News: The Politics of Illusion » (8th Edition)

Part of the “Longman Classics in Political Science” series, this renowned book, known for a lively writing style, provocative point of view, and exceptional scholarship, has been thoroughly revised and updated, including up-to-the-minute case studies and the latest research.

This favorite of both instructors and students is a "behind-the-scenes" tour of news in American politics. The core question explored in this book is: How well does the news, as the core of the national political information system, serve the needs of democracy? In investigating this question, the book examines how various political actors — from presidents and members of Congress, to interest organizations and citizen-activists — try to get their messages into the news.

Booknews

Follows the evolution of the news, both as a social and economic product and as a key to understanding the American political process. Analyzes how the press, public, and politicians interact in a political system that is not always functional, offering in-depth case studies and current examples. This fourth edition reflects the decline of mass media and the fragmentation of the mass news audience, the rise of strategic communication and new technologies of audience targeting, the rise of news negativity, and the news reform movement. The author is affiliated with the University of Washington. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)