Breaking News?

The first book about politics and infotainment in Canada, Breaking News? examines the challenges of these (often) controversial programs for democratic citizenship.

Frédérick Bastien is a researcher of political communication, journalism, and methodology. Previously a professor of public communication at Université Laval, he is now an associate professor of political science at Université de Montréal. He is also associate director of the Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship and a member of the Groupe de recherche en communication politique. He was the lead editor of Les Québécois aux urnes: les partis, les médias et les citoyens en campagne. The French version of this book, published by the Presses de l’Université Laval in 2013, was shortlisted for the Prix francophone from the Canadian Political Science Association and the Canada Prize in Social Sciences from the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Mike Gasher, professor emeritus, Department of Journalism, Concordia University:
Breaking News? is a well-written and well-argued book on the rise of infotainment in Quebec, one that will serve as a welcome complement to studies of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report in the United States.