Media and Politics

Media and politics are inextricably linked and transforming fast. This book is the first to make sense of this transformation by showing how changes in media, communication, and technology are reshaping political power, democracy and public life.
This textbook provides a clear and accessible introduction to media and politics in the digital age. Drawing on a huge range of contemporary research and international case studies, it explores how technological change has reshaped relationships between citizens, states, media organizations, and technology platforms. 

The ways we discover, consume, create, and share information have changed fundamentally in the twenty-first century. We have moved from an era of information scarcity to one of information abundance; from shared mass media to personalized feeds, and from passive audiences to active participants in the production and circulation of content. These changes have transformed not only media and communication but also politics itself. 

Digital platforms have altered how citizens access news and information, how political opinions are formed, and how governments, politicians, activists, and journalists communicate with the public. They have enabled new forms of participation and protest while also contributing to polarization, disinformation, declining trust, and political disengagement.

Going beyond media effects and political campaigning, this book explains the broader transformation of the media environment and traces its implications for democracy, elections, journalism, and sovereignty. It is essential reading for all students of media and politics.