From the Publisher
“As the boundaries of Europe shift and a nationalist populism pushes through the gaps, we could not attach greater importance to how politics is mediated in a European context. Ekström and Firmstone’s collection is therefore as timely as it is excellent, ranging from emergent discourses of performance across broadcast genres through to the negotiated representation of political citizenship. All told, we now have a cross-national perspective on this European media-scape that combines geographical breadth with scholarly rigour. This volume will be a vital companion as we continue charting and guiding the political media of Europe.” (Michael Higgins, University of Strathclyde, UK)
“This timely book provides an indispensable resource for understanding contemporary mediated politics. Focusing on the discursive practices shaping the television reporting of the 2014 European Parliament elections, it sheds light on the complex relations between government, citizens and the media across five countries - France, Greece, Italy, Sweden, and the UK. The book's emphasis on how citizens are represented in television coverage is particularly crucial at a time of heightened concern about the decline of trust in institutions, and the limitations of citizen voice despite proliferating forums for participation. It reveals a continued marginalisation of citizens' political arguments, which are incorporated into prevailing news agendas. Perhaps most powerfully, the book dramatizes how media contribute to creating a favourable climate for populist politics, paving the way for the successes of politicians ranging from Marine Le Pen in France to Nigel Farage in the UK. Through its careful qualitative analyses, the book reminds us that we can only make sense of the dynamic staging of politics if we take seriously the role of the media in shaping and producing its performances.” (Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, Cardiff University)
“The comparative analysis of political communication has been a highly productive area of research, based, however, primarily on quantitative measurement. Relying methodologically on discourse and conversation analysis, the authors of this innovative and important five-nation study have followed the quite different path of a qualitative analysis of the presentation of the 2014 European parliamentary elections in the several genres (news, interviews, debates, results programmes) of broadcast journalism. This has yielded a wealth of fresh insights into how mainstream and populist performances were constructed; particularly how citizens' voices and the public at large were represented; how these related to established journalistic practices and styles - all amidst projections of competing narratives and meanings of electoral democracy itself. The book's illustrations of the strengths - but also the problems and limitations - of this approach deserve to be widely absorbed and debated.” (Jay Blumler, University of Leeds and University of Maryland)
