This book explores the extent and circumstances under which the media affects public policy; and whether the political impact of the media is confined to the public representation of politics or whether their influence goes further to also affect the substance of political decisions.

The work is based on a two-year analytic review of the literature followed by a one-year synthesis of the findings. The one-year synthesis of the findings. The result, in the words of a pre-publication reviewer, "is an attempt to redirect research in this whole area by examining the demonstrated utility of various approaches, urging that we discard some and adopt others as promising." The Effects of Mass Communication on Political Behavior will be indispensable for all students of communication, political behavior, speech, journalism, political sociology, and social psychology.

The author models the discussion of each topic in this text on the social scientific process by asking if theories exists to explain personal observations in politics and the media and if there is evidence to support the theories. End-of-chapter Active Learning exercises provide real-world examples of important concepts and ask students to collect and analyze data from various print and electronic media sources. The text includes an entire chapter on agenda setting--the media's ability to insert issues into public consciousness or increase perceived importance--which illuminates the related concepts of priming and framing.

This widely used and popular text provides a broad-ranging analysis of the relationship between the media and politics. Revised and updated throughout, this second edition includes coverage of the mediatization of politics; of E-politics and governance; of the impact of 'reality TV'; and of issues raised by the reporting of war in Iraq.

This fully-updated new edition of Politics and the Mass Media provides a comprehensive introduction to the role of mass communications in politics at all levels, from election campaigns, news reports and lobbying groups to the media activities of pressure groups. The relationship between politics, politicians and the media is a matter of increasingly contentious debate, as politicians' awareness of the importance of the media becomes more sophisticated amidst rapidly-advancing media technology and control. Providing a review of the nature and content of political communications and of recent theoretical developments, Negrine addresses the issues surrounding today's mass media, including cable and satellite television, investigation of the press, the relationship between the state and broadcasing institutions and the ever-present question of whether or not Britain needs a media policy. This new edition includes: * Case studies from television and the press * Fully revised text with updated sections on the press, broadcasting and media legislation * Brand new chapters on Europe and globalisation

Drawing upon his lifelong study of politics and journalism, political historian Lee Edwards offers the first scholarly examination of a powerful new phenomenon in world politics--the mass media. Edwards argues in his far-ranging and innovative work that the media have become as important a factor in determining the course of international affairs and the future of nations as economic prosperity, military strength, natural resources, and national will. The author calls this vital new component of world politics mediapolitik. He uses case studies from around the world to show how the mass media have influenced and even determined the outcome of major political acts such as the collapse of communism in Eastern and Central Europe, the Tiananmen Square massacre in China, the ousting of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, and the political resurrection of South Africa's Nelson Mandela. The author argues that these case studies show that the mass media can either enrich or enslave the human spirit, depending upon their moral foundation. If the media follow a liberal democratic model, as in the United States and Western Europe, they contribute to a free and just society. If they follow an authoritarian model, as in South Africa before Mandela, or a totalitarian model as in Saddam Hussein's Iraq or Fidel Castro's Cuba, they perpetuate the regime in power and deny the fruits of freedom and democracy to the people. Edwards addresses the question of how responsibly the American media, the most influential media in the world, handle their enormous power. Using the results obtained from his survey of 100 leading journalists as well as close analysis of major news stories of the last decade, the author confirms the rampant cynicism of the American media and its deleterious effect on American politics and government. The solution, he suggests, is that American journalists must practice moral responsibility and strengthen the liberal democratic model of mediapolitik around the world. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lee Edwards is senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and adjunct associate professor of politics at The Catholic University of America. He is senior editor of The World & I magazine and author or editor of numerous books, including The Collapse of Communism, The Conservative Revolution, The Power of Ideas: The Heritage Foundation at 25 Years, and Goldwater: The Man Who Made a Revolution. PRAISE FOR THE BOOK: "Mediapolitik is a broad-gauged survey of what the mass media is, and how it works around the world. . . . There is scarcely an issue or debate within media and media watching circles that Mr. Edwards does not touch on and analyze with care and precision. Reading Mediapolitik is the equivalent of at least a semester's worth of J-School, and more fun."--Washington Times "Mediapolitik is superb--a much-needed, comprehensive study of a crucial topic. It is full of insight in its analysis and wisdom in its conclusions."--Peter W. Rodman, former Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs "A revealing study of the mass media's impact on world politics. You may not agree with all of his conclusions, but Mediapolitik is well worth reading."--Hal Bruno, former political director, ABC News "Edwards is a sterling advocate for more responsibility in journalism. His cogent insights are always worthy of study and debate."--Stephen Hess, The Brookings Institution, author of The Little Book of Campaign Etiquette "The author's case studies are valuable. No one, to my knowledge, has presented such information and analysis in such a systematic fashion."--Prof. Marvin Olasky, Acton Institute "A very plausible and reliable overview of the impact of changes in news and entertainment media on the politics of our world. . . . The

Focusing on the persuasive strategies of journalists, advertisers, and politicians, this text examines the power of the mass media to influence the perceptions and actions of the public. It also reveals how the public exerts its own influence on the mass media in turn. After an introductory chapter on the nature and use of the mass media, the authors examine in turn journalism and advertising, with separate chapters on definition, persuasive strategies, and interactive influence. In the final two chapters, they turn to the world of politics, noting how politicians use both news and advertising to get their points across to the public.

Recent research in the area of public opinion has focused most of its attention on the effect of the mass media, television in particular, as an influencing agent. The author argues that media effects are only half of the equation; the mass media cannot be seen as the exclusive source of political information. In a model of `total information flow', the media must share the political information environment with interpersonal communication. This volume bridges the gap between media and interpersonal communication and their combined effect on political attitudes and cognition.

Using a comparative approach, this book examines how political communication and the mass media have played an important role in the consolidation of democratic institutions.