Modern Political Communication: Mediated Politics in Uncertain Times

Abstract

* Modern Political Communication * * Contents * Preface and Acknowledgements * Introduction * Modern Political Communication * Part 1: Exclusion, Intimacy and the Drive for Popularity *1 Exclusive Campaign Communication: the Hidden Costs of Data Driven Electioneering * The rise of the floating voter * Market research and the electorate * Targeted communication * The cost of campaign communication * The included and the excluded *2 Governing and the Drive for Effective Promotion * The all encompassing promotional culture * Does promotion translate into popularity? * The unpredictable nature of governing * The rise of metacoverage * Selling the removal of Saddam *3 Intimate Politicians: Mediated Visibility and the Erosion of Privacy * Mediated publicness: the rise of the recognisable politician * Intimacy: going behind the scenes * Disclosing and exposing the personal * Part 2: News and the Politics of Market Driven Media *4 News Organisations and the Audience for News * News audiences as citizens * Reconceptualising the role of news audiences in a period of uncertainty * Serving the voter? *5 The Media and the Populist Political Impulse * Political populism * Media and political populism * Talk radio: the voice of the people or channels of resentment? * The press and reactionary populism * Part 3: Communicative Disengagement and the Exercise of Political Voice *6 Turning On, Tuning Out? * A diverse but unequal citizenry * The interested and the disinterested * Consumption gaps * The vicious circle *7 The Rise of Self-Expressive Politics: Exercising Political Voice in a Digital Age * Opportunities for self-expression *'Let us know what you think': encouraging attitude expression * The communicating public? * The loudest and quietest voices * Conclusion *8 Political Communication in an Uncertain and Unequal Age * Bibliography * Index