Making News

Mayer (The Lawyers, The Bankers, The Diplomats here holds a magnifying glass on the news media of the recent past, the present and presumed future. He has researched carefully and is particularly impressive in detailing the steps by which radio news evolved into television news. Some of his observations are not ground-breaking, however, e.g., newspaper employees are not intellectuals, politics is not the sexiest topic on TV newscasts. Mayer illustrates theory in practice in sections on news coverage of the 1982 Tylenol poisonings and the 1984 presidential elections and presents a comprehensive rundown of technological advances that may affect future news dissemination. Unfortunately, although the book is comprehensive, it has a ponderous tone that may put readers off. (April 19)