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A review by krista7
Accused(Cincinnati Enquirer) by Amber Hunt
4.0
Note: This unbiased review is based on an ARC given me by Netgalley for review purposes.
"Accused" is the transcript of the "Accused" podcast, which was the work of Amber Hunt and Amanda Rossmann for the Cincinnati Enquirer. The podcast itself was a great success, driven largely by the team's transparency about their journalistic process. (Also, Amber Hunt trying repeatedly to get one obnoxiously resistant politician to either answer a question or just give her the dignity of a "no comment" is an A++ moment in podcast history.)
In written form, the same characteristics that made "Accused" work so well as a podcast serve the text version, too--Hunt has a conversational style, a realistic world view, and an obvious passion for journalism. Within the words of the work, we can sense a bit of the roughness of first-time podcasters, which serves to remind us again of why we're listening--we're not here to be entertained, but to be informed about Beth Andes and the police and prosecutor failures that brought about left this woman's death unsolved. That's journalism, and it is no surprise that we come away from the text with a renewed respect for it (often maligned in today's age of idiocy and propaganda channels a la Fox).
What's not so great? As someone who did listen to, and love, the podcast, I was disappointed the book didn't appear to push more beyond the words of the podcast. While the inclusion of photographs from the case was appreciated, a better addition would have more new commentary from Hunt/Rossmann. Still, as the book is transparent in saying it *is* the podcast, I can't really blame it for delivering exactly what was promised.
Finally, the book, like the podcast, leaves us wanting more. I am aware that the "Accused" team has worked on the very important podcast, "Aftermath," detailing the aftermath of gun violence. I look forward to more of their fine reporting in the future.
"Accused" is the transcript of the "Accused" podcast, which was the work of Amber Hunt and Amanda Rossmann for the Cincinnati Enquirer. The podcast itself was a great success, driven largely by the team's transparency about their journalistic process. (Also, Amber Hunt trying repeatedly to get one obnoxiously resistant politician to either answer a question or just give her the dignity of a "no comment" is an A++ moment in podcast history.)
In written form, the same characteristics that made "Accused" work so well as a podcast serve the text version, too--Hunt has a conversational style, a realistic world view, and an obvious passion for journalism. Within the words of the work, we can sense a bit of the roughness of first-time podcasters, which serves to remind us again of why we're listening--we're not here to be entertained, but to be informed about Beth Andes and the police and prosecutor failures that brought about left this woman's death unsolved. That's journalism, and it is no surprise that we come away from the text with a renewed respect for it (often maligned in today's age of idiocy and propaganda channels a la Fox).
What's not so great? As someone who did listen to, and love, the podcast, I was disappointed the book didn't appear to push more beyond the words of the podcast. While the inclusion of photographs from the case was appreciated, a better addition would have more new commentary from Hunt/Rossmann. Still, as the book is transparent in saying it *is* the podcast, I can't really blame it for delivering exactly what was promised.
Finally, the book, like the podcast, leaves us wanting more. I am aware that the "Accused" team has worked on the very important podcast, "Aftermath," detailing the aftermath of gun violence. I look forward to more of their fine reporting in the future.