Dr Nicholas Anstead STC. S111

This course is compulsory on the MSc in Politics and Communication. This course is available on the MSc in Global Media and Communications (LSE and Fudan), MSc in Global Media and Communications (LSE and USC) and MSc in Media and Communications (Media and Communications Governance). This course is not available as an outside option.

It is available to other students from the Department of Media and Communications, and to students from the Department of Government, although places are limited.

In order to accommodate academic staff research leave and sabbaticals, and in order to maintain smaller seminar group sizes, this course is capped, meaning that there is a limit to the number of students who can be accepted. Whist we do our best to accommodate all requests, we cannot guarantee you a place on this course. 

The aim of the course is to examine the relationship between the media and political processes. It offers a critical review of key aspects of contemporary theory and research in political communications. It examines a range of interconnected issues concerning the politics/media relationship: media and political influence; political marketing; branding and news management; political reporting; media and public knowledge; the 'crisis' of current civic communications and public diplomacy.

10 hours of lectures and 10 hours of seminars in the LT.

All students are expected to complete advance reading, prepare seminar presentations, and submit one essay of 1,500 words.

Allan, S. (Ed) (2005) Journalism: Critical Issues, Berkshire, Open University Press;

Bennett, W.Lance and Enteman, R. (Eds) (2001) Mediated Politics: Communication in the Future of Democracy, Cambridge University Press;

Davis, A. (2007) The mediation of power: a critical introduction, New York: Routledge;

Graber, Doris (Ed) (2007) Media Power in Politics, 5th edn;

Esser, F. and Pfetsch, B. (Eds) (2004) Comparing Political Communications, New York, Cambridge University Press;

Issenberg, S. (2012). The Victory Lab: The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns: Crown;

McNair, B. (2007) An Introduction to Political Communications, London: Routledge;

Norris, P. (2000) Virtuous Circle, Cambridge University Press;

Negrine, R. and Stanyer, J. (Eds) (2007) The Political Communication Reader, Routledge;

Scammell, M. and Semetko, H. Media, Journalism and Democracy: A Reader, Ashgate; Scammell, M. (1995) Designer Politics, Basingstoke, Macmillan;

Swanson, D. and Mancini, P. (Eds) (1996) Politics, Media and Modern Democracy.

Essay (100%, 3000 words) in the ST.

The course focuses on how politicians communicate with the public, and what developments in this area mean for democracy.

Students' comments

"I appreciate that all thoughts are being heard, in a polite way. Very active and interesting!"