Yellow journalism and William Randolph Hearst's critical role in it is obviously a focal point of this novel. His reporters also became involved in ways that would not necessarily be deemed ethical today. Not to propagate a conspiracy theory, but there was no CIA at the time, and I've always believed that many of the men who worked for Hearst were operating with the full knowledge of people in Washington and with instructions and permission to immerse themselves in their stories, as Karl Decker clearly did. CNN certainly has enormous influence. We were all influenced by the images from Tiananmen Square.
Journalists sway opinions in specific stories.
Ruben Hurricane Carter comes to mind. The Hearst I wrote about was younger than the one often portrayed and, I believe, operated from political conviction as well as a desire to sell papers. The short vivid chapters of White Rose have a cinematic quality to them, almost like short takes, and a rapid cutting from place to place. I don't write a novel thinking that it's a film. I think the best books are the ones you can get lost in, that you can picture as you read them.