Published: May 10, 2007 How Mass Media Tries to Pass Off Crap as News
By Drew Curtis
It's Not News, It's Fark
"This is that absolute rarity: the right book at the right time. It puts the news in perspective - and Mass Media on the spot - by showing how little of it is news at all.
I laughed, I cried, I wised up. In fact, at one point I laughed so hard I almost threw up. Readers who want to know where that happened need to buy this book and read the item about Homeland Security and goats." - Stephen King
"As a member of the news media, I can state authoritatively that this book will cure cancer AND end global warming." - Dave Barry, humorist
"It's Not News, It's Fark is an insightful examination of how mass media is drowning in filler and fluff." - The Smoking Gun
"I find it hilarious and sadly disturbing that I've spent fifteen years in a newsroom, and yet Drew Curtis has learned enough about what we do - because our methods are so transparent and simplistic - that he can write a book about media trends and pretty much nail it." - Chez Pazienza, Producer, CNN
In his new book, IT'S NOT NEWS, IT'S FARK: How Mass Media Tries to Pass Off Crap as News on sale May 31, 2007 from Gotham Books, Drew Curtis turns the journalistic lens around to highlight some of the outrageous trends in media reporting he's discovered in the past ten years. Named one of the "50 Most Important People On The Web" by PC World, Drew has read just about every news article that has seen print and discovered several stranger-than-fiction patterns emerging in mainstream media - especially when it's a slow news day.
The Seven Mass Media patterns include:
Media Fear Mongering: What would happen if some wildly improbably event occurred, leading to the death of millions? Find out tonight at 6.
Unpaid Placement Masquerading As An Actual Article: Print journalists, save yourself some time by reprinting this press release word for word.
Headlines Contradicted By Content Of Article: The previous statement was false.
Equal Time For Nutjobs: Unfortunately when giving two sides to a story about UFO's, a "specialist" who is clearly bonkers is given time to express their point of view.
Out of Context Celebrity Comment: Just because you're a celebrity does not mean you're an expert on politics, the environment, justice or nuclear fission... unless of course you are Sean Penn.
Seasonal Articles: Without fail we'll always see an article about how bad travel will be every [insert major holiday here].
Media Fatigue: The unending process of covering breaking news, reporting rumors until the facts are available, interviewing every possible person involved, and eventually asking if the media has gone too far.
IT'S NOT NEWS, IT'S FARK: exposes just how little reporting is going on in the world, with spot-on insights and hilarious examples that will have readers looking at the media in a whole new light.
Fark.com receives 50 million pageviews a month, making it the second largest independent news source on the Internet behind the Drudge Report, but funnier to read.
This news aggregator and edited social networking site with a cult following features humorously rewritten headlines from news agencies across the globe. For instance: "Man in UK attacked by herd of pigs. I, for one, welcome our new walking bacon overlords."
Fark.com is used for show prep by nearly every radio DJ in North America, talk show host writers, tv producers and is mentioned in mainstream media an average of once every day. Named one of the "Top 50 Best of the Web," by Time magazine and ranked #3 on PC World's "Best Places to Waste Time on the Web" after Myspace and Youtube, Fark.com is one of the top 100 English websites in the world.
www.Fark.com
Gotham Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), was launched in 2003 by industry veteran William Shinker. Publishing successes that have helped to establish its solid foundation are The Official eBay Bible, The Lucky Shopping Manual, Almost French, The Pocket Stylist, and Letters to a Young Brother, The Miracle of St. Anthony. Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Gotham Books' first #1 New York Times bestseller, has over 1.5 million copies in print.
http://us.penguingroup.com
In 1997, Drew Curtis registered the domain name Fark.com. He decided to wait until he had a decent idea for a website, so he posted a picture of a squirrel with huge nuts (use your imagination), which for 18 months was the entire content of the website.
In 1999, Drew had two ideas for a website; either a clearing house for weird, funny, and unusual news, or a curry recipe database. Sadly for the world of Indian Cuisine, Drew chose to make Fark a news site.
During all of 1999, Fark received 50,000 pageviews. That rose to a million the following year. Fark currently gets almost 2 million pageviews a day, making it the second largest independent news source on the Internet behind the Drudge Report.
Praise for Fark.com
"Top 50 Best of the Web" Time
"15 Best Places to Waste Time on the Web" PC World
Drew Curtis was born, raised, and still lives in scenic Lexington, KY with his wife and two children but has yet to realize his lifelong dream of owning a herd of fainting goats. He spends his evenings playing soccer, drinking beer and bourbon (preferably not mixed together) and honing his culinary skills, which have improved over the past decade and are pretty decent but still nothing to write home about. Since 1999, he has read nearly 2,000 news articles a day, and is interviewed nationwide several times a week on radio, TV and in print.
It's Not News, It's Drew Curtis' 2007 Farkin' Tour!
Meet Drew Curtis and learn how mass media tries to pass off crap as news
Thursday, May 31 7pm
Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Discussion/Signing
161 Lexington Green Circle Lexington, KY
859-422-1424
Tuesday, June 5, 7pm
Barnes and Noble, Discussion/Signing
4 Astor Place, NYC, NY
212-420-1652
Thursday June 7, 7pm
Borders Books and Music, Discussion/Signing
2015 Walden Ave, Cheektowaga, NY
716-685-2844
Friday, June 8, 2007 7:30pm
Borders Books and Music, Discussion/Signing
2817 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL
773-935-3909
Tuesday, June 12 7:30pm
Barnes & Noble, Discussion/Signing
5400 New Hope Commons, Durham, NC
919-489-3012
Wednesday June 13, 7:30pm
Diesel Books, Discussion/Signing
5433 Collage Ave, Oakland, CA
510-653-9965
Thursday, June 14 7:30pm
Books, Inc, Discussion/Signing
301 Castro St, Mountainview, CA
650-428-1234
Friday, June 15, 8pm
Fark Party, Drinking/Signing
Airport Marquis, 2635 NE Loop 410, San Antonio, TX
210-653-9110
Saturday, June 16, 7pm
Book People, Discussion/Signing
603 N. Lamar, Austin, TX
512-472-4288
Contact:
Andy Heidel
Publicity Manager
212-366-2528
Andy.Heidel@us.penguingroup.com
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