Stephen Davis has been on the frontlines of journalism for three decades as an investigative reporter in TV, magazines and newspapers and as a leading journalism educator, trying to uphold the ideals of the fourth estate, and to inspire his students to do the same. From the rainforests of Brazil to the icy wastes of Antarctica, from London to Los Angeles, from the Middle East to Australia and New Zealand, Davis has sought out the truth and sometimes found it. Along the way he has encountered lying politicians and corporate conmen, spies and special forces soldiers, secret policemen and scared scientists. Among those who have tried to persuade him from reporting his stories: men with Kalashnikovs, government lawyers, corporate PRs in fancy suits, senior police officers, billionaires, and newspaper owners. Davis has worked for The Sunday Times in both London and Los Angeles, been a war and foreign correspondent, a TV producer for 60 Minutes and 20/20, a newspaper editor, a documentary film maker for the BBC and Discovery, and has taught journalism to thousands of students from all over the world. He has won multiple awards for his investigative reporting, including a silver medal at the New York film and television awards, and has designed and run journalism degree programs in London, Sydney and Melbourne.
Truthteller
USD $17.99 Tax Included
An Investigative Reporter’s Journey Through the World of Truth Prevention, Fake News and Conspiracy Theories.
There is a war on truth. And the liars are winning. There is an increasingly large number of weapons in the arsenal of the rich, the powerful and the elected to prevent the truth from coming out — to bury it, warp it, twist it to suit their purposes. Truthteller reveals how governments and corporations have covered-up mass murder, corruption and catastrophe. In a world where Putin and Trump have successfully branded journalists as traffickers in fake news, while promoting the actual creators of fake news, an investigative reporter shows the tools that are used to deceive us and explains why they work. Using exclusive documents and interviews drawn from three decades as an award-winning reporter, editor, foreign correspondent, television producer, documentary filmmaker, and journalism educator, Stephen Davis reveals shocking details of deception in the United States, the UK, Russia, Sweden, the Baltic republics, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, the Arctic and Antarctic.
“The idea of bringing justice to people who have none, the idea of uncovering secrets that people don’t want you to find out is what really motivates me” – Stephen Davis – Newsworthy
SPECIFICATIONS: 9781925335897 | Paperback | 210 x 135 mm / 8.25 x 5.25 inches | 264 pages
Norman Baker, Former Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom
“Stephen Davis is the sort of journalist we really need – someone who doesn’t just notice odd-looking stones but has the courage to pick them up, see what’s underneath, and report it calmly, factually and courageously. His new book Truthteller is very timely, given the battering the truth has been taking in recent years. People like Donald Trump prefer “alternative facts” and calls any actual facts he doesn’t like “fake news”. The public desperately needs objective truth for democracy to work. Stephen Davis makes an important contribution to the fight back for truth.”
ABC News- The World
Watch Stephen Davis’s Full Interview with Beverley O’Connor here on iView at minute 36:38
‘I think #Facebook is now the world’s most socially irresponsible company. It’s a publisher, but it doesn’t act as a publisher and it doesn’t get treated and regulated as a publisher,’ #Truthteller @Theeditorspeaks tells @bevvo14 #TheWorld. pic.twitter.com/e63Xtilzwr
— ABC News (@abcnews) April 15, 2019
Previous events
Lunchtime author talk with Stephen Davis at Unity Books
27/03/2019
FREE event
Wednesday 27rh March 2019
12pm
Unity Books Wellington
57 Willis Street, Wellington, New Zealand 6011
Join us at Unity Books Wellington for an author talk with journalist Stephen Davis, whose new book, “Truthteller,” explores the current war on truth.
Call 04 499 4245 for further information.
An evening of truthtelling with Stephen Davis at Time Out Books
12/04/2019
FREE event
Friday 27rh March 2019
5.30pm
Time Out Bookstore
432 Mt Eden Road, Mt Eden, Auckland, New Zealand 1024
Join us at Time Out Books Auckland for an author talk with journalist Stephen Davis, whose new book, Truthteller, explores the current war on truth.
Call 09-630 3331 for more information
Stephen Davis: Truthteller at UNSW
16/04/2019
FREE event
Tuesday 16th April 2019
6pm -8.30pm
UNSW Bookshop
Gate 2, High Street Lower Quadrangle Building, Kensington, New South Wales 2033
There is a war on truth. And the liars are winning.
There is an increasingly large number of weapons in the arsenal of the rich, the powerful and the elected to prevent the truth from coming out — to bury it, warp it, twist it to suit their purposes. Stephen Davis’ latest book Truthteller reveals how governments and corporations have covered-up mass murder, corruption and catastrophe. In a world where Putin and Trump have successfully branded journalists as traffickers in fake news, while promoting the actual creators of fake news, an investigative reporter shows the tools that are used to deceive us and explains why they work.
Stephen Davis has been on the frontlines of journalism for three decades as an investigative reporter in TV, magazines and newspapers and as a leading journalism educator, trying to uphold the ideals of the fourth estate, and to inspire his students to do the same. From the rainforests of Brazil to the icy wastes of Antarctica, from London to Los Angeles, from the Middle East to Australia and New Zealand, Davis has sought out the truth and sometimes found it.
You can catch the truth direct from Stephen’s mouth at UNSW Bookshop for a free conversation with our very own Kerrie Davies; lecturer in Literary Journalism, author of A Wife’s Heart and researcher in the areas of autobiography, creative non-fiction, multiplatform media and social media.
To book a free ticket click here
Truthteller with Stephen Davis: Better Read Than Dead
17/04/2019
FREE event
Wednesday 17th April 2019
6.30pm – 8pm
Better Read Than Dead
265 King Street, Newtown, New South Wales 2042
There is a war on truth. And the liars are winning. Truthteller is investigative reporter Stephen Davis’s journey through the world of truth prevention, fake news and conspiracy theories. It’s the guidebook for our post-truth times.
Join us for an evening of straight-talking with Stephen Davis. This event is free but bookings via our events website are essential: click on the link above.
To book a free ticket click here
An evening of truthtelling with Stephen Davis at Berkelouws
18/04/2019
FREE event
Thursday 18th April 2019
6.30pm – 8pm
Berkelouw Paddington
19 Oxford Street, Paddington, New South Wales 2021
Join us a Berkelouws Paddington for an evening of truth-telling with author and journalist Stephen Davis, whose new book, “Truthteller,” explores the current war on truth.
WIth thanks to Berkelouws at Paddington (19 Oxford Street) for hosting this exciting event.
Please book your tickets below for this free event as we expect them to go fast!
To book a free ticket click here
Truthteller Book Launch
01/05/2019
FREE event
Wednesday 1st May 2019
5.30pm – 6.30pm
University Book Shop Otago
378 Great King Street, Dunedin, New Zealand 9016
Join us for the launch of Truthteller, by veteran investigative journalist, Stephen Davis.
Find out more about the war on truth and why the liars are winning.
The War On Truth – The Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival
11/05/2019
Tickets $15-$23
Saturday 11th May 2019
5.30pm – 6.30pm
Dunedin Public Art Gallery
30 The Octagon, Dunedin, New Zealand 9016
Award-winning investigative reporter Stephen Davis spent three decades working on the frontlines of journalism – for TV, magazines and newspapers, and as an educator. Among those who have tried to persuade him from reporting his stories: men with Kalashnikovs, government lawyers, corporate PRs in fancy suits, senior police officers, billionaires and newspaper owners. In his explosive new book Truthteller, he spills the media beans and tells of his journey through the world of truth prevention, fake news and conspiracy theories. Fellow journalist Guyon Espiner will sift through the fake and the true with him.
Australian Journalism Review
“Three decades of reporting international wars, espionage, crime and intrigue make for a riveting read as Davis reveals the lengths to which governments and agencies and their functionaries will go to mislead and deceive the media when they have something to hide.”
Hype Magazine
“Drawing on author Stephen Davis’ three decades experience as an investigative journalist, Truthteller uses real-world stories to illustrate the tools that governments and corporations use to deceive the media and the public.” Click here to read in full
Cambridge 105 Radio
“Stephen Davis, joins Leigh on Bookmark to talk about his new book Truthteller: An Investigative Reporter’s Journey Through the World of Truth Prevention, Fake News and Conspiracy Theories.” Click here to Listen
The Australian Financial Review – June 29
“an entertaining and unsettling compilation of some of the world’s most elaborate official conspiracies. It serves as an acute reminder of just how mendacious – and gullible – we can be.”
Santa Barbara Independent Reviews
“Truthteller reinforces the value of journalism and the need for rigorous investigative reporting in a democracy.” Click here to read in full
Maxim Magazine – 5 page feature in the July edition.
“Truthteller author Stephen Davis’s investigation into the death of an Australian scientist in the Antarctic uncovers a culture far removed from the pristine image of life on the ice”
Chris Lynch on Newstalk ZB
“Even those that don’t work in media will enjoy this read” Click here to listen in full
Sean Plunket, Magic Talk Radio
“It is a ripping read, I thoroughly recommend it to anyone” Click here to listen in full
Print 21 Magazine – feature article
“Media manipulation is rife by the spinmeisters says Davis”.
The Fourth Estate Podcast
“Very well written. It is compelling. A sort of travelogue into the heart of darkness known as spin, conspiracy theories, misinformation and truth prevention”.
Good Reading Magazine – featured on the cover and as a two page extract
“Stephen Davis uses his skills as an investigative journalist to expose the tools at play in the propagation of falsehoods by governments, organisations and the media”.
The NewStatesman America by Peter Wilby
“Davis…is the only journalist I know who has paid significant attention to BA149 [British Airways flight from Heathrow to Kuala Lumpar, that, on 1 August 1990, via Kuwait City and Madras had 367 passengers and 18 crew held hostage]. Governments become ever more proficient in covering up inconvenient truths.” Click Here to read in full.
The Daily Telegraph
“Investigative journalist, Stephen Davis, raises new questions about the disappearance of Sydney man Richard Sajko, one of the city’s toughest cold cases.”
ABC WA statewide with Barry Nichols
“comes to the heart of what it means to be a journalist.”
ABC Radio National – Sunday Extra with Hugh Riminton
“deep fakes are going to make it even harder to tell the difference between fact and fiction” Click here to listen to the interview in full.
Afternoons on ABC Radio
James Valentine talks to Truthteller author, Stephen Davis, this afternoon about the “techniques used to hide information, obfuscate or confuse”
“a great read, with a fantastic stack of images in there as well” Click here to listen.
Good Reading Podcast
“If we end up in a society where nobody can tell the difference between truth and fiction that will be devastating for us all”. Click here to listen
4CA Cairns Breakfast with Murray Jones
“a really enthralling read” Click here to listen.
Newshub Nation on TV3
Stephen Davis, tells Newshub that fake news is a “public health emergency” – to read in full click here
The Daily Otago Times
“Bruce Munro talks to the award-winning investigative journalist about government cover-ups, big business tactics and the war on truth” – To read in full click here
The Matthew Wright Show talkradio
“Every page is quite extraordinary” – To listen to the audio click here.
The White Rhino Report Reviews-
“Over the course of eleven riveting chapters, Davis lays out a case for an entire tool box of obfuscation tools being deployed by government officials, politicians, business leaders, and law enforcement…The book is a must read for anyone who shares the concern of responsible citizens at the obvious erosion of truth and truth telling” Click here to Read More
Reviews by Amos Lassen-
“This is an important book that discusses in depth the problems of journalism, transparency, and telling the news beyond reality checks and I am very well sure that this is not what was meant by free-speech.” Click to Read More.