Impact: How the Press Affects Federal Policy Making

Based on 3 years of research, this account of the press's affect on federal policy making reveals the strategies, conflicts, and cooperation between reporters and government officials, and the consequences for the entire public as a result of their dealings.

These companion volumes are the result of a three-year project undertaken by the Harvard Institute of Politics. Directed by Linsky, the project examined the role of the media in the political process and documented its impact on individual public officials, governmental institutions, and policiesall at the federal level. Impact is the final report of the project's results. A conceptual treatment of the interplay between press and government is provided by Gary Orren in a prefatory chapter. The main text of the book relies heavily on research conducted by means of a survey of 500 senior policymakers, interviews with 36 key individuals (journalists and government officials), and six case studies. Linsky offers suggestions for improving the policy-making process by incorporating effective public relations, and proposes areas for further research. The survey design and interviewing techniques are explained in appendixes, and there is a section of notes. The case studies referred to in Impact are published in full in the companion volume. They examine: the 1969 reorganization of the Post Office; the resignation of Vice President Agnew; Carter and the neutron bomb; relocation of families near Love Canal in New York State; the Bob Jones University tax exemption battle; and, suspension of Social Security disability reviews in 1984. Official transcripts, documents, and notes accompany each case study. Together, these books help to further a better understanding of the workings of government, and are highly recommended for academic libraries. Thomas A. Karel, Franklin & Marshall Coll. Lib., Lancaster, Pa.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.