Media, Politics and Democracy

by John Street

Overview

The third edition of Media, Politics and Democracy examines the fraught debate over media influence, who wields it and what effect social and traditional media has on what we think, how we behave, and how we vote. Charting the media conglomerates of old, the alarming rise of the Tech Giants in recent decades, concerns over 'fake news', and the use of social media by political candidates, this book places contemporary anxieties into historical context and compares the response to such issues across different states and societies. Using examples from around the world, Street tackles the changing nature of political communications and brings under scrutiny the question of how a democratic society can function alongside a democratic media.

Suitable for students studying politics and the media, political communications and other related fields.

New to this Edition:
- Completely revised and updated version of Mass Media, Politics and Democracy.
- Includes a new chapter on the power of the Tech Giants.
- Contains detailed accounts of the significance of figures such as Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch and Mark Zuckerberg.
- Student questions and issues for debate interspersed throughout the book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781137501264
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	05/14/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	260
Sales rank:	999,714
File size:	573 KB

About the Author

John Street is a Professor of Politics at the University of East Anglia, UK. He has written extensively about the relationship between political communication, media and popular culture.
John Street is a Professor of Politics at the University of East Anglia, UK.

Table of Contents

Introduction
PART I: REPRESENTING POLITICS
Political Bias
Telling Tales: The Reporting of Politics
It's Just for Fun: Politics and Entertainment
Media Effects
PART II: THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF MASS MEDIA
State Control and State Propaganda
Conglomerate Control: Media Moguls and Media Power
Tech Giants and the Global Webs of Media Power
Watchdogs or Lapdogs? The Politics of Journalism
PART III: MASS MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY
Transforming Political Communication? From Political Marketing to Celebrity Politics
Digital Media, Digital Politics?
Power and Mass Media
A Free Press: Democracy and Mass Media
Conclusion.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

The new and updated edition of Media, Politics and Democracy is both engaging and understandable, without sacrificing depth or the all-important discussion of scholarly work. It covers a broad range of topics, from classics such as media bias and media effects to political marketing and celebrity politics, which students and general readers alike will find highly insightful. – Ana Langer, University of Glasgow, UK

Having used previous editions extensively in undergraduate teaching, I’m delighted to see the arrival of a new, fully-updated edition of Media, Politics and Democracy. Street has an admirable knack for distilling the essence of canonical names and concepts in journalism and media studies in an accessible but rigorous style, and a deft analysis of the interrelations of media, politics and society at large. The new edition extends Street’s erudite exploration to incorporate new platforms and forces disrupting the media industries and democracy itself, as ever with resonant case studies woven into the narrative that link the practical and the conceptual. – Tim Markham, Birkbeck, University of London, UK

In an age of disinformation, Media, Politics and Democracy provides the kind of assured prose and reasoned clarity desperately needed in debates about fake news and media bias. Elegantly written and analytically rich, Street covers a wide range of complex issues in a clear, calm and accessible way. The third edition of his textbook introduces new and old concepts, raises important questions for critical debate, and is packed full of contemporary examples for readers to chew over. It is an essential and highly engaging one-stop guide for all students studying political communication and related fields. – Stephen Cushion, Cardiff University, UK

This book takes you on an engaging tour of the current media landscape and all its wide-ranging political impacts, surveying issues such as celebrity politics, political marketing and media effects along the way. It is a must-read for anyone looking to make sense of the complexity of contemporary political communication. – Carolyn Rowe, Aston University, UK

At a time when the connections between media, politics and democracy have never seemed more intertwined, and the stakes greater, the publication of the third edition of John Street’s pioneering work is to be welcomed. He gives characteristic attention to the complexity of assessing claims about media bias, the power of media owners, and the transformative impact of digital technologies. With Media, Politics and Democracy, Street remains at the forefront of analysis of such phenomena as the rise of celebrity politics and politics and entertainment, and whether or not market-driven journalism can better serve democracy. – Terry Flew, The University of Sydney, Australia