Noah Adams on ""All Things Considered"": A Radio Journal

Now in its 21st year, National Public Radio's All Things Considered covers both news and feature stories. Adams, who has been the host of the program since 1979, here examines the year from June 4, 1989, to June 4, 1990--a signal period when the news included the massacre of students in Tiananmen Square, the death of the Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran, the toppling of the Berlin Wall and the beginning of democracy in Eastern Europe, and the release from prison of Nelson Mandela in South Africa. Adams tells how these events were covered on NPR, and explains as well who covered them, what those reporters are like and why certain news-making people were selected for in-depth profile pieces. For the program's regular listeners, the book will provide an opportunity to get better acquainted with people who are like old friends; for those unfamiliar with the show, it will prove less interesting. (Oct.)