The field of media and politics is quickly changing as society transforms and new technologies develop continuously. Academic research in the area is rapidly breaking new ground to keep pace with the prolific media developments. This innovative, up-to-date text moves beyond rudimentary concepts and definitions to consider the exciting scholarly research that addresses the monumental recent changes in the media system of the United States and the world. This carefully crafted volume addresses the big questions that academic researchers are asking, exposing students to the rigorous scholarship in the field but making it readily understandable by undergraduate students.

Each chapter starts with a "big question" about the impact of the news media, provides an overview of the more general topic, and then answers that question by appealing to the best, most-up-to-date research in the field. The volume as a whole is held together by an exploration of the rapidly changing media environment and the influence these changes have on individual political behavior and governments as a whole.

New Directions in Media and Politics will make an ideal book for courses as it digs deeper into the questions that standard textbooks only hint at?and presents scholarly evidence to support the arguments made.

1: Introduction; Travis N. Ridout. 2: The American Media System Today: Is the Public Fragmenting?; Natalie Jomini Stroud & Ashley Muddiman. 3: The Era of Media Distrust and Its Consequences for Perceptions of Political Reality; Jonathan M. Ladd. 4: Making the News: Is Local Television News Coverage Really That Bad?; Erika Franklin Fowler. 5: News Media and War: Warmongers or Peacemakers?; Piers Robinson. 6: Campaigns Go Social: Are Facebook, YouTube and Twitter Changing Elections? Stephanie Edgerly, Leticia Bode, Young Mie Kim & Dhavan V. Shah. 7: Negative Campaigns: Are They Good for American Democracy?; Yanna Krupnikov & Beth C. Easter. 8: Targeting Campaign Messages: Good for Campaigns but Bad for America?; Michael M. Franz. 9: Do the Media Give Women Candidates a Fair Shake?; Regina G. Lawrence. 10: Congress and the Media: Who Has the Upper Hand?; Danielle Vinson. 11: To Speak is to Lead? Conditional Modern Presidential Leadership of Public Opinion; Brandon Rottinghaus & Matthew Lang. 12: Political Dynamics of Framing; James N. Druckman, Samara Klar & Joshua Robison. 13: The News Anew? Political Coverage in a Transformed Media Age; Danny Hayes. 14: Politics in the Digital Age: A Scary Prospect; Roderick P. Hart.