From the Publisher
“24/7 Politics is the definitive history of the cable industry in the United States. Kathryn Cramer Brownell has a knack for finding the colorful characters and key moments that pull readers in—all while illuminating the high stakes of cable’s success not just for the media industry but for American democracy.”—Nicole Hemmer, author of Partisans: The Conservative Revolutionaries Who Remade American Politics in the 1990s “Kathryn Cramer Brownell’s brilliant history examines the double potential of cable television—as a force for democratic empowerment, or for division and polarization. Ultimately, the stoking of outrage has triumphed. Brownell reveals in dazzling detail how it all happened. 24/7 Politics is a must-read for anyone concerned about TV’s use and abuse in the service of politics and power.”—Heather Hendershot, author of When the News Broke: Chicago 1968 and the Polarizing of America“In this impressive history, Kathryn Cramer Brownell shows how our political system made cable television and, in turn, how cable television remade our political system. Sweeping in its scope yet precise in its details, 24/7 Politics is a must-read account of the origins of our performance politics.”—Kevin M. Kruse, coauthor of Fault Lines: A History of the United States since 1974“With vivid storytelling and revealing insight, Kathryn Cramer Brownell traces how a scrappy band of political outsiders became Washington power players, reshaping how Americans watch television, understand the news, and participate in their democracy. 24/7 Politics can and should become the definitive history of the industry.”—Margaret O’Mara, author of The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America