Poisoning the Press: Richard Nixon, Jack Anderson, and the Rise of Washington's Scandal Culture - Paperback

by Mark Feldstein (Author)

A Washington Post Best Book of 2010

A Denver Post Best Book of 2010

A Kansas City Star Best Book of 2010

Poisoning the Press recounts the bitter quarter-century battle between the postwar era's most contentious politician and its most reviled newsman. The struggle between Richard Nixon and Jack Anderson included bribery, blackmail, burglary, spying, and sexual smears--even a White House plot to assassinate Anderson. In this riveting, real-life political drama, Mark Feldstein traces the arc of this confrontation between a vindictive president and a flamboyantly crusading muckraker. Their vendetta at once symbolized and accelerated the growing conflict between the government and the press, a clash that would long outlive both men. Brilliant, captivating, and darkly comedic, Poisoning the Press is "an absolutely essential book for anyone interested in American political history" (NPR).

Author Biography

Mark Feldstein, who teaches media and public affairs at George Washington University, was an investigative correspondent for CNN, ABC, and other news outlets for two decades, earning dozens of journalism awards, including an Edward R. Murrow Broadcasting Award, an Alfred I. Dupont-Columbia University Award, and two George Foster Peabody Awards. He received a bachelor's degree from Harvard and a doctorate from the University of North Carolina.