Very contemporary in perspective, this text provides a well-balanced survey of all aspects of the relationship between the media and American politics. It portrays the relationship as interactive and symbiotic (rather than one-sided) and dissects the media's role as mediator in the political processes of American politics—with discussions on news-shaping, effects on the mass public, the electoral functions and effects of the news media, the interaction with political institutions and organizations, and the media's policymaking role.