The Media and Politics

THE MEDIA AND POLITICS presents a fascinating, insightful analysis of the mass media's critical role in politics. Placing media in a political systems context, author Dean Alger begins by laying the crucial foundations of democratic theory, elements of public opinion, socialization and information processing, and the nature of communication and the mass media. Exercises and case studies, key visuals, and reviews of principal research methods used in the field develop readers' analytic abilities. Interviews with leading journalists provide unique insights into media practices. This edition features coverage of media and government relations, media in elections, and the media and politics in other nations.

Preface

ix

Modern Democracy and the Role of Mass Media

1

(14)

Introduction

1

(2)

Historical Perspective

3

(4)

The Democratic System and the Media's Role: An Overview

7

(2)

The Meaning of Democracy and the Media Factor

9

(4)

The Plan of the Book

13

(2)

Foundations: Public Opinion, Political Socialization, and Information Processing

15

(27)

Introduction

15

(1)

The Public/The Audience: Targeting Communications/ Receiving Communications

16

(5)

The Nature and Origins of Public Opinion---and TV's Role in Political Socialization

21

(11)

The Psychology of Media Use

32

(7)

Levels of Political Knowledge; Coherence of Political Opinion

39

(3)

Thinking About Communication: Symbolics and Persuasion

42

(24)

Introduction and Points of Perspective

42

(3)

On Persuasion in Communication

45

(6)

On Symbolics and Narrative in Mass Communication

51

(8)

Case Study: The Clinton Biographical Video---and Candidates' Presentation of Self

59

(7)

The Nature of the Beast: Characteristics and Conceptions of the Mass Media

66

(21)

Introduction

66

(2)

Characteristics of the Mass Media

68

(11)

Impact: Research Evidence on the Effects of the Nature of the Media

79

(7)

In Conclusion

86

(1)

Whose Media; Media for Whom? Ownership of the Media, Regulation, Law, and the Access Issue

87

(32)

Ownership and Direction of the Mass Media

88

(13)

Regulation, the Law and Access

101

(10)

Whose Media; Media for Whom?: Discussion of the Issues and Implications of Ownership, Control, and Access

111

(8)

What's News? The News Process and Its Political Impacts

119

(46)

Introduction and Perspective

119

(3)

A Framework for Understanding News Decisions: Personal and Professional Factors

122

(12)

Organizational and Technological Factors That Affect News Decisions

134

(22)

The Impact of the News on the Public

156

(9)

News from Elsewhere: The Media and Foreign Affairs

165

(23)

Introduction and Perspective

165

(1)

Foreign News Coverage by American News Media

166

(8)

Reasons for the Nature of American Foreign News Coverage

174

(6)

Perspective: Costs to American Society of Inadequate Coverage

180

(2)

Notes on the Media's Impact on Foreign Affairs

182

(6)

Capital Coverage and Communications I: News Coverage of Government Institutions and Officials

188

(49)

Introduction

188

(1)

Nature of the Media-Government Relation: Orientations and Roles

189

(2)

News Coverage of the Presidency and Congress

191

(23)

News Coverage of the Supreme Court and Executive Agencies

214

(10)

Coverage of Public Policy and the Impact on Public Perceptions

224

(9)

A Note on Interest Groups and the Media: On Their Presence in the News

233

(1)

A Note On Dangers for Journalists and Issues in Washington Reporting

233

(1)

Media Coverage of State Government

234

(3)

Capital Coverage and Communications II: Modes, Instruments, and Strategies of Officials' Communications

237

(29)

Introduction

237

(1)

Presidential Communication

238

(8)

Modes and Means of Presidential Communications

246

(4)

Instruments and Strategies of Congressional Communications

250

(13)

The Supreme Court: Communications Strategies?

263

(3)

The Media in Elections I: Electoral Systems and Methods of Study

266

(24)

Introduction

266

(1)

The Nature of the Electoral System and the Media Factor

267

(5)

The Media in Elections: Methods of Study

272

(18)

The Media in Elections II: News Coverage of Candidates and Campaigns

290

(48)

Introduction

290

(2)

Media Coverage of Presidential Elections I: The Dominance of the Game Orientation

292

(14)

Media Coverage of Presidential Elections II: Coverage of the Campaign Process

306

(7)

Consequences of the Emphasis on Game Coverage

313

(1)

Media Coverage of Presidential Elections III: Coverage of the Candidates

314

(10)

Media Coverage of Presidential Elections IV: Coverage of Ads and Other Aspects of the Campaign

324

(10)

The Media in Congressional and State Elections

334

(4)

The Media in Elections III: Candidates' Communications

338

(41)

The Transformation of Candidate Communications

338

(1)

Campaign Speech---and Its Transformation in the TV Age

339

(6)

Debates

345

(8)

That Great American Art Form: Political Ads and Today's Campaign

353

(2)

Patterns of Political Communications through Ads

355

(24)

The Media in Elections IV: Impact on the Public/The Public's Response to Campaign Communications

379

(27)

The Challenge of Measuring the Impact of Different Sources of Election Communications

379

(1)

Election News Coverage: Its Impact on Public Opinion

380

(14)

Impact of Candidate Communications on Public Opinion

394

(12)

Comparisons: The Media and Politics in Other Nations

406

(22)

Comparisons and Thinking about Public Affairs

406

(1)

The Media and Politics in Britain

406

(18)

Trends in Media and Issues of Democracy in Europe

424

(4)

The Media and the Dialogue of Democracy

428

(21)

The Dialogue of Democracy and the Media Factor

428

(1)

Politics and Communication in the TV Age

429

(20)

Notes

449

(71)

Index

520

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The Media and Politics

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials