Hart and Sparrow bring together some of the best young minds on political communication, resulting in a series of essays that are provocative and original in their insights. The authors challenge many aspects of conventional understanding and show how outlets from presidential town meetings to talk shows have important political ramifications.

Darrell M. West, Brown University

This richly rewarding volume, authored by a bevy of promising young scholars, presents novel insights into the complex interplay of political discourse and cultural forces. It's fun to read, stimulating to ponder, and bound to spark fruitful new approaches to political communication research.

Doris Graber, University of Illinois at Chicago

The contributors collectively reach beyond simple models of media effects. . . . These fresh perspectives on the complexity and significance of political communications offer much food for scholarly discussion.

Choice Reviews

A splendid collection of diverse personal agendas.

Political Communication

This is an edgy book, setting for itself the goals of understanding the political agendas of politicians, journalists, and citizen activists in a new century and of pushing fellow scholars into new conceptual territories. Both goals are fulfilled splendidly.

Bruce Gronbeck, University of Iowa