Part of the Longman Classics in Political Science series, this renowned book, known for a lively writing style, provocative point of view, and exceptional scholarship, has been thoroughly revised and updated, including up-to-the-minute case studies and the latest research.

This favorite of both instructors and students is a behind-the-scenes tour of news in American politics. The core question explored in this book is: How well does the news, as the core of the national political information system, serve the needs of democracy? In investigating this question, the book examines how various political actors from presidents and members of Congress, to interest organizations and citizen-activists try to get their messages into the news.