Book · 1920 · Journalism
The Brass Check
A Study of American Journalism
Why people recommend it
Upton Sinclair's classic expose investigates the corrupting influence of commercialism, advertising, and corporate ownership on American journalism. Ryan Holiday frequently returned to this historical work across multiple podcast appearances. On The Daily Stoic, Holiday recommended the book while discussing historical exposs of media and industrial propaganda, and in a later episode he brought it up again to emphasize just how timeless media criticism truly is. Holiday also referenced the text on The Joe Rogan Experience during a broader conversation about the historical roots of media critique. Furthermore, on another episode of The Daily Stoic featuring David Gelles, Holiday cited a famous sentiment from Sinclair's book to explain the deep-seated conflicts of interest in access journalism, noting the difficulty of getting individuals to understand truths when their livelihoods depend on ignoring them. Across these various shows, the speakers utilized Sinclair's rigorous investigation to illustrate the enduring challenges of maintaining journalistic integrity in the face of corporate and financial pressures. The book remains a vital historical touchstone for understanding how media institutions can be co-opted by powerful economic interests, continuing to inform modern debates about the ethics of reporting and the dissemination of information to the public.
Who recommended it
- Ryan Holiday Recommended
Ryan Holiday — 4 mentions
“I don't know if you read for did you read Upton Sinclair's book the brass check um no I've never read the brass check so so after he after he writes the jungle he writes basically because he becomes this famous guy, right?”
“and then you go back even further there's another book called the brass check which was written in i don't know 1910 1912 1930 anyways upton sinclair who wrote the jungle”
“if you read the brass check no you should read it Upton Sinclair after the jungle wrote an expose of media in like 1913.”
“that expression from Upton Sinclair who who wrote sort of very critically about journalism in one of his great books called The Brass check he was saying like it's impossible to get someone to understand something that their salary depends on them”