Political Communication

Political communication may be defined in a number of ways. Denton and Woodward describe it in a Laswellian manner, "public discussion about the allocation of public resources (money), official authority (who decides), and official sanctions (what is to be rewarded)". Murray Edelman sees political communication as a spectacle; the conscious or subconscious creation of images, problems and antagonisms. Some Marxists, such as Louis Althusser, see political communication as part of the ongoing and pervasive set of communication practices which transcends classes. All definitions, to some extent, explain how the state, explicitly or otherwise, uses communication apparatuses to ensure consent and legitimacy.

Thus, political communication can take many forms, from the overt such as political advertising and propaganda to the subtle such as the creation and propagation of myths and symbols of the state. They can be embedded in the entertainment of popular culture or take the guise of `information' found in news. This course is designed to introduce students to the variety of contexts in which political communication takes place and help us understand how it affects our political institutions and democratic practices.

The role of the mass media will also be examined in depth. Issues such as the influence of the mass media in agenda setting, the ability of the media to prepare citizens for the demands of a liberal democracy and the effect of their ownership structure on news coverage will be some of the areas covered.

There are a number of other readings that will be available from the campus book store in a reading pack. All readings are available in Stauffer on 3 hour reserve.