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How elections are reported has important implications for the health of democracy and informed citizenship. But, how informative are the news media during campaigns? What kind of logic do they follow? How well do they serve citizens?e
Based on original research as well as the most comprehensive assessment of election studies to date, Cushion and Thomas examine how campaigns are reported in many advanced Western democracies. In doing so, they engage with debates about the mediatization of politics, media systems, information environments, media ownership, regulation, political news, horserace journalism, objectivity, impartiality, agenda-setting, and the relationship between media and democracy more generally.
Focusing on the most recent US and UK election campaigns, they consider how the logic of election coverage could be rethought in ways that better serve the democratic needs of citizens. Above all, they argue that election reporting should be driven by a public logic, where the agenda of voters takes centre stage in the campaign and the policies of respective political parties receive more airtime and independent scrutiny.
The book is essential reading for scholars and students in political communication and journalism studies, political science, media and communication studies.
Stephen Cushion
Stephen Cushion is a lecturer at the Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, Cardiff University, UK. He is the Deputy Director of the MA in Journalism, Media and Communications and Political Communications programmes.
Stephen’s research addresses many overlapping areas in journalism, political communication and media studies. He is currently writing a book provisionally titled The Democratic Value of News: Why public service journalism matters around the world (2012, Palgrave MacMilan) and has co-edited The Rise of 24-Hour News Television: Global Perspectives (with Justin Lewis 2010, Peter Lang), published widely in leading international, peer reviewed journals – Javnost: The Public, Journalism Studies, Journalism Practice, Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism, Journal of Youth Studies, Representation: The Journal of Representative Democracy, Journal of Public Affairs, Cyfrwng: Media Wales Journal, Media & Jornalismo and Nordic Journal of Youth Research: Young – and produced book chapters in Journalism After September 11 (2002 and 2011, Routledge), Political Communications: The General Election Campaign of 2005 (2007, Palgrave MacMilan) and Local Journalism and Local Media: Making the Local News (2006, Routledge).
Stephen has carried out quantitative and qualitative research for organisations such as the BBC, Electoral Commission, Nuffield Foundation, BBC Trust and The department for Communities and Local Government leading to the production of a number of industry related publications that have contributed to debates about journalism practice and policy making.
More by Stephen Cushion
Richard Thomas
Richard Thomas is the owner and managing editor of The Whiskey Reviewer, a leading web magazine for whiskey reviews and mixology and drinks news. Thomas's opinions and advice on whiskey have appeared on ABC News, Discovery Channel programming, Style magazine and elsewhere. He was a longtime travel contributor to Yahoo!, and he has written for outlets as diverse as Dremel.com, USA Today, Chilled, Inside Hook, and Paste.
More by Richard Thomas
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