Reference Reviews
Lawrence Looks at Books
Encyclopedia of Political Communication, edited by Lynda Lee Kaid and Christina Holtz-Bacha. 2 vols. 986p. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2008. 978-1-4129-1799-5; 200726514. $350.
In an election year it is easy to see some of the basics of political communication at work. The attack ads, manipulation of messages, the grooming of political images, and the frantic work of spin doctors to correct their candidate’s verbal gaffes are all too familiar. On the other hand, so too are grassroots campaigns, public debates, town meetings and party caucuses. From grab-handing to Facebook, political candidates employ a wide range of techniques to communicate their message to potential voters, and most of us cannot avoid the crossfire. While political campaigns and consulting have been around almost forever, the academic study of the communication processes unique to politics is still a relatively young field.
This new encyclopedia attempts to define the parameters of political communication and introduce the basic concepts to scholars, students and the general reader. Needless to say, that definition process includes examinations of the roles of electoral systems, governmental institutions and political organizations in shaping campaigns and governance in general. Equally important is the influence of media coverage on political affairs, and the effectiveness of a wide range of outlets is examined. From Citizen Kane to The Daily Show, many entries also feature the informal influence of entertainment media on political attitudes. Over a third of the 592 entries consist of biographical sketches of politicians and leaders from around the world. Most are represented not for their prominence or political success, but as illustrations of specific uses of communication processes in campaigning, negotiations, or governance. Journalists, political theorists and academic scholars who have helped to distinguish the importance of political communication also are highlighted. However the meat of this encyclopedia is its outline of theoretical concepts. From agenda-setting to voter apathy, the concepts essential to the study of political communication processes are defined, with many supporting articles showing how these concepts play out in political campaigns and other processes. While the majority of examples are drawn from the last half century of American politics, the coverage frequently extends to Western Europe, former communist countries, China and Latin America. Though designed as a tool for specialists, this excellent guide will serve a wide audience in academic and public libraries.
—John R.M. Lawrence