Amanda Wakes Up

Amanda Gallo is a talented broadcast journalist who is offered what she thinks is the job of her dreams. She becomes a morning anchor at FAIR News, a news station with philosophies that are suspiciously similar to those of Fox News. Amanda works on a show called “Wake Up, USA!” FAIR News’ motto is “True and Equal,” and the producers work tirelessly to ensure every issue, from global warming to abortion, receives coverage from multiple sides, no matter how ridiculous arguments from “the opposite side” are. Amanda must grapple with her personal set of values and those of her employer.

Author Alisyn Camerota has worked at CNN and Fox News. The story depicted unsatisfying interviews with politicians who don’t answer questions and campaign rally stops that include a healthy dose of violence. While at work, Amanda experiences online harassment from ignorant viewers, and at home she’s pressured to explain her network’s decisions to her left-leaning boyfriend.

As a journalist, this fictional story was eerily true-to-life. It was tough to become fully immersed in an experience that was so similar to my own and so equally, screamingly frustrating. This novel is an opportunity to get into a journalist’s head and realize how difficult the job is behind the scenes. I would recommend it to anyone who regularly mocks the media for being biased.