Media and Politics

Media and Politics provides students with a selection of readings that help them better understand how politics affect journalism and media, and how journalism and media, in turn, impact politics. The anthology also provides insight into the basic techniques and tenets for covering new stories, especially those of a political nature.

The collection begins by providing a brief history of the development of modern journalism in the United States. Later chapters address the concept of newsworthiness, core standards of journalism, the difference in news items distributed across various media platforms, and performance and script editing techniques for radio and television. Students read about how audience perception of production values can impact their impressions of news videos and the social impact of the kinds of people most featured in news reports, as well as how they are featured. Additional chapters discuss the effects of presenting news from a human interest angle and video editing. Each chapter includes questions to stimulate critical thinking and encourage further consideration of the material.

An engaging and timely resource, Media and Politics is well suited for courses in journalism, media, and political science.

Brian Calfano is a professor with a joint appointment in the departments of political science and journalism at the University of Cincinnati College of Arts and Sciences. He is a political reporter and producer for KOLR10 (CBS) in Springfield, Missouri. He appears on CTV News Channel and Global News in Canada, as well as SKY News in the UK and Europe. Dr. Calfano's research focuses on media and politics, religion and politics, and marginalized groups. His research has been featured in Newsweek, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and The Kansas City Star, among others.