Politics and the Media

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.

Chapter 1: The Landscape of Media and Politics Today The 2016 Presidential Election Media-Centered Politics The Roles Media Play The Goals for This Book Chapter 2: Underlying Concepts and Historical Foundations Media-Effects Theory Agenda-Setting Theory Priming Theory Framing The Power of the Senses Summary Chapter 3: Political Advertising: Persuasion and Deception Spending on Political Advertising Persuasive Techniques: From Classical Rhetoric to Product Advertising Advertisements in Recent Campaigns Summary Chapter 4: Reporting the News: Cultural Bias, Trust, and Accountability Bias toward Immediacy across Media Bias toward Conflict and Narrow Debate Bias toward Insiderism Bias toward Horse-Race Coverage Bias toward Establishment Candidates and Perceived Front-Runners Bias toward Official Sources Bias toward Media Narratives Bias toward Objectivity in Journalism Where Do We Go from Here? Summary Chapter 5: Politicians, the Media, and Social Media: The Push-Pull Relationship Congress: Divided and Gridlocked The Presidency and the Media Covering Trump Changes in Coverage of Party Conventions Outreach on Social Media-Messaging and Mobilizing Fake News/Disinformation The 2020 Campaign and Moving Forward Critiques and Self-Critiques of 2016 Summary Chapter 6: Race and Immigration in Media and Politics: Protests, Policies, and Reform Death of George Floyd Coverage of Race and Ethnicity in the Media The Obama Presidency Immigration Summary Chapter 7: Global Media: The International Influencer American Exceptionalism and Global Public Opinion The Coronavirus Pandemic Climate Change Humanitarian Crises Terrorism Far-Right Domestic Terrorism Wartime Coverage Summary Chapter 8: The Media and Women in Politics Gender Dynamics in Running for President "Hair, Hemlines, and Husbands": Sexist Coverage and Impact Women World Leaders and Structural Barriers to Women Running in the U.S. Identity Politics and Voters in 2016 Gender in Media and Politics in the 2020 Presidential Campaign Kamala Harris Summary

"This tour de force" is "a definitive resource on politics and the media for years to come." It provides "expert analysis on the modern media's theoretical and ethical underpinnings" and "in-depth coverage of social media, race, immigration, women and media globalization, along with standout interviews with "a range of perspectives on the media and politics from the vantage points of U.S. senators, journalists, critics, and activists..." "Reflecting Hall's experience in engaging with the general public, the book is written in a jargon-free style that makes for an accessible read beyond academia" as well as "an ideal classroom text." -- 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 "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: Co-author, Women, Politics and American Society, 5th ed. ; Editor, Gender and Leadership, 2 vol.; Editor, Women &Congress, Running, Winning and Ruling; Co-author, American Government: Roots and Reform, 16th ed. Jonathan N. Helfat Distinguished Professor of Politics, Founder Women and Politics Institute, American University. -- Karen O'Connor "I'm impressed with the range of topics in this book, particularly the chapters on the role of gender, race and ethnicity in politics and the media. It puts contemporary issues in recent historical context through the 2020 election-and beyond. I'm sure students will enjoy-and learn a lot." -- Celinda Lake * Celinda Lake, President, Lake Research Partners * "It better contextualizes RECENT changes to media politics - integration of digital media, complexity of political phenomenon like fake news and misinformation, and puts it into a perspective that accounts for changes in the last 60 years." -- Jeffrey N. Carroll "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 "An up-to-date exploration of the changing role of media in our politics." -- Donna Halper, PhD, Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies