New Textbook: Making Sense of Media and Politics: Five Principles in Political Communication

"This small book is destined for greatness. If I were stuck on a
desert island with a single book about political communication as
my only possession, I’d want it to be this one."
—Scott Althaus, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing you this note to encourage you to check out my new textbook: Making Sense of Media and Politics: Five Principles in Political Communication. The book is designed to provide students with a basic introduction to our field. The underlying idea is that when students understand some of the central principles in political communication it provides them with an important base for learning more. This approach can also teach students why many of us believe that there is nothing so practical as a good theory.

Here are the five principles:

1) Political power can usually be translated into power over the news media.

2) When authorities lose control over the political environment they also lose control over the news.

3) There is no such thing as objective journalism (nor can there be).

4) The media are dedicated more than anything else to telling a good story and this can often have a major impact on the political process.

5) The most important effects of the news media on citizens tend to be unintentional and unnoticed.

Making Sense of Media and Politics is written in a conversational style which should appeal to many students. Because of its distinctive approach, the book can easily be combined with other introductory textbooks.

April 2015: 246x174: 448pp
Hb: 978-0-415-88522-5: $108.00
Pb: 978-0-415-88523-2: $23.96

For a free exam copy, please e-mail my Marketing Manager Christine Swedowsky at christine.swedowsky@taylorandfrancis.com.

All the Best,

Gadi Wolfsfeld

Hebrew University of Jerusalem