Description:
This is an exciting, if challenging, time, for Congress, the media, and the public as each attempts to sort out the new media environment and employ it to its advantage. Using a comprehensive analysis of previous research, dozens of interviews, and the inclusion of empirical data, this book assesses the current status of the relationship between Congress and the media and sorts out the temporary changes from those likely to represent future trends. Whether one is associated with Congress, is an interested citizen, or is part of the media industry, understanding the relationships and developments between and among them is key to understanding how the public behaves in relation to Congress, and vice versa.
Review Quotes:
"Frantzich offers the media and students of the US Congress an up-to-date account of the interactions, machinations, and interdependencies between the legislative branch and the Fourth Estate. Frantzich's book comes at a time when both institutions are challenged by new ways in which the public consumes journalism. This timely study provides readers with a well-rounded exploration of how Congressional members use the media to advance agendas, promote policies, and increase name recognition, and how news media cover the activities of Congress as well as its individual members. Throughout, Frantzich provides insightful, grounded, empirically supported critiques regarding the role of modern media in a representative democracy...Summing Up: Recommended." - J. C. Davis, University of Arkansas at Monticello, CHOICE Review