How Political Science Can Help Journalism (and Still Let Journalists Be Journalists)
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Brendan Nyhan
Political scientists frequently lament the media’s neglect of our research. Although reporters should have a basic understanding of the field, it is not reasonable to expect them to restate the conclusions of academic research on a daily basis. Moreover, it is not always clear how research findings apply within the conventions of political journalism, which is context-specific and episodic in nature. In this article, we propose an approach that would bring more political science to journalism while respecting the professional norms and organizational constraints of news organizations. Although academic research is not always conducive to the demands of the news cycle, political science provides a novel perspective that could improve reporting in five respects: putting episodic developments in a structural context; providing new angles on the news; countering spin about the effects of events by elites; better describing historical trends and comparisons; and identifying known unknowns in politics.
©2011 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/Boston
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Article
- The Media Game: New Moves, Old Strategies
- How Political Science Can Help Journalism (and Still Let Journalists Be Journalists)
- Challenges to Mainstream Journalism in Baseball and Politics
- Promoting Policy in a Mediated Democracy: Congress and the News
- Polarized Populism: Masses, Elites, and Partisan Conflict
- Advancing a Social Policy Agenda through Economic Policy: Obama's Stimulus and Education Reform
- The Economic Records of the Presidents: Party Differences and Inherited Economic Conditions
- Review
- The Inter-Personal Presidency of Chief Executive George W. Bush: Review of Decision Points
- Review of A Journey: My Political Life by Tony Blair
- Review of Making Our Democracy Work: A Judge's View
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Article
- The Media Game: New Moves, Old Strategies
- How Political Science Can Help Journalism (and Still Let Journalists Be Journalists)
- Challenges to Mainstream Journalism in Baseball and Politics
- Promoting Policy in a Mediated Democracy: Congress and the News
- Polarized Populism: Masses, Elites, and Partisan Conflict
- Advancing a Social Policy Agenda through Economic Policy: Obama's Stimulus and Education Reform
- The Economic Records of the Presidents: Party Differences and Inherited Economic Conditions
- Review
- The Inter-Personal Presidency of Chief Executive George W. Bush: Review of Decision Points
- Review of A Journey: My Political Life by Tony Blair
- Review of Making Our Democracy Work: A Judge's View
