The Communication of Politics

How should those exercising power be made more accountable, and what roles should the mass media play in that process? Can the public monitor the exercise of power without the existence of a strong and inquisitive media? The Communication of Politics examines these and other questions vital to the debate on the media′s role in the democratic process. Ralph Negrine explores the complexity of the links between the media, the institutional political world and the public through case studies drawn from contemporary British politics and other political systems including the United States. He examines some of the often overlooked problems faced by the media in its efforts to create an `informed citizenry′. Questioning the practices that filter information and confronting the idea that information itself is unproblematic, Negrine shows why the essential task of uncovering truths remains elusive.