Synopses & Reviews
The ongoing News International phonehacking scandal has made abundantly clear that the mediaandrsquo;s influence over politics is both immense and largely hidden from public scrutiny. As the scandal grows, a question arises: even when they stay on the right side of the law, to what extent do the media influence the political process? In Democracy under Attack, one of the mediaandrsquo;s ownandmdash;Malcolm Dean, the Guardianandrsquo;s long-standing chief monitor of social policyandmdash;expertly indicts his fellow journalists, revealing the ways their distorted coverage undermines democracy.and#160;Based on four decades of upperlevel UK government briefings and interviews with over one hundred senior policy makers, Democracy under Attack overflows with incisive observations and colorful stories, culminating in a damning list of the seven deadly sins of modern journalists. Deanandrsquo;s long experience and insider status inform his detailed and disturbing account of news production in Britain, revealing the connections between what goes on in newsrooms, lobbyistsandrsquo; offices, and Parliament as well as how those connections decisively shape government policy.
Synopsis
Explores the extent and circumstances under which the media affect public policy and 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.
Synopsis
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.
About the Author
Malcolm Deanand#160;worked for theand#160;Guardianand#160;newspaper as roving reporter, social affairs leader writer, editorial writer, and editor of the society section for over forty years. He is also an associate member of the politics group at Nuffield College, Oxford University.
Table of Contents
Preface
1. The rise and fall of mainstream journalism
2. An inside and outside look at policy-making
3. Law and order
4. Drugs: tabloid puppets and pawns
5. Asylum: an oppressive media campaign prompts a cowardly political response
6. Labourandrsquo;s boldest bid: to end child poverty
7. Vocational education: the biggest disappointment
8. Health and social care: the most expensive breakfast in history
9. The disappearance of the housing correspondent
10. Subverting democracy: seven sins of reptiles
Afterword
Index