Perspectives on American Political Media is a comprehensive survey of how political figures and issues are presented to the nation and the world through the filters of television and the mass media. It explores the diverse channels of political influence in American life and how elected officials, lobbyists, and journalists shape events for public consumption.

Students are introduced to the media world in which members of Congress, White House officials, and other government officials must contend. They are shown how these political figures attempt to master this world to achieve their own objectives, while winning over an increasingly suspicious and disenfranchised public. The text also explains how recent changes in the mass media have redistributed power in mega-media corporations, the presidency, and the Congress.