This book investigates the current crisis of identity and purpose within the field of journalism as it navigates a rapidly shifting political and commercial landscape. Authors Andrew Calcutt and Philip Hammond argue that traditional academic and professional frameworks for understanding news have become obsolete, necessitating a critical re-evaluation of core values like objectivity and public service. By examining the structural changes in media ownership and the fragmentation of the public sphere, the authors provide a diagnostic framework for how journalism might adapt its essential functions to survive in the modern era.

Experts and students of media studies frequently cite this text as a provocative critique of contemporary journalism education and practice. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which challenges established norms within the field of journalism studies.