Politics and the Media: Intersections and New Directions

"The book is well versed in the scholarly literature as well as pop-culture references found in contemporary television shows and movies. But what stands out in the volume’s research is its utilization of interviews conducted by the author that provide a range of perspectives on the media and politics from the vantage points of U.S. senators, journalists, critics, and activists."
―Kirkus Reviews

"Jane Hall has written a brilliant analysis that is educational, entertaining and important. Her comprehensive and timely book will be required reading for scholars, and will be invaluable for general readers and anyone interested in the relationship between politics and the media."
- Kenneth T. Walsh, veteran White House correspondent, adjunct professorial lecturer in communication, and author of 10 books on the presidency including Presidential Leadership in Crisis.

"Finally, as current a book as possible incorporating scholarly work on the media and politics and up-to-date examples and suggested exercises that are sure to rivet student interest.  From its coverage of a tweeting President constantly assailing the media to trenchant analyses of coverage of the BLM movement, immigration and how the media treats women candidates this book is a must- adopt for Media and Politics classes.  It is also an excellent add on for classes on American Politics and Campaigns and Elections." 
- Karen O’Connor, Jonathan N. Helfat Distinguished Professor of Politics, Founder Women and Politics Institute, American University.  

"The book is very timely and it has good case studies for students to discuss in class. It has chapters on
race- and gender-related issues. You can use it as the main textbook, or you can assign it as supplementary reading material."
―Ivy Shen, PhD. Southeast Missouri State University

Politics and the Media: Intersections and New Directions examines how media and political institutions interact to shape public thinking and debates around social problems, cultural norms, and policies. From the roles of race and gender in American politics to the 2020 elections and the global coronavirus pandemic, this is an extraordinary moment for politicians, the news media, and democracy itself. Drawing from years of experience as an active political media analyst, an award-winning journalist and professor of politics and the media, Jane Hall explores how media technologies, practices, and formats shape political decision-making; how political forces influence media institutions; and how public opinion and media audiences are formed. Students will gain an understanding of these issues through a combination of scholarship, in-depth interviews, and contemporary case-studies that will help them develop their own views and learn to express them constructively. 

Jane Hall (janehallmedia.com) is an associate professor in the School of Communication at American University in Washington, D.C., specializing in researching, writing and teaching about the intersection of media and politics and journalism.  Before joining American University, Hall was a journalist covering the news media, politics and policy for national publications, including nine years as the media correspondent for the Los Angeles Times in New York.  She was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and winner of the Los Angeles Times Editor′s Award and the Los Angeles Press Club Award.

Hall is moderator and executive producer for the long-running American Forum events series in Washington, D.C., interviewing prominent journalists and politicians with college students on TV, public radio and online.  Professor Hall has been a regular contributor to Columbia Journalism Review, the Harvard International Journal of Press and Politics and  the Freedom Forum Media Studies Journal; and  she has written for other publications from Rolling Stone to the Wall Street Journal. Her op-ed essay for the New York Times about the impact of Fox News on politics and journalism was widely quoted.  Hall is  frequently interviewed about issues in media and politics by the New York Times, Washington Post, AP, NPR, Politico and numerous other outlets. A former media commentator on Fox News Channel, she has regularly appeared as a media expert on CNN′s media-analysis program "Reliable Sources" as well as "PBS NewsHour," MSNBC, C-SPAN-TV and other networks .  

Hall has specialized in writing and teaching about the depiction of women in politics and media, including a chapter on the status of women in TV and print journalism for Sage’s Gender and Women′s Leadership: A Reference Handbook; she also focuses on writing and teaching about young people and news and politics as well as media ethics. Hall  co-authored a survey and analysis of more than 200 journalists regarding self-censorship of imagery from the Iraq War that was praised as an important study by Columbia Journalism Review.  

Prof. Hall teaches a popular inter-disciplinary course, Politics and the Media, that attracts majors from political science, political communication and journalism.  She also teaches courses in reporting on the federal government and on understanding media and popular culture.

Hall has collaborated with news organizations and students on numerous student-centered editorial and national polling projects, including a year-long series with the Washington Post around the 2008 presidential election as well as a year-long project about the 2018 Congressional mid-term elections that culminated in a live town hall on WAMU public radio in Washington, D.C.  Hall has twice been chosen Professor of the Year by student government at American University for her work with student groups.

A  native of Abilene, Texas, Professor Hall earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her master’s from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.