′...a lively introduction to media and politics, with timely chapters on the media, war and terrorism and the internet. If you want to know why media matters in politics this is a great place to start′ - Dr Margaret Scammell, London School of Economics and Political Science ′This book has the truly international perspective that helps to put politics and media in the context of current world events...a unique and valuable text′ - Professor Lynda Lee Kaid, University of Florida ′...a new and promising perspective to the study of media and politics in a comparative dimension′ - Professor Paolo Mancini, Università di Perugia Introduction to Media and Politics draws together evidence from the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia and beyond to provide students with an understanding of the relationship between the media and the political sphere. This highly accessible text: - balances theory with case studies on elections, war, terrorism, and the emerging role of the Internet, enabling the reader to think critically about how the media should work in the service of democracy. - places the study of media and politics in a comparative perspective, allowing the reader to consider how the same media institutions - including commercial and public service broadcasting, paid political advertising, and war coverage - function in different countries. This text is essential reading for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students of media and politics.

In the third edition of this title, the author offers a broad critical preface to the relationship between politics, the media and democracy in the UK and other contemporary societies.

′...a lively introduction to media and politics, with timely chapters on the media, war and terrorism and the internet. If you want to know why media matters in politics this is a great place to start′ - Dr Margaret Scammell, London School of Economics and Political Science ′This book has the truly international perspective that helps to put politics and media in the context of current world events...a unique and valuable text′ - Professor Lynda Lee Kaid, University of Florida ′...a new and promising perspective to the study of media and politics in a comparative dimension′ - Professor Paolo Mancini, Università di Perugia Introduction to Media and Politics draws together evidence from the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia and beyond to provide students with an understanding of the relationship between the media and the political sphere. This highly accessible text: - balances theory with case studies on elections, war, terrorism, and the emerging role of the Internet, enabling the reader to think critically about how the media should work in the service of democracy. - places the study of media and politics in a comparative perspective, allowing the reader to consider how the same media institutions - including commercial and public service broadcasting, paid political advertising, and war coverage - function in different countries. This text is essential reading for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students of media and politics.

A state-of-the-art account of what we know and do not know about the effects of digital technology on democracy.

How the media are organised and funded is central to understanding their role in society. Critical Political Economy of the Media provides a clear, comprehensive and insightful introduction to the political economic analysis of contemporary media. Jonathan Hardy undertakes a critical survey of political economy scholarship encompassing worldwide literature, issues and debates, and relationships with other academic approaches. He assesses different ways of making sense of media convergence and digitalisation, media power and influence, and transformations across communication markets. Many of the problems of the media that prompted critical political economy research remain salient, he argues, but the approach must continue to adapt to new conditions and challenges. Hardy advances the case for a revitalised critical media studies for the 21st century. Topics covered include: media ownership and financing news and entertainment convergence and the Internet media globalisation advertising and media alternative media media policy and regulation Introducing key concepts and research, this book explains how political economy can assist students, researchers and citizens to investigate and address vital questions about the media today.

A comprehensive introduction to the politics of the Australian media, this text examines the media's development and evolution, as well as the key debates and controversies which have shaped the domestic media landscape in the last decade. It provides a strong framework to understand the relationship between Australian media and politics.

The field of media and politics is quickly changing as society transforms and new technologies develop continuously. Academic research in the area is rapidly breaking new ground to keep pace with the prolific media developments. This innovative, up-to-date text moves beyond rudimentary concepts and definitions to consider the exciting scholarly research that addresses the monumental recent changes in the media system of the United States and the world. This carefully crafted volume addresses the big questions that academic researchers are asking, exposing students to the rigorous scholarship in the field but making it readily understandable by undergraduate students. Each chapter starts with a "big question" about the impact of the news media, provides an overview of the more general topic, and then answers that question by appealing to the best, most-up-to-date research in the field. The volume as a whole is held together by an exploration of the rapidly changing media environment and the influence these changes have on individual political behavior and governments as a whole. New Directions in Media and Politics will make an ideal book for courses as it digs deeper into the questions that standard textbooks only hint at—and presents scholarly evidence to support the arguments made.