U.S. Politics and the Media: A Selective Guide to Materials at the British Library

During the past fifty years an on-going media revolution has transformed political communication in the United States. Yet, despite potential access to political information being at an all-time high, many observers believe that the culture of ‘infotainment’ is preventing a corresponding increase in either levels of political knowledge or political participation.

This guide is intended as a bibliographic tool for those interested in the ways in which U.S. politics and the media converge – a subject of great contemporary interest to both scholars and the general public alike.

Due to the large number of articles that appear on this subject every year, the guide only includes monographs and in general these have been published in the last twenty years – although there are several notable exceptions.

The guide is divided into seven sections. The first covers political campaigns and elections and includes works on campaign advertising, the impact of televised debates, and the increasing importance of political consultants. The second covers all aspects of the media’s political coverage: print, radio, television and online. The third includes works on the media and the Presidency, and the fourth covers the relationship between the media and Congress. The final three sections cover Public Opinion/Public Policy, Women, and Political Marketing and Communication. Several works appear under more than one heading.

All works are followed by their British Library shelf-mark. The majority of works are held at the British Library at St Pancras, London. A shelf-mark prefaced by 'DSC' indicates that the work is held at the British Library Document Supply Centre in Boston Spa, Yorkshire, but may be ordered for reading in London.