The ideal of a neutral, objective press has proven in recent years to be just that an ideal. In "Governing with the News, " Timothy E. Cook goes far beyond the single claim that the press is not impartial to argue that the news media are in fact a political institution integral to the day-to-day operations of our government. This updated edition includes a new afterword by the author, which pays close attention to two key developments in the twenty-first century: the accelerating fragmentation of the mass media and the continuing decline of Americans' confidence in the press.
"Provocative...

"A thoughtful, provocative, and timely account of the meaning of a free press in the United States."-American Journal of Political Science Most Americans consider a free press essential to democratic society--either as an independent watchdog against governmental abuse of power or as a wide-open marketplace of ideas. But few understand that far--reaching public policies have shaped the news citizens receive. With contributions from leading scholars in the fields of history, legal scholarship, political science, and communications, this revised and updated edition of Freeing the Presses offers...