A backlash against the media has led to courtroom gags, self-censorship by reporters, & a vast tuning-out by the public. From the uproar over such celebrated cases as the Food Lion controversy & the faulty Time/CNN story about nerve gas use in Vietnam to the growing reluctance of judges to admit cameras into the courtroom, we are witnessing a tidal wave of anti-media sentiment. And the distrust of the media-more intense than at any other time in this century-is undermining our First Amendment rights. Combining revealing anecdotes with the latest research on media dynamics & public opinion, Don't Shoot the Messenger shows the frightening & far-reaching consequences of the public's attitude. Newspapers are disavowing truthful stories rather than face litigation. Judges are using fraud & other issues to trump free speech. At the heart of his backlash is an ironic yet vicious circle in which our national craving for information leads to overload & a hatred of those who supply it. Don't Shoot the Messenger makes it unequivocally clear that devaluing the media's role as a watchdog will certainly dissolve our First Amendment rights as we know them.