The problem with the media, contends veteran political reporter and author Shogan (The Double Edged Sword, etc.), is that they "allow and sometimes abet the abuse of the political process by the candidates and their handlers." In this carefully crafted retrospective on the media and presidential campaigns since JFK, Shogan explains how this state of affairs has occurred, highlighting how politics and the media have changed. In politics, parties and party bosses no longer really matter that much. A candidate has become an "independent political entrepreneur," who must market himself or herself to the public, and the best way to do that, argues Shogan, is to sell image (warm and fuzzy for the candidate, as negative as possible for the opponent) over substance, "not information or ideas but illusions and impressions." Thus the media have become an increasingly important marketing tool for candidates, and the media's reliance on more sophisticated technology—which translates into ever more and ever shorter deadlines—causes their willingness to publish whatever candidates may offer. Substance, explanation and research have become rare things in modern political journalism, according to Shogan. The loser is the American people, who grow increasingly cynical about campaigns that don't seem to be about much of anything. While pessimistic about change—Shogan thinks only a major overhaul of the political system can make politics truly matter again—he does believe reporters can offer the public real news and meaningful stories, and he challenges them to do so in this highly readable chronicle. (Apr. 27)
