Processing Politics: Learning from Television in the Internet Age (Studies in Communication, Media, and Public Opinion) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "It is as American as apple pie to regard the press as the chief tool of public political enlightenment..." (more)
Key Phrases: gestalt coding, audiovisual messages, political news stories, United States, Delli Carpini, President Clinton (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

How often do we hear that Americans are so ignorant about politics that their civic competence is impaired, and that the media are to blame because they do a dismal job of informing the public? Processing Politics shows that average Americans are far smarter than the critics believe. Integrating a broad range of current research on how people learn (from political science, social psychology, communication, physiology, and artificial intelligence), Doris Graber shows that televised presentations—at their best—actually excel at transmitting information and facilitating learning. She critiques current political offerings in terms of their compatibility with our learning capacities and interests, and she considers the obstacles, both economic and political, that affect the content we receive on the air, on cable, or on the Internet.

More and more people rely on information from television and the Internet to make important decisions. Processing Politics offers a sound, well-researched defense of these remarkably versatile media, and challenges us to make them work for us in our democracy.

From the Inside Flap

How often do we hear that Americans are so ignorant about politics that their civic competence is impaired, and that the media are to blame because they do a dismal job of informing the public? Processing Politics shows that average Americans are far smarter than the critics believe. Integrating a broad range of current research on how people learn (from political science, social psychology, communication, physiology, and artificial intelligence), Doris Graber shows that televised presentations—at their best—actually excel at transmitting information and facilitating learning. She critiques current political offerings in terms of their compatibility with our learning capacities and interests, and she considers the obstacles, both economic and political, that affect the content we receive on the air, on cable, or on the Internet.

More and more people rely on information from television and the Internet to make important decisions. Processing Politics offers a sound, well-researched defense of these remarkably versatile media, and challenges us to make them work for us in our democracy.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226305767
• ISBN-13: 978-0226305769
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,094,566 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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