• Ansolabehere, Stephen, et. al. Going Negative: How Attack Ads Shrink and Polarize the Electorate.   (Free Press, 2000)
• Ansolabehere, Stephen. The Media Goal: American Politics in the Television Age. 1993.
• Asher, Herbert.  Polling and the Public: What Every Citizen Should Know. 4th ed. CQ Press, 1998.
• Davis, Richard. New Media and American Politics. (1998) 
• Bacon,  An Advertisement Touching a Holy War. (2000)
• Bagdikian, Ben. The Media Monopoly 5th Ed. Beacon Press: Boston, 1977. (310, 314, 316) This book is written by the foremost authority on media concentration, and while several big deals have happened since it was written, the ideas and perspective in this book are essential reading for any serious student in our field.
• Bailey, Michael Everett.   Christian Politics Rocking America: Bailey For Life for Congress, 1992.   Barn and Baily, 1994.
• Baker, William. Down the Tube: The Failure of American Television. 1998 ( I haven't seen this one yet, but saw an interview the author, GM of WNET. He said that TV had only one measure -- the bottom line -- and would air "nude bowling" if that would make money. I hope someone finds this book and reads it; I'd love to hear what you think.
• Ball, Rick, R. Ball, NBC News, T. Russert. Meet the Press: 50 Years of Making History in the Making. (Com 315, 340, TV Apprec. , Pol and Media.)
• Bennett, William J. The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals. Free Press: New York, 1998. Whatever your political persuasion, this book offers a perspective that is valuable food for thought. (Com 450:Politics and Media; Com 310)
• Berry, Joseph.  John F. Kennedy and the Media: The First Televison President. University Press of America, 1987.
• Brown, Thomas:  JFK: History of an Image.  Indiana U. Press, 1988.
• Carville, James.  All's Fair: Love, War, and Running for President.  Touchstone, 1995.
• Carville, James.  Stickin': The Case for Loyalty. Simon & Schuster, 2000.
• Cook, Timothy E. Governing the News: The News Media As A Political Institution. University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 1998.
• Cunningham, Liz.  Talking Politics: Choosing the President in the Television Age. Preager, 1995.
• Davis, Richard. The Web of Politics: The Internet's Impact on the American Political System. New York: Oxford, 1999 (Politics and Media, 310, 316, 314)
• Dennis, Everett E. and John C. Merrill  Media Debates: Issues in Communication. 2nd. ed. Longman Publishers: White Plains, NY, 1996 ISBN: 0-813-1739-8 (Com 314, Com 316, Com 400, Com 480 Pol & Media) Interesting and thorough book about the Presidential debates. If you are interested in political science or reporting on government or politics, you should read this one some time.
• Dickerson, Nancy. Among those Present.  Autobiography of one of the first women in broadcast journalism.
• Dole, Bob.  Great Political WIT: Laughing (Almost) all the Way to the White House, Bantam Doubleday, 1998.
• Donavan, Robert and Ray Scherer.  Unsilent Revolution: Television News and American Public Life. Cambridge U. Press, 1992.  This is an excellent book and very readable.  I used it as a text in this class for several years. While it is a bit dated, its discussion of elections in the period between 1950 and 1990 are excellent and well worth reading.
• Doppelt, Jack and Ellen Shearer.  Nonvoters: America's No-Shows.  Sage, 1999.
• Entman, Robert.  Democracy Without Citizens.  Oxford : New York, 1989.
• Fallows, James. Breaking the News Random House, 1996 ISBN 0-679-75876-x. This is an excellent, excellent book on the news industry. A must-read for any serious media student or PR major.
• Fowler, Robert Booth.  Religion and Politics in America: Faith, Culture and Strategic Choices, 2nd ed.  Westview Press, 1998.
• Friendly, Fred. Due to Circumstances Beyond our Control. 1999.
• Fuller, Jack. News Values: Ideas in An Information Age. University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 1996. ISBN 0-226-26880-2. Com 450 Politics and Media; Com 310. Outstanding Book, required reading in 450. Insightful look at how and why news media operate the way they do.
• Garner, Joe. We Interrupt this Broadcast: The Actual Broadcasts of the Events that Stopped Our Lives. Sourcebooks, Inc.: 1998. ISBN: 15700713286 This is a terrific book for your reference library. It includes a CD-ROM with recordings of the actual reports. May not be the best for a report for Com 450, but an excellent resource.
• Ginsburg, Benjamin.  Politics by Any Other Means.: The Declining Importance of Elections in America.   New York:  Basic Books, 1990.
• Graber, Doris.   Mass Media and American Politics, 5th Edition.  (or most recent edition) This is an excellent resource.
• Hart, Roderick. Seducing America: How Television Charms the Modern Voter, Revised Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1998.
• Hatfield, J.H., Fortunate Son: George W.Bush and The Making of An American President.  Soft Skull Press, Inc. 2000.
• Helwlweg, Susan A. , Michael Pfau and Steven Brydon. Televised Media Debates: Advocacy in Contemporary America.  New York: Praeger, 1992.
• Herman, Edward S. and Noam Chomsky. Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media.   New York: Pantheon, 1988.
• Hirsh, Alan.  Talking Heads: Political Talk Shows and their Star Pundits.  St. Martin's Press, 1991.
• Jamieson, Kathleen Hall.  Dirty Politics: Deception, Distraction, and Democracy (1993)
• Jamieson, Kathleen Hall.  Packaging the Presidency: A History and Criticism of Presidential Campaign Advertising.   (1996)
• Jamieson, Kathleen Hall. Spiral of Cynicism: The Press and the Public Good.  Oxford U. Press, 1997.
• Jamieson, Kathleen Hall.  The Interplay of Influence: News, Advertising Politics and the Mass Media.  Wadsworth, 1997.
• Janeway, Michael.  Republic of Denial: Press, Politics and Public Life.  Yale U. Press, 1999.
• Johnson, H.A.  Talking Heads: Political Talk Shows and Their Star Pundits.  New York: St. Martins, 1991.
• Kamber, Victor.  Poison Politics: Are Negative Campaigns Destroying Democracy?   (1997)
• Kaufman, James Lee.  Selling Outer Space: Kennedy, the Media and Funding Project Apollo,  1961-1963.  Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1994.
• Kerbel, Matthew. Remote and Controlled: Media Politics in a Cynical Age. Westview Press: Boulder CO, 1998 ISBN 0-8133-6869
• Kernell, Samuel.  Going Public: New Strategies of Presidential Leadership. 2nd ed. CQ Press, 1993.
• Keyes, Alan.   Our Character, Our Future: Reclaiming America's Moral Destiny. 
• Kryzanek, Michael J.  Angry, Bored Confused: A Citizen Handbook of American Politics.  Westview, 1999.
• Kurtz. Howard. Spin Cycle: Inside the Clinton Propaganda Machine. New York: Free Press, 1998.
• Maltese, John Anthony. Spin Control: The White House of Communications and The Management of Presidential News. (1994)
• Kraus, Sidney.  The Great Debates: Background, Perspective, Effects.  (Bloomington: Indiana University Press)
• Kurtz, Howard.  Spin Cycle: Inside the Clinton Propaganda Machine.  (1998)
• Lapin,  Rabbi Daniel.  America's Real Power Multnomah: 1999. 
• Lichter, Robert.  The Video Campaign: Network Coverage of the 1988 Primaries. 1988.
• Manchester, William.  The Death of a President: November 20-25, 1963.  Harper & Row: New York, 1967.
• Matthews, Chris.  Hardball: How Politics is Played--Told By One Who Knows the Game. New York: HarperPrennial, 1998.
• Mazzocco, Dennis. Networks of Power: Corporate TV's Threat to Democracy. (Com 310, 316, 400) Thought provoking book about media monopoly and corporate take over in broadcasting. Students have commented very favorably about this book.
• McGinnis, Joe. The Selling of the President. (Com 310, 314, 316, 380 , Politics and Media) This is a classic in the field. A must read for any aspiring political reporter or media consultant.
• Mickleson, Sig. The Decade That Shaped Television News" CBS in the 1950s. Westview, CN: Praeger, 1998.
• Mickleson, Sig.  The Electronic Mirror: Politics in the Age of Television.  New York: Dodd Mead, 1972.
• Mickelson, Sig.  From Whistlestop to Sound Bite: Four Decades of Politics and television.  New York: Praeger, 1989.  
• Mitchell, Michelle. A New Kind of Party Animal: How the Young Are Tearing Up the American Political Landscape. Simon and Schuster: New York, 1998. (Com 450 Politics and Media, Com 310) While I haven't read this one myself, it comes highly recommended by several of my Politics and Media students. It offers and encouraging perspective and an inside look at campaigns.
• Newman, Bruce.  The Mass Marketing of Politics: Democracy in an Age of Manufactured Images.  Sage, 1999. 
• Nimmo, Dan and James Combs.  Mediated Political Realities, 2nd ed. Longman, 1990.
• Nixon, Richard.  Memoirs of Richard Nixon.   New York: Gossett and DUnlap, 1978.
• Norris, Pippa.  Women, Media and Politics.  Oxford, 1997.
• Patterson, Thomas E. Out of Order. Vintage: New York, 1994, ISBN: 0-679-75510-1 . Com 450 Politics and Media; Com 310. This is an absolutely outstanding look at media and politics in this country. It's out of print, so if you find a copy anywhere for sale (at a discount) I'll reimburse you and we'll put it in the library.
• Postman, Neil.  How to Watch Television News.   New York: Penguin, 1992.
• Rather, Dan. The Camera Never Blinks. This is the first autobiography of Dan Rather and tells how he got into the TV news business. It's an interesting and informative book. While out of print at this time, you might be able to find it in a public library and there should be a copy in Collier.
• Rather, Dan. The Camera Never Blinks Twice. 1994 0-688-09748-0 Morrow (Com 316, Com 310, Com 380, TV Apprec.)
• Rose, Tom. Freeing the Whales: How the Media Created the World's Biggest Non-Event. (Com 310, 314, 316) This is one of my favorite books! It's surprising, funny and very revealing about television news, agenda setting and those whales trapped by ice in the Artic
• Rosen, Jay.  What Are Journalists For?  Yale U. Press. 1999.
• Rosteck.  See It Now Confronts McCarthyism: Television Documentary and the Politics of Representation.(Com 316, TV Apprec.; Politics and Media)
• Sabato, Larry J. Feeding Frenzy: How Attack Journalism Has Transformed American Politics. Free Press: New York, 1993. (Com 310, 316, 450 Politics and Media) This book received a lot of publicity when the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal broke, and Mr. Sabato was interviewed on a number of news programs. It is a fascinating account of media accounts of scandals and how and why the frenzy occurs. This is an absolute must read for anyone interested in broadcast journalism or political coverage. It's a good read and the 1998 Politics and Media students who read it really liked it. I'm looking for a new edition to come out before long.
• Sabato, Larry J. Peep Show: Media and Politics in an Age of Scandal.  (Rowman & Littlefield, 2000)
• Sabato, Larry.  When Should theWatchdogs Bark: Media Coverage of the clinton Scandals.  Washington,  Center for Media and Public Affiars, 1994.
• Safer, Morley, Flashbacks: On Returning to Vietnam. Random House: New York, 1990 (Com 316, Com 310, Com 380, TV Apprec.) Excellent book about news and reporting during the Viet Nam War. Students have enjoyed this one a lot.
• Salzman, Jason. Making the News: A Guide for Non-Profit Activists. Westview: Boulder, CO, 1998. ISBN 0-8333-6898-7. I haven't had a chance to read this one yet, but it looks really good. It covers a lot of things we discuss in Com 340, 310 and persuasion. It would also be an excellent choice of for PR majors because it deals with how to get on the media agenda.
• Salant, Richard.  Salant, CBS, and the Battle for the Soul of the Broadcast Journalism: The Memoirs of Richard J. Salant.  Westview Press: Boulder, CO, 1999.
• Scheurer, Jeffrey.  The Sound Bite Society: Television and the American Mind. Four Wall Eight Windows, 1999.  This book has some great observations, and while I don't agree with everything in it, it's definitely worth the read.  It would also be good for TV Crit or Ethics courses.
• Schudson, Michael. Watergate in American Memory.  Basic Books, 1992.
• Schwartz, Tony.  The Responsive Chord.  Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1973.  This book is written by one of the "greats" and focuses on the media as a persuasive tool in the 1960s campaigns. Excellent.  Background on "Daisy Spot."
• Slayden, David and Rita Whillock, eds. Soundbite Cutlure: The Death of Discourse in a Wired World. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 1998.
• Smith, Perry. How CNN Fought the War: A View From the Inside. paper 12.95 ISBN 1-55972-090-5 Birch Ln. Pr. (Com 316, Com 310, Com 380, TV Apprec.) Students have read and enjoyed this one too. Very interesting perspective on reporting of the Gulf War.
• Smith, Jeffery A. War and Press Freedom: The Problem of Prerogative Power. New York: Oxford, 1999.
• Stahl, Leslie. Reporting Live. New York: Touchstone, 1999.
• Stark, Steven. Glued to the Set: The 60 Television Shows and Events that Made us Who We Are Today. Free Press: New York, 1998. This is an outstanding book which provides information on the key shows as well as a discussion of their impact on the culture. Absolutely MUST reading for any RTF major. Required reading in Com 340. Extra credit reading in any course (as long as you have NOT had Com 340).
• Starker, Steven. Evil Influences: Crusades Against Mass Media. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 1991. Com 340, 310. This is an excellent book recounting the history of criticisms against media. You may not have realized that some of the novels you are required to read in your lit courses were feared to be corrupters of the society. Nor may you know the hazards of radio, comic books and even newspapers themselves. Fascinating account. ISBN 0-88738-275-4.
• Streitmatter, Rodger.  Mightier than the Sword: How the News Media Have Shaped American History.   Westview Press: Boulder, 1998.
• Thomas, Helen. Front Row at the White House: My Life and Times. New York: Scribbner, 1999.
• Turell, David . Government by Political Spin. (2000)
• Thompson, Hunter.  Better than Sex.  isbn# 0-345-39639-9  This is an unorthodox look at the 1992 campaign an editor of Rolling Stone.
• West, Darrell M.   Air Wars: Television Advertising in Election Campaigns. (1997)
• Witcover, Jules. No Way to Pick a President.  (1999)
• White, Theordore.   American in Search of Itself: The Making of the President, 1956-1980. Harper and Row, 1982.
• White, Theordore.  Breach of Faith: The Fall of Richard Nixon. New York: Atheneium Publishers, 1975.
• White, Theodore.  The Making of the President, 1960.   New York: Atheneum, 1961.
• White, Theodore.  The Making of the President, 1964.   New York: Atheneum, 1965.
• White, Theodore.  The Making of the President, 1968.   New York: Atheneum, 1973
• Williams, Juan.  Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years, 1954-1965.  New York: Viking, 1987. 
• Winter, Ralph. Watergate and the Law: Political Campaigns and Presidential Power.  Washington: American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 1974.
• Woodward, Bob.  Shadow: Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate 1974-1999.
• Zelzer, Barbie.  Covering the Body: The Kennedy Assassination, the Media and the Shaping of the Collective Memory.  Chicago University Press, 1992.

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Also, don't forget to check at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com for additional or new titles. I just spent two hours searching for new books on these sites. Do a search under television, broadcasting, radio, media law, media ethics......You'll find really large selections, descriptions and discounts on the books. As I receive or examine the books I found, I will add them to this list.

This book list is under construction.
Last updated 11/10/00

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