Title: Breaking News
Subtitle: A Story of the 5th Estate
Author: Jim Boston
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Pages: 280
Genre: Mainstream Fiction
Reviewed by: Jake Bishop

Read Book Review

A middle-aged man’s life is shaken by a catastrophic event in Jim Boston’s novel, Breaking News. As Boston’s story unfolds, readers are immersed into the intricacies of the television news business as the narrative’s protagonist struggles not only to maintain a tenuous hold on his career, but also to overcome the innumerable challenges involved in recovery from a traumatic head injury.

Keith runs the engineering department for a TV station in Cleveland, Ohio. It’s his responsibility to successfully navigate the myriad technical requirements inherent in bringing viewers the news from both the studio and remote locations. One of Keith’s new hires is a young man fresh out of school who is just learning the particulars of his trade. As the old pro and the rookie begin to set up for an on-the-scene report, Keith is momentarily distracted by a phone call, and the young man is coerced by an overzealous reporting team into moving the equipment truck in hopes of achieving a more dramatic shot. One unsafe decision quickly evolves into another and tragedy ensues. People are hurt, one individual is killed, and Keith is struck on the head by flying debris. It is an injury from which he may or may not recover.

The author is particularly suited to tell this story. Having spent the largest part of his life working in the television industry, Boston is intimately familiar with effectively every detail of what is involved in creating and delivering television programs. His virtually
encyclopedic knowledge of the technical aspects of broadcast production is impressive. So too is his command of the industry jargon employed by the characters he creates. High-powered corporate executives, station managers, news producers, and more, all speak with authentic dialogue that reinforces their characterizations. That also goes for medical and psychological folk introduced in the second half of the novel as Keith attempts to come back from extensive memory loss occasioned by his devastating injury.

Of the many supporting players who the author weaves in and out of Keith’s life, one that stands out is the city of Cleveland itself. Boston does a good job of employing the city’s history, its environs, even its ongoing relationship with Lake Erie to play an interesting role in the story.

Part character study, part industry examination, part amnesia exploration – this is a chronicle that gives you a glimpse behind the scenes of something we all watch day in and day out. In addition to potentially enjoying the read, you just might learn a good bit as well.