Democracy Without Citizens - Media and the Decay of American Politics

Zusatztext Entman contributes some original criticism to the old debate! constructing arguments that will be more difficult to dismiss! for they avoid scapegoating politicians! media managers as greedy! or readers and viewers as apathetic... Democracy Without Citizens is! on the whole! an unusual departure from an often partisan and predictable body of literature. Klappentext In this penetrating analysis, Robert Entman identifies a 'vicious circle of interdependence' as the key dilemma facing American journalism. He argues that the mass media cannot provide consistently high-quality, independent political journalism, because selling such a product--which might create a sophisticated citizenry--requires an audience that is already sophisticated. Entman offers provocative observations on the real biases of the media, presidents' management of news 'spin, ' and much more. Zusammenfassung This trenchant analysis questions why the interaction between the news media and their audiences fails to create the democratic potential everyone assumes occurs with such interaction. Drawing illustrations mainly from the Carter and Reagan years, the book presents a clear statement of the dilemmas facing the news media and their audience today. The book offers a portrait of citizenship in America, defined by the public's changing levels of political knowledge and participation from 1952 to 1984. Politically unsophisticated, the mass audience prefers simple, symbolic news, which means that journalists can offer little of the detached, detailed explorations of policy issues that would provide the public with the information needed to hold government to close account.

Product details

• Authors: Robert M. Entman, Robert M. (Professor of Communications Entman, Entman Robert M.
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 27.09.1990
• EAN: 9780195065763
• ISBN: 978-0-19-506576-3
• No. of pages: 244
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Media, communication > Journalism; USA, Media Studies, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Journalism, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Media Studies, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Communication Studies, POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / General, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Industries / Media & Communications, LITERARY COLLECTIONS / General, Politics & government, Reportage & collected journalism, Communication Studies, United States of America, USA, Politics and government, c 1970 to c 1979, c 1970 to c 1980, c 1980 to c 1989, Reportage, journalism or collected columns, Media, Information & Communication Industries