Buried by the Times The Holocaust & America's

An in-depth look at how The New York Times failed in its coverage of the fate of European Jews from 1939-1945. It examines how the decisions that were made at The Times ultimately resulted in the minimizing and misunderstanding of modern history's worst genocide. Laurel Leff, a veteran journalist and professor of journalism, recounts how personal relationships at the newspaper, the assimilationist tendencies of The Times' Jewish owner, and the ethos of mid-century America, all led The Times to consistently downplay news of the Holocaust. It recalls how news of Hitler's 'final solution' was hidden from readers and - because of the newspaper's influence on other media - from America at large. Buried by The Times is required reading for anyone interested in America's response to the Holocaust and for anyone curious about how journalists determine what is newsworthy. • Describes how individual journalists in New York, London, Berlin, Moscow, Paris, Bucharest and Jerusalem reacted to news of the Holocaust as it reached their bureaus • Grapples with the theoretical question of how journalists understand and evaluate horrific unprecedented events within the context of a particular news organization at a particular time • Tells the personal story of Times publisher Arthur Hays Sulzberger as he struggled with news of the Holocaust as a journalist, as an American, and as a Jew'This is the best book yet about American media coverage of the Holocaust, as well as an extremely important contribution to our understanding of America's response to the mass murder of the Jews.' David S. Wyman, author of The Abandonment of the Jews: America and the Holocaust'A brilliant history, one whose insights offer editors much about today.' Columbia Journalism Review 'A dispassionate and impeccably fair account ... As a portrait of the journalistic culture of the Times in wartime, it is unlikely to be superseded.' Commentary'... a superbly researched work that seems to me one of the most devastating books ever written about a newspaper.' National Post (Canada)'The light which Laurel Leff sheds on US government policy adds to the value of her densely documented and judiciously written study. It is a model of research with serious implications for how the press covers atrocity and genocide in our own times.' Jewish Chronicle