An in-depth examination of the extent to which the traditional genres of campaign discourse are being reduced to visually evocative ads with the boundaries between news and ads blurring in the process.

If you read this book--and you should--you will never again listen to a news broadcast or read a newspaper in the same way ... Reading Dirty Politics leave one with the troubling conviction that our democracy is threatened by the failure to provide voters with the information they need to make meaningful use of the right to vote ... Impressively research, clearly written and organized, and enlightening througout.

"[Jamieson's] dissection of how drama overcomes data, how vilification and flat assertion replace argument, and how reporters cover strategy instead of substance is methodical and even-handed."--The Christian Science Monitor "Instead of relying upon hearsay and innuendo, Jamieson's book is built upon solid research. She goes beyond describing the problem and suggests strategies for change. My students are captivated!"--Mark J. Braun, Augsburg College "Wonderful! Jamieson is a one-women truth squad who has made a real difference in the electoral process."--Benjamin I. Page, Northwestern University "If you read this book--and you should--you will never again listen to a news broadcast or read a newspaper in the same way....Reading Dirty Politics leaves one with the troubling conviction that our democracy is threatened by the failure to provide voters with the information they need to make meaningful use of the right to vote....Impressively researched, clearly written and organized, and enlightening throughout."--The Washington Post Book World "A book that combines social science, journalism and commentary into a coherent argument abour the way political advertising shapes--and distorts--political debate, and how the press could assist the process of keeping debate more honest."--The New York Times Book Review "An illuminating primer about the dangerously subtle distortions of video politics....Jamieson acts as a no-nonsense tour guide, a stern educator seeking to tame a roomful of unruly children....In today's political environment, where powerful images surface and vaporize in seconds, where charges and rebuttals are sifted and shelved in the span of a day, Jamieson provides valuable ballast. She understands the art of the con."--The Philadelphia Inquirer "Jamieson raises serious concerns about how both the candidates and the media have substituted sound-bite theatrics for substantive engagement with national issues....Should be required reading for candidates and commentators alike."--Booklist "Dirty Politics pokes down into the mud of political journalism and thus helps aim us up to the clean rationality which democracy depends upon....This is a fine choice for voters who want to know what has actually been happening....And for journalists who see themselves as real professionals. this book is an essential."--James David Barber, Duke University, author of Politics by Humans "A cogent and evenhanded summary...about the influence of TV on politicking."--Kirkus Reviews "A welcome addition to the literature of political science....Keen insights and an incisive sense of what matters in a democracy."--KLIATT

Kathleen Hall Jamieson is Dean of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and is the author of Packaging the Presidency, Eloquence in an Electronic Age, and other books on political discourse.