"We live in a free country! Freedom of the press is one of our most cherished traditions!!" Well if you believe that load of codswallop DONıT pick up Norman Solomonıs The Habits of Highly Deceptive Media.

If by some chance youıre one of those people whoıs not comfortable about what you see, hear or read in the mainstream media, this could be your bible.

Although the author has concentrated on what he is familiar with, the United States corporate media. The lessons that can be learnt from this book can almost be directly applied to other parts of the world that are blessed with a "free press".

This seminal work on the distortions, lies and dribble that passes as informed comment in the mass media should be mandatory reading for activists who court the mass media. The Murdochıs and Malones of the world have a virtual monopoly on the media. Anybody who thinks these people are interested, or have anything in common with the great mass of humanity, buy, borrow or steal a copy of The Habits of Highly Deceptive Media and find out what really drives the masters of the corporate media.

Although Solomon raises no serious alternatives to the current media, he is able to put his finger on the media's weaknesses. His contempt for those who own and work in the corporate media is palpable in every page of the book. This 294 page book is divided into seventeen chapters that canvas every nook and cranny of the media.

Some of the more interesting chapters are titles giving short shift to the poor, fixating on fame, newspeaking, selective spinning for politicians, shilling for profitable hypocrisy and boosting corporate backed think tanks. The book has an index that helps to make this one of those useful reference books that anybody who is involved with the media can delve into when they want some ammunition to wound the beast. Norman Solomon is currently executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy.

The Institute is on the web at www.accuracy.org
Solomon can be contacted via Email at mediabeat.@igc.org.

The Habits of Highly Deceptive Media is available from Anarres Books.