Page 168 - Historical Dictionary of Political Communication in the United States

Selected Bibliography

Rather than offering the usual lengthy bibliography consisting of items of un-
equal importance, we decided to offer a short, guided tour through selected
literature of political communication. Taken together, the items we discuss here
offer a reasonable overview of the field. They cover the major areas and include
the more profound and succinct thought of the field and offer the reader a useful
perspective on the field. Individually, they all have something important to say,
and each will increase the reader's understanding of the field.
While we recognize that journal articles are on the cutting edge of knowledge
in a field, we have focused on books because books bring together various
studies into a single context. The result is a better overall perspective because
the connection between studies is made clearer.
Serious study of political communication should begin with reading Walter
Lippmann's Public Opinion. Written three-quarters of a century ago in the con-
text of World War I, it deals with the basics of political communication, which
have not changed. Lippmann tells us that reality is the "pictures in our heads,"
and he warns that we don't believe what we see; we see what we believe. His
discussion of stereotypes is essential for anyone who wants to understand po-
litical communication. He is not talking simply about racial, ethnic, or sexual
stereotypes, but rather the wide range of beliefs we have and hold as stereotypes.
The public, the media, and the politicians all traffic in stereotypes, and conse-
quently the truth suffers.
Another important book about basics involved in political communication is
Four Theories of the Press by Fred Siebert, Theodore Peterson, and Wilbur
Schramm. It explains the relationship between the media and the political sys-
tem. The four theories are authoritarian, communist, libertarian, and social re-
sponsibility. Authoritarian governments control the media by censorship and
licensing. Communist governments control the media by putting them in the
hands of party members, thus infiltrating the media. A libertarian government