confirms or disputes "factual" claims and is a how to book for thinking people. Rather than accepting what the political, news or advertising folks want you to think, this book will give you the tools to question the "facts" and inform yourself on any issue. Several websites factcheck.org considers reliable are listed and I've bookmarked a few of them for easy reference. The book itself is setting next to my monitor. It's an easy read with lots of great tips, great advice and examples of spin to illustrate the tactics used. It will open your eyes and save you money.

EVERY American should own this book!

Though it is mostly common sense, most people need to be reminded of their biases and the way they take in information as "fact". This gives excellent examples of bias, misleading info, and info that is "spun" into whatever a person wants. For example, the area on evidence based from research. Even though it may come from a reliable source, was the research peer reviewed? Did it have a reasonable sample? Who financed the research? Now reading through some many of these news articles (like one reviewer stated, the authors claimed that AP was fairly unbiased), I can pick apart the articles in a matter of minutes (using the internet) and go straight to many of the sources (as they instruct you how to do within the book). Overall, this book is a staple on anyone's desk. It should be required reading for high school and college students.