Mass Media and American Politics - Softcover

Graber, Doris A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1604264608 ISBN 13: 9781604264609

Publisher: CQ Press, 2009

Synopsis

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The eighth edition of Graber’s classic text is thoroughly updated to reflect major structural changes that have shaken the world of political news. Graber combines comprehensive coverage and cutting-edge theory as she shows students how the media influence governmental institutions and functions, and in turn how the government shapes the way the media disseminate information. Her broad coverage has three focal points: the media’s role in both the public and private sectors; its impact on the attitudes of ordinary Americans and political elites; and the ways in which the news media cover government and politics.

In addition to new photos, cartoons, screen shots, and data, this edition includes:

• major changes in reporting, notably in the 2008 elections, brought about by the Internet;
• the subsequent erosion of the mainstream media’s influence on the political agenda;
• new media, including more on blogging, social networking, and political entertainment shows;
• the latest on media laws and recent court cases;
• the evolution and current state of war-time reporting; 
• and how the FCC regulates media ownership and content.

About this title

About the Author:

Doris A. Graber is professor emeritus of political science and communication at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has written and edited numerous articles and books on the news media, public opinion, and information-processing. They include Media Power in Politics, Sixth Edition (2010), The Power of Communication: Managing Information in Public Organizations (2003), a prize-winning book about Processing Politics: Learning from Television in the Internet Age (2001), and On Media and Making Sense of Politics (2012), a comparative study of learning about politics from entertainment broadcasts.

Review:

"Mass Media and American Politics is an indispensible resource for media and politics classes. This text is one-stop shopping for setting the stage and getting into the nitty-gritty details of the contemporary media system. From big-ticket questions of ownership and regulation, First Amendment case law, and the structure and routines of journalism, to issues of election coverage, media bias, citizen learning and other media effects, Graber and Dunaway cover the landscape and do so in an engaging and accessible style, providing a comprehensive and up-to-date account. The new chapters in the 10th edition promise to add significantly to this already-classic text." -- Paul Freedman "I have religiously used Mass Media and American Politics in my undergraduate level Media and Politics course due to its structure and coverage. The text gives students an in-depth look at how the news is made, the various rules and regulations placed on media organizations, as well as an overview of how citizens are affected by news content. This new edition also provides students with a chapter on bias in the news, which is a topic that excites my students. After reading the chapter about bias, students pay closer attention to how news stories are framed, which is one of my primary objectives in teaching this course." -- Heather Evans "Graber and Dunaway's Mass Media and American Politics provides a unique perspective to undergraduate courses in media, politics, and political communication. Particularly valuable are the chapters dealing with media and journalists. Here, the authors go in depth into the norms and routines of journalists, media power, and issues associated with press freedom, giving students a behind-the-scenes look at American journalism. The book also details how media cover politics at local, national, and international levels. Highly recommended!" -- Lindsay H. Hoffman "Doris Graber's classic just got even better with Johanna Dunaway's help. For those who want to understand what we know about the intersection of politics and the mass media, this book should be on the required reading list." -- Jason Barabas "Mass Media and American Politics is THE best book available for undergraduate classes in political communication. The book examines factors contributing to the content of news coverage as well as how the news media influence people's views about politics. The new edition provides important updates concerning the changing media landscape as well as the growing negativity and incivility in the media. The coverage in this textbook is excellent and the approach is easily accessible to undergraduate students." -- Kim Fridkin

About this edition

• Publisher: CQ Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1604264608
• ISBN 13: 9781604264609
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 400