Mediating the Vote: The Changing Media Landscape in U.S. Presidential Campaigns

by Michael Pfau, Brian J. Houston, Shane M. Semmler

Overview

A sea change is taking place in how people use media, and it affects not only how people perceive political candidates and where they get their information, but also_more broadly_their basic democratic values. Mediating the Vote systematically explores a number of questions about media use and its relation to democratic engagement, analyzing the effects of communication forms on the 2004 presidential elections. Are Democratic and Republican voters increasingly turning to different outlets for information about candidates and campaigns and, if so, what does this mean for political discourse? Which communication forms_newspapers, television news programs, the Internet, or films_had the greatest impact on people's perceptions of the presidential candidates during the 2004 campaigns? Do different forms of media affect people, either intellectually or emotionally, in distinct ways? And do some communication forms elevate, whereas others degrade, basic democratic values? This book probes these questions and more, and the results contribute to an important goal in political communication studies: creating a more refined, integrated, and_ultimately_precise picture of how media affects democratic engagement.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780742541436
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	12/01/2006
Series:	Communication, Media, and Politics
Pages:	186
Product dimensions:	6.32(w) x 9.44(h) x 0.76(d)

About the Author

Michael Pfau is professor and chair of the Department of Communication at the University of Oklahoma. J. Brian Houston and Shane M. Semmler are doctoral students in the Department of Communication at the University of Oklahoma.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 1 The Changing Communication Landscape Chapter 3 2 Communicating along Party Lines Chapter 4 3 Political Communication, Emotions, and the Intellect Chapter 5 4 Perceiving Presidential Candidates Chapter 6 5 The Media Landscape and Democratic Engagement Chapter 7 References Chapter 8 Appendix: Design of the Studies

Editorial Reviews

Michael Pfau and colleagues address key questions about how today's media can enhance or undermine citizenship. Bringing together data on a vast range of media, their findings inform the efforts of campaign strategists, media practitioners, and students of political communication alike.

Patricia Moy

Mediating the Vote offers a novel and necessary examination of the changing communication forms and their impact on democratic engagement. The focus on the presidency, forms of communication, and especially democratic engagement is cutting edge and makes the book a critical read for scholars of communication, media, and politics.

Shawn J. Parry-Giles

Recommended.

CHOICE

Mediating the Vote is a fascinating gestalt of political communication during an election year. Examining 17 different media that range from the traditional venues of newspapers, television news, and advertising to the more recent venues of talk radio, television comedy, and the Internet, this comprehensive guidebook to our expanded world of political communication investigates a variety of resulting outcomes among citizens—including the public's perceptions of the candidates, media use patterns among partisans in comparison to the marginally attentive, and attitudes toward the democratic process. Highly beneficial preparation for the coming presidential election!

Maxwell McCombs

Recommended.

Choice

Recommended.

Choice Reviews