The Piano Player in the Brothel

Book excerpt: Journalism is in crisis. Thanks to freesheets, the proliferation of web-based and mobile media platforms and the growing norm of free content, the very future of the press is under threat, and the coming years may see the radical transformation or indeed the loss of some of the industry's greatest and longest-lived institutions. 'The Piano Player in the Brothel' (the book's title refers to the classic joke in which a father tells his son that anything is better than being a journalist...including being the piano player in a brothel) is a stunning reflection on the practice of journalism in general and especially in today's challenging climate. It includes a wealth of anecdotes on the history of journalism and its role as a great instrument of cultural diffusion, a guarantor of freedom of speech, and therefore, a protector of democracy. Timely, incisive and absorbing, 'The Piano Player in the Brothel is a fascinating exploration of an ever-changing and increasingly complex world as seen by an author of international renown.