Welcome friend! I mentioned Kneading Journalism: Essays on baking bread and breaking down the news in the March Backlist Bingo Wrap Up and now it is finally time to bring you my complete thoughts. Tony Ganzer’s compilation of essays is a great way to think about journalism, in the past and present, while enjoying some bread. Here is what the book:
Tony Ganzer | Goodreads
In an age that some demonize the media as an “enemy of the people,” it’s time for a heart-to-heart about what journalism is, and what it could be. And while we break down the news business, let’s also bake some bread. In Kneading Journalism, award-winning international journalist Tony Ganzer provides an insider’s view of the Fourth Estate through compelling personal narratives and keen insights. Essays transport the reader from a bread riot before the French Revolution, to the inside of Germany’s public media and bread industries, to the streets of post-revolutionary Cairo, all while exploring the who, what, and why of journalism. Kneading Journalism provides readers bite-sized thoughts on journalism and society, and basic bread recipes for any level of baker.
Kneading Journalism: Essays on baking bread and breaking down the news – Book Review
Kneading Journalism is a collection of essays about journalism and how it is intertwined in our daily lives. Through pivotal journalistic events across history, Tony Ganzer encourages discussion at the dinner table, complete with suggested recipes to enjoy. Tony also draws from his experiences in the field and newsroom. In this review, I will be going over at least one key point from each chapter, a quote that resonated with me and the recipe that accompanied the essay.
The gallows and the kitchen table
The work and identities of journalists have always been politicized and polarizing, to a degree, because all corners of society rely on the power of sharing and shaping information. A politician, celebrity, or Joe or Jane Citizen can decry the press for perceived dishonesty, unprofessionalism, or maybe just being a bad writer. It’s what’s supposed to happen in a free and open society, where press freedom is a fundamental right. Critique and self-reflection are baked into the system.
Pg 2
The book begins with an introduction called ‘The gallows and the kitchen table’. Right from the start, the subject matter is presented in an engaging and thought-provoking format. I liked the arts scattered throughout the book. Tony shares the impact that recent American political events have had on him as a journalist. I didn’t realize how closely related news is to journalism until I read this book. Tony challenged this perception by looking at what news it and what a journalist is meant to do. Kneading Journalism gave me the opportunity to ponder the news and sharing of information but also to look beyond that and see the people doing the reporting. Through the essays, I thought about journalism as a craft and what ‘media’ has to do with it. The introduction is a great start to the journey into the various facets of practicing journalism in the modern world.
1 Defining journalism with a bread rebellion
The world is a messy place, filled with fragmented ideas of what society should look like.
Pg 21
Journalism is an attempt at true-life storytelling, ideally through ethical standards and for the public good. An event may be interpreted in multiple ways and affects different people in a unique manner. I like how this is highlighted in this essay.
Recipe: Salted French
2 Why journalism education can help us
The craft of analyzing, contextualizing, understanding, distilling, and relaying information is much easier when drawing upon abroad background.
Pg 31
Tony elaborates on the skills a journalist should have and how they influence personal life. I learned this against the backdrop of the German bread industry that I did not know anything about.
Recipe: Rosemary
3 Journalists not “journalists”
There’s no easy answer to the question: who is a journalist? Everyone can be one, but that doesn’t do justice to the skills, loyalties, and general expectations (positive or negative) the public has when that title is given.
Pg 52
I did not realize the complexity of the mediascape today until I read this chapter. Tony mentioned the decline in newspaper subscriptions with the rise of social media and organized PR operations. I thought about the local newspaper that I get once a week and how that differs from getting bigger newspapers at my home. This led me to some digging.
I grew up in India getting 3-5 newspapers a day and to day, newspaper delivery still happens without fail every morning. When I tried to subscribe to a similar daily print newspaper in Canada, some nationwide ones do not offer them in my city while others are not worth the cost to me. I was surprised by the number of extra digital features that I would have had to pay for and could not opt out of when all I wanted was the print version.
Recipe: Irish Gingerbread
4 Media, Machiavelli and power
The power of the press is really about the power of the people, because the press is providing the people with information needed to pressure leaders.
Pg 61
Social media has become one of the primary ways that Millennials and Gen Z consume the news. YPuls’s News Consumption and Trust report in 2023 found that Gen Z is more likely to get their news from YouTube while Millennials are more likely to get it from Facebook. Also considering the movement to digital news access over print, I don’t think the press means the same as what it did before. Advertising and the drive to more views has impacted journalism and journalists.
Recipe: Rosemary Asiago
5 Bread diplomacy and Egyptian revolution
I believe the people can ultimately wrest power from entities which would seek to dominate them, with enough time, organization, and tolerance for struggle.
Pg 95
This quote in particular made me think of how the press was used during the freedom struggle in India. I found a fascinating history of journalism in India. Newspapers took note of British policies to create dissonance between Hindu and Muslims. According to Deccan Herald, “In 1857, during the first war of independence, the newspaper Payam-e-Azadi took to spreading the message that the British would continue to divide and rule and that people had to stand up against it.” I read about some of the newspapers during History class and it was fun to revisit.
Recipe: Egyptian Fiona bread
6 Get a real job
Journalism, done well, takes time, skill, and care, but how the product of that labor is received is really commensurate with the effort required to create it.
Pg 106
This last essay is about the job of a journalist, giving insight into the perceptions of where to work, how to handle the bad and how to build community.
Recipe: Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
7 Leaving Daily News
Some journalists and outlets increasingly catered to the political preferences of their core audience while eschewing the altruistic idea of “serving the entire public.”
Pg 123
Tony shares how he came to the decision to leave daily news and how the places we work at can challenge our core beliefs in any profession.
Overall, Kneading Journalism is a great book to think about journalism today. Tony brought examples from all around the world and encouraged me to think about the history of my country and look at it through a new lens. I enjoyed the writing and research that went into this. The bread recipes were a unique edition and I see now how bread and journalism go together.
If you are looking for a book to get you thinking, give this one a read. Add it on Goodreads.
Many thanks for the author for providing a review copy for an honest review. Interview going live tomorrow!
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