{"product_id":"2940046034523","title":"Hometown News","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen Goodwin Page becomes the fourth generation to manage a family-owned daily newspaper in a small industrial city, he envisions transforming his hometown through quality journalism. Why not nurture an Athens on the prairie, an oasis of civilized life?\u003cbr\u003eHe recruits ambitious young professionals, including Sherry Dunn, a talented black woman with a penchant for nicknames; Tex Berkowitz, an ace reporter at the archrival paper operating from the next county; and Bingo Toland. Together, they set about shaking up the newsroom and the surrounding community. Editors, reporters, and photographers who resist the heightened demands are moved aside or fired. A few, like Thumper Fletcher and Surfer Girl Nash, adapt to the new regime. But getting readers and news sources to appreciate the transformation initially proves confrontational.\u003cbr\u003eIn the face of rising standards and expectations, the daily routine of relentless deadlines becomes increasingly surrealistic. Telephones and computers join in a conspiracy. Change proves difficult and costly. Inside the office itself, office politics and management consultants add to the upheaval as Goodwin remodels and upgrades. Then, without explanation, he shocks his troops in a round of bloodletting, only to redeem himself by hiring Big Mac MacFarland, a Pulitzer winner. Sherry, however, is shunted aside to a new position having heavy responsibilities and few resources, while Thumper is promoted to her most recent job, although he’s done nothing to earn it. All the same, the staff continues to look to Sherry for counsel while Thumper makes lewd remarks and takes off early. As the stepped-up coverage paints increasingly candid portraits of hometown Rehoboth, Big Mac chafes in the underdog position his paper has against its well-heeled competitor. Against the odds, another big break allows his team to charge into enemy territory and reap both ballooning readership and advertising revenue.\u003cbr\u003eThe moment of glory, however intoxicating, has its perils. Amid the flurry of this miraculous expansion, Goodwin makes another round of unforeseen announcements and nothing from this point is what they'd anticipated. For them, the American Dream becomes a nightmare in the changing corporate realities of a global economy. Will they – and Rehoboth – survive and thrive? It's a roller-coaster ride to the finish.\u003cbr\u003eTry as they might, Rehoboth is part of a much larger world, and its fate, along with its voice, is enmeshed other forces. Hometown News is more than the transformation of a community – each of the players also has a story, in addition to the newspaper industry itself.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Jnana Hodson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47108430135536,"sku":"2940046034523","price":3.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940046034523_p0.jpg?v=1763983618","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940046034523","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}