Book Review: City of Newsmen: Public Lies and Professional Secrets in Cold War Washington , by Kathryn J. McGarr.

"City of Newsmen: Public Lies and Professional Secrets in Cold War Washington" by Kathryn J. McGarr challenges the prevailing belief that midcentury American journalists were complacent and deferential. Drawing on extensive archival research, McGarr reveals that journalists questioned government officials and struggled to balance national security with the public's right to know. The book also explores the insularity of the Washington, D.C. journalism community and how exclusionary practices affected reporting. While the book repairs the reputation of midcentury journalists, it also highlights their reluctance to publish their concerns publicly. Overall, "City of Newsmen" demonstrates the importance of archival research in understanding American journalism. [Extracted from the article]