By Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel

The Elements of Journalism delineates the core principles shared by journalists across media, even across cultures. These principles flow from the essential function news plays in people's lives. This new edition, published April 2007, is completely updated and revised and includes a new 10th principle--the rights and responsibilites of citizens--flowing from new power conveyed by technology to the citizen as a consumer and editor of their own news and information.

• Read the Introduction
• How to Order

REVIEWS

"The most important book on the relationship of journalism and democracy published in the last fifty years."

-Roy Peter Clark
Senior Scholar
The Poynter Institute

"Don’t even think of becoming a reporter, editor, columnist or influential blogger without reading this modern classic."

-William Safire,

The New York Times

"The Elements of Journalism...belongs on the shelf of every citizen who reads the paper or watches the tube."

Roger Mudd

Five "essential" books on journalism

The Wall Street Journal

"At a time when technological and financial forces are creating formidable challenges to journalism's traditional values, Kovach and Rosenstiel have written an immensely valuable primer on who we are, what we do, and how we should do it."

"The Elements of Journalism is a remarkable book that does a superb job of describing the problems, articulating the values, outlining the risks, and offering understandable and practical ways to respond to the difficulties of the present state of journalism. The Elements of Journalism ought to become required reading for every institution (and individual) engaged in journalism."

"Of the many books that have been written about reporting the news, this one best captures the shortcomings, subtleties, and possibilities of modern journalism. It deserves to become as indispensable to journalists and journalism students as The Elements of Style."

"In an age when partisan rancor and ratings-driven showmanship have crowded out the more subtle virtues of solid journalism, Tom Rosenstiel and Bill Kovach provide a timely refresher course in the importance of press fundamentals. They remind us that at its best, journalism is a high public calling, and all those who practice it have a deeper obligation to their readers and viewers than to the demands of the market."

"Kovach and Rosenstiel's essays on each (element) are concicse gems, filled with insights worthy of becoming axiomatic....The book should become essential reading for journalism professionals and students and for the citizens they aim to serve."

-Carl Sessions Stepp
American Journalism Review

"What this book does better than any single book on media history, ethics or practice is weave ... why media audiences have fled and why new technology and megacorporate ownership are putting good journalism at risk."

-Rasmi Simhan
Boston Globe

HOW TO ORDER

You can order from the following online stores:

Translated Versions

The Elements of Journalism has also been published in many other countries. Below is a list of some of the countries (and publishers) where the book has been published.

Japan (Nihon Keizai Hyoron-sha)

Brazil (Geracao)

Spain (Ediciones El Pais)

UK (Guardian Books/Atlantic)

Turkey (ODTU)

Korea (Korea Press Foundation)

France (Nouveaux Horizons)

Greece (Kastaniotis)

Portugal (Porto Editora)

Indonesia (Pantau Foundation, spring 2007)

Serbia (CID)

Bulgaria (Sluntse)

Egypt (International House for Cultural Investments, SAE)

Russia (Internews)