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parents will have no clue as to how to do this, formal and informal (through the media)
teaching options should be on offer at accessible times, locations and costs. It would be
a great contribution to the democratisation of Europe if all the presently available
professional talent in political communication could re-directed towards the
professional talent in political communication could be re-directed towards the
development of a robust democratic perspective for Europe.
development of a robust democratic perspective for Europe.
Professional political communications fulfils clear functions within ‘thin’ democracies. If,
however, societies decide for a strong model of democracy, they will need all the
professionalism they can muster to engage in the grand-scale teaching of democratic
minds. The fact that this type of professionalism is today not considered the absolute
top political priority in European countries does not augur well for the future of
European democracies.

REFERENCES
Barber,B.R.(2003[1984]) Strong Democracy.Berkeley:University of California Press.
Bennett,W.L.& R.Entman,(eds) (2001) Mediated Politics.Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.
Gandy, O.H. (2001) ‘Dividing Practices: Segmentation and Targeting in the Emerging Public
Sphere’, pp. 141–159 in W.L. Bennett & R. Entman (eds). Mediated Politics. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Zakaria,F.(2004) The Future of Freedom New York:W.W.Norton.

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL OF RELEVANCE
Bennett, W.L. & J.B. Manheim (2001) ‘The Big Spin: Strategic Communication and the
Transformation of Pluralist Democracy’, pp. 279–298 in W.L. Bennett & R. Entman (eds).
Mediated Politics.Cambridge,Cambridge University Press.
Blumler, J.G. & M. Gurevitch (2001) ‘“Americanization” Reconsidered: U.K.-U.S. Campaign
Communication Comparisons Across Time’, pp. 380–403 in W.L. Bennett, & R. Entman (eds).
Mediated Politics.Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.
Entman, R.M. & W.L. Bennett (2001) ‘Communication in the Future of Democracy: A Conclusion’,
pp. 468–480 in W.L. Bennett & R. Entman (eds) Mediated Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Gans,H.(2003) Democracy and News.Oxford:Oxford University Press. The Professionalisation of Political Communication: Democracy at Stake?
Gould,C.G.(1988) Rethinking Democracy.Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.
Hamelink, C.J. (1995) ‘The democratic ideal and its enemies’, pp. 15–37 in Philip Lee (ed.). The
Democratization of ommunication. Cardiff:University of Wales Press.
Ober,J.(1989) Man and Elite in Democratic Athens.Princeton:Princeton University Press. 187