Crisis of Public Communication

Over the past twenty five years the role of the mass media in the world of politics has become increasingly influential, controversial and disturbing. Many people feel that the situation has reached crisis point; few would deny that in both America and Britain the modern practice of political communication falls far short of democratic ideals.In a comprehensive analysis of systems of political communication, Blumler and Gurevitch trace the origins and development of this 'crisis of communication for citizenship'. They provide detailed critiques of the relationship between British and American broadcasters and politicians, and of political communication in election campaigns since the late 1960s.Blumler and Gurevitch blame neither politicians nor journalists for this crisis. They trace the roots of the problem to our contemporary social and political environment, characterised by an increasingly disaffected public whose ability to make sense of civic problems is increasingly confounded and frustrated. Looking to the future, they consider how political communication might be improved within the context of a restructured public sphere.Blumler, Jay G. is the author of 'Crisis of Public Communication' with ISBN 9780415108515 and ISBN 0415108519.