To become a successful communicator (and a savvy political consumer), it is essential to know the elements of social influence, what works and why. This book aims to provide an introduction to persuasion, social influence and propaganda tactics, focusing on political communicaton. The work looks at the power of language, the importance of targeting a specific audience and the significance of interpersonal relationships, among other key issues. It further examines propaganda in order to understand how best to exercise influence in contemporary society.

This work applies the functional theory of political campaign discourse - analyzing how messages acclaim, attack, or defend - to several different forms of campaign communication in the 2000 US presidential primary and general election. These forms include TV talk show appearances.

This work applies the functional theory of political campaign discourse - analyzing how messages acclaim, attack, or defend - to several different forms of campaign communication in the 2000 US presidential primary and general election. These forms include TV talk show appearances.

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech has become an icon of American public culture, its imagery and words profoundly influencing the civil rights debate. In The Rhetoric of Redemption Bobbitt applies Kenneth Burke's theory of guilt-purification-redemption in a close, critical analysis of the speech, developing and examining the implications of Burke's redemption drama in contemporary public discourse. He studies the impact of the speech over time, arguing that, while King's speech contains an inspirational vision of national redemption, it does so by omitting the real...

Inventing a Voice is a comprehensive work on the lives and communication of twentieth-century first ladies. Using a rhetorical framework, the contributors look at the speaking, writing, media coverage and interaction, and visual rhetoric of American first ladies from Ida Saxton McKinley to Laura Bush. The women's rhetorical devices varied--some practiced a rhetoric without words, while others issued press releases, gave speeches, and met with various constituencies. All used interpersonal or social rhetoric to support their husbands' relationships with world leaders, party officials,...

Reelpolitik II moves past typical left-right political distinctions to examine political ideologies cycling through United States history during the '50s and '60s. These eight Cold War movies especially equipped the moviegoer with a unique vantage point not only to scrutinize the arms race, the Red Scare, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam War, but also to observe the way film functions as a purveyor of American mythology, a megaphone to shout political messages, a metaphorical route to the emotions, a flattering mirror, an unflattering microscope, and a magic carpet ride back to the...

This up-to-date and lively text focuses on a wide range of issues, such as politics as theater, the economic forces shaping contemporary political media, the rhetoric of the 'War on Terrorism, ' and the growth of new media. Separate chapters explore a range of contexts, including the presidency, Congress and the courts, foreign news reporting, and political art. The text concludes with ways to open up additional pathways for imagining our national life, ranging from Internet-supported activism to innovative uses of documentary film. Center Stage: Media and the Performance of American Politics...

Immediately after the attacks of September 11, 2001, Americans looked to President Bush for words of leadership. In his most formal reply of the day, he said, 'Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes, or in their offices; secretaries, businessmen and women, military and federal workers; moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror.' The stark tone of Bush's speech suggested the promise of more words to...

Immediately after the attacks of September 11, 2001, Americans looked to President Bush for words of leadership. In his most formal reply of the day, he said, "Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes, or in their offices; secretaries, businessmen and women, military and federal workers; moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror." The stark tone of Bush's speech suggested the promise of more words to...

News Narratives and News Framing is a revealing look at how the media's construction of news affects our political, economic, and social realities. In this great introduction to the theory behind news framing, Karen Johnson-Cartee pulls together elements from communication, journalism, politics, and sociology to create a picture of how news forms these realities for the public. With its comprehensive reference section and suggestions on how to influence the news agenda, this is a beneficial resource for students in political communication, media criticism, and communication theory.