Mass Media and American Politics, 7th Edition

by Graber D, Johanna L. Dunaway

Doris Graber's classic text on the mass media continues a strong tradition of combining comprehensive coverage and cutting-edge theory. An ideal core text, this trusted and balanced volume explores the foundations of the American mass media system with a focus on political and technological developments. Graber shows students how the media influences governmental institutions and functions, and in turn how the government shapes the way the media works and disseminates information. Her broad coverage has three focal the news media's role in both the public and private sectors; the media's impact on the attitudes and perceptions of ordinary Americans and political elites; and the ways in which the news media cover governmental institutions and political situations. The seventh edition is thoroughly updated to reflect the ever-growing impact of narrowcasting and outlets outside of traditional mediums, such as cable television. The impact of media consolidation and regulatory policies are explored before turning to how media structures and operations function under both normal and extraordinary circumstances, with war coverage, censorship, embedded journalists and consequences of the Patriot Act receiving new and expanded attention. Graber also discusses in greater depth the impact of entertainment media, while coverage of the Internet in politics--its role in elections, the role of bloggers--is given specific emphasis. In addition, new material on the recent 2004 campaigns and elections are infused throughout the book, with tables and figures showcasing current data and original research.

Genres: Politics, Textbooks, Nonfiction, Journalism, Read For School

380 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once upon a time, I taught a college course on Mass Media and Politics. Guess what? This was the text that I most commonly used to organize the course (I used a number of supplemental textbooks as well). Nicely written and comprehensive in its coverage. The author did a lot of good research herself, and this helped inform the text.

I was a big fan of this book while I taught that class.

[D.A. Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is much food for thought and many of the chapters provide useful starting points for research on how the media influences American politics. Most usefuly today is how the proliferation of choice can create more entrenched and rigid views despite the opportunity that technology provides to do just the opposite. But the authors still make blanket observations that assume the Media, the Public and the Government are each huge monoliths, each with a predictable view point. Use it as a starting point to understanding the media but try to avoid such generalizations.

[Morgon · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most influential books I have read, and also one that as the world gets smaller can apply to more then just America. While the book was written years ago (when I first read it), I feel it applies more so today then whe it first came out. Doris Graber has such lucid articulation of the theoretical roles of media in a democracy it's astounding. As I lecture now to schools all over the world it's always a book I bring along.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this textbook in several communication and political science courses at my college. Every time I read it, I see something new.

This is a book I will keep for my career in communications. Graber makes these high-level concepts about the role of journalism in America very accessible and easy to digest without being watered down.

[Indira Wolf · Rating 2 out of 5]

so I couldn't really have progress updates for this book cause we skipped around alot. This book...gods. it had a lot of information. so much. so dense. it was useful, well, some of it. but majority was just apain in my buns. but least it's over

[Evanhinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it for school, and probably one of the best textbooks I've ever had to pretend to, er, I mean read, yeah, read. . .

[William]

This is very much a text book with all of the boringness that that entails. Many of my students felt like the events of the 2016 election made this book obsolete, but I feel like only one or two chapters on technology and incivility/bias need major updates.

The authors do a good job covering things, but it is from a very "communications degree" perspective, which would occasionally irk me. TV always has a dumbing-down, brainwashing effect for the authors. Anything on TV that isn't hard-core news is "fluffy" and a distraction from what we should be really caring about, which is a vigorous understanding of the political issues of the day. Yuck.
Turns out life is more than that. Culture matters, even "fluffy" TV shows. Well, that's the way I feel. I'd like to see a text book on this topic made through the collaboration of a communications scholar and a humanities scholar. But until then, I'd use this text again if I got the chance to teach a course on this topic again.