Mass Media and the Politics of Change

The book begins with the evolution of the media in American politics from the partisan press to the Internet and examines the role and effect of the media in a democratic society. It covers the issue of bias, the influence of the media elite, and the role that differences in gender, religion, education, and party orientation play, looking into how the U.S. political process is affected. The book also examines the way candidates use the media to sell themselves and their policies and how reporting is shaped by polls and the need for sensationalism.