Journalism is a privileged cultural form. It is the main source of our knowledge about the world and our place in it, and the point at which the individual and the social worlds meet. Referring to cases from both the US and UK, including the White House sex scandals and the death of Diana, this book examines the various factors involved in the making of contemporary journalism, including economic and political pressures, changes in the technology of news gathering and production, and the growing role of sources and "source strategies." The text analyzes how such factors come to exert influence on the form, content, and style of journalism, and reviews current approaches to the sociological impact of journalism on individuals, groups, and organizations.