MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Joe Strupp, of Maplewood, has written his second book, a non-fiction review of the current state of news, titled “Killing Journalism: How Greed, Laziness (And Donald Trump) Are Destroying News And How We Can Save It.”
The book, published by Willow Street Press, details what is wrong with today’s news media: not the claims of liberal, slanted coverage or “fake news” but the true cutbacks in resources, revenue and in-depth reporting, along with over-coverage of non-stories and under-coverage of true needs and important issues. It also looks at the loss of true ombudsmen, who for years would hold local news accountable, while journalists face more obstacles — from a lack of legal defense to increased government crackdowns — than ever before, not to mention outright danger on the job.
“During my career I have seen more and more the loss of true reporting and quality journalism and the increase in hype, opinion and unbalanced news,” Strupp said. “What sells and sparks fear and anger seems to be more important than investigating issues and speaking truth to power no matter the backlash.”
Strupp has more than 30 years of news experience, including 18 years on the media beat for two national publications. He also edited and produced the former Maplewoodian.com website, which covered Maplewood for eight years, from 2009 to 2017, and earned two Society of Professional Journalism Awards.
In honor of the book’s publication and Strupp’s past work in town, Maplewood Mayor Victor Deluca issued a proclamation in December declaring Dec. 22, 2018, as “Joe Strupp Day in Maplewood.”
Strupp will be at Words Bookstore, 179 Maplewood Ave. in Maplewood, on Saturday, Jan. 26, at 4 p.m. to discuss the book and sign copies. He will also be at the Maplewood Memorial Library, 51 Baker St., for a similar event on Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. Find out more about the book and his events at www.joestrupp.com.
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