Media: From News Coverage to Political Advertising (Inside Elections)

Donovan, Sandy

3

5 ratings by Goodreads

9781467779098: Media: From News Coverage to Political Advertising (Inside Elections)

ISBN 10: 1467779091 ISBN 13: 9781467779098

Publisher: Lerner Publications (Tm), 2015

The frenzied news coverage during a political election is unstoppable. Political ads also bombard you from every source--websites, TV, radio, and print. Then there are the memes, links, and video clips that show up through social media. Are these just annoyances, or do media messages actually shape an election's outcome? News outlets, campaign staff, and even members of the public use many forms of media for different purposes: to explain candidates' platforms, to explore issues, to expose controversy, and more. Some messages are biased, while others try to be balanced. Examine opposing viewpoints on some of the key issues involving media's role and consider for yourself what power media has to influence the election process.

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Product Description:

There's no stopping the constant news coverage or barrage of political ads during an election. How does this media frenzy influence election results? Readers will examine the role of the media and the importance of understanding their points of view.

Review:

"Though this series contains only four books, they are rich with information about all aspects of the election process, going beyond a traditional discussion of the electoral college process and looking more deeply into topics such as media accountability, attack ads, campaigning, and special interest groups. While these titles are text heavy, the layout facilitates ease of reading, with text boxes, diagrams, and captioned color photos breaking up the narrative and providing more information. This set offers an unbiased look at the historical context of elections along with the modern significance of the process and helps young people analyze the topics with the intent of becoming informed citizens and voters. VERDICT: Timely additions on an important subject."--School Library Journal, Series Made Simple

--Journal

"The Inside Elections series promises a simplified perspective on the sometimes overwhelming theatre that is contemporary American politics. The series includes titles on the media, special interest groups, voters, and political parties. Each topic's pros and cons are explored by the author in order to demystify elections processes. Explained in a combination of short prose and quick, bulleted lists and charts, with images and side notes as breaks inserted throughout, the series promises to offer honest and unbiased explanations of 'common knowledge' that is not necessarily as common as thought, especially among young people. In Media: From News Coverage to Political Advertising, for example, Donovan breaks down the media to show it as a knowable, predictable machine in order to expose its influence and social work. Marketed toward middle grade readers, this series works hard to answer the questions adults might take for granted. For example, in Special Interests: From Lobbyists to Campaign Funding, Donovan begins by following the money trail, 'The Big Money of Politics, ' explaining the costs of elections, discussing where donations come from, the role of special interest groups and lobbyists, laws, and rules. She ends with a look at the future of these practices, and includes source notes, a further reading guide, a glossary, and a bibliography. This resource series will not be the most popular set of books in the library, but patrons who need a quick overview of elections facts will find them helpful."--VOYA

--Journal

"Kids can't vote, but they sure consume media, and when it's an election year, coverage is all-consuming. This entry in the Inside Elections series seeks to translate the wall-to-wall jabbering into a semblance of sense. Donovan begins with the big-picture difference between public, commercial, and private media, and what drives coverage: competition, personal stories, and an awareness of the electorate's attention span. She tackles media bias (are Bill O'Reilly and Rachel Maddow really fair and balanced?); how campaigns frame messages; networks' Equal-Time Rule; and the fine distinction between campaign ads and attack ads, the latter of which, readers will be shocked to know, are largely banned in Europe. Though politician photos are scattered about, this is text-heavy, though always sprightly and interesting, with sidebars and boxes going into such topics as analysis (say, an expert interview) versus commentary (say, The Daily Show). In a society where one flubbed line can become a meme overnight, critical thinking is key, and Donovan excels at supplying the tools. Get this to kids right away--preferably before Super Tuesday."--Booklist

--Journal

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