Public Policy and the Mass Media: The Interplay of Mass Communication and Political Decision Making

by Sigrid Koch-Baumgarten (Editor), Katrin Voltmer (Editor)

Overview

The mass media are playing an increasingly central role in modern political life that expands beyond their traditional function as mediators between the world of politics and the citizens.

This volume explores the extent and circumstances under which the media affects public policy; whether the political impact of the media is confined to the public representation of politics or whether their influence goes further to also affect the substance of political decisions. It provides an in-depth understanding of the conditions under which the media might, or might not, play a role in the policy process and what the nature of their influence is.

Bringing together conceptual and methodological approaches from both political science and communications studies, this book presents an interdisciplinary perspective. It presents empirical evidence of the processes involved in the interaction between mass communication and policy and features case studies from Western Europe and the US and across different policy fields.

The book will be of interest to students of public policy, political communication and comparative politics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781135168018
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	02/25/2010
Series:	Routledge/ECPR Studies in European Political Science
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Sigrid Koch-Baumgarten is Professor of Political Science at the Department of Political Science, Philipps University Marburg, Germany. Her research focuses on German and international industrial relations and its actors; new forms of governance in the national and international arena; and the role of the media in ‘media democracy’. Katrin Voltmer is Senior Lecturer of Political Communication at the Institute of Communications Studies, University of Leeds, UK. Her research interests include media influences on public opinion and the policy process, the relationship between journalists and their news sources, and the role of the media in democratic transitions. She is the editor of The Mass Media and Political Communication in New Democracies (also published by Routledge).

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Mass Media and Public Policy – Is There a Link? Part 1: Policy Issues, Agendas and the Media 2. Public Policy and The Mass Media: An Information Processing Approach 3. Do the Media Shape Parties’ Agenda Preferences? An Empirical Study of Party Manifestoes in Belgium (1987-2003) 4. Closing the Circle: A Case Study in the Role of Spin in the Policy Cycle 5. Knowledge Culture and Power: Biotechnology and the Popular Press 6. Aid Organizations, Governments and the Media: The Critical Role of Journalists in Signaling Authority Recognition Part 2: Policy Institutions, Constellations of Actors and the Media 7. The Media and the Policy Process: A Policy Centric Approach 8. Contested Processes, Contested Influence: A Case Study of Genetically Modified Food In Britain 9. Going Public? (Re)Presentation of Women’s Policy in the Media 10. Public Pushing for Pension Reform? The Short-Term Impact of Media Coverage on Long-Term Policy Making in Germany, Britain and the United States 11. Condemned to Repeat: The Media and the Accountability Gap in Iraq War Policy 12. Conclusion: The Interplay of Mass Communication and Political Decision Making - Policy Matters! Index

Editorial Reviews

'The book raises important questions for future research agenda and contributes with perspectives for empirical research. It is also an interesting initital literature on current issues and debates in the realm of political communication.' - Enikö Soujon and Bianca Vaz Mondo, Policy Advice and Political Consulting, Vol. 4, 2011

From the Publisher