| Description |
xii, 353 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm |
| Contents |
Ch. 1. War and Entertainment -- Ch. 2. Soft News and the Accidentally Attentive Public -- Ch. 3. "I Heard It on Oprah" -- Ch. 4. Bringing War to the Masses -- Ch. 5. Tuning Out the World Isn't as Easy as It Used to Be -- Ch. 6. Rallying Round the Water Cooler -- Ch. 7. Soft News and World Views: Foreign Policy Attitudes of the Inattentive Public -- Ch. 8. Soft News, Public Opinion, and American Foreign Policy: The Good, the Bad, and the Merely Entertaining |
| Summary |
"The American public has consistently declared itself less concerned with foreign affairs in the post-Cold War era, even after 9/11, than at any time since World War II. How can it be, then, that public attentiveness to U.S. foreign policy crises has increased? This book represents the first systematic attempt to explain this apparent paradox. Matthew Baum argues that the answer lies in changes to television's presentation of political information. In so doing he develops a compelling "byproduct" theory of information consumption. The information revolution has fundamentally changed the way the mass media, especially television, covers foreign policy. Traditional news has been repackaged into numerous entertainment-oriented news programs and talk shows |
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By transforming political issues involving scandal or violence (especially attacks against America) into entertainment, the "soft news" media have actually captured more viewers who will now follow news about foreign crises, due to its entertainment value, even if they remain uninterested in foreign policy."--BOOK JACKET |
| Notes |
Formerly CIP. Uk |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Subject |
Magazine format television programs -- United States.
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Magazine format television programs.
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Television broadcasting of news -- United States.
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| SUBJECT |
United States -- Foreign relations http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85140058 -- Public opinion.
http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh2002006218
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| LC no. |
2002044718 |
| ISBN |
0691115869 (alk. paper) |
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