Spiral of cynicism

Description

Why do some citizens vote while others do not? Why does less than half of the American voting public routinely show up at the polls? Why is it that the vast majority of political issues affecting our day-to-day lives fail to generate either public interest or understanding? These questionshave troubled political scientists for decades. Here, Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Joseph N. Cappella provide the first conclusive evidence to date that it is indeed the manner in which the print and broadcast media cover political events and issues that fuels voter non-participation.This book illustrates precisely how the media's heavy focus on the game of politics, rather than on its substance, starts a "spiral of cynicism" that directly causes an erosion of citizen interest and, ultimately, citizen participation...

Description

In Spiral of Cynicism, Joseph N. Cappella and Kathleen Hall Jamieson provide the first conclusive evidence that voter cynicism is indeed fueled by the manner in which the print and broadcast media cover political events and issues. The media's heavy focus on the game of politics, rather than on its substance, starts the spiral of cynicism that erodes citizen interest. By observing voters who watched and read different sets of reports for both a recent mayoral race in Philadelphia and the national health care reform debate - some saturated in strategy talk, others focused on the real issues - the authors show clear links between the ways in which the media cover campaigns and levels of voter cynicism.

Subjects

Other Editions

• Spiral of cynicism: the press and the public goodOxford University Press1997-01-01
• Spiral of CynicismOxford University Press1997-01-01
• Spiral of CynicismeBookOxford University Press2007-01-01