Part of the "Longman Classics in Political Science" series, this renowned book, known for a lively writing style, provocative point of view, and exceptional scholarship, has been thoroughly revised and updated, including up-to-the-minute case studies and the latest research. This favorite of both instructors and students is a "behind-the-scenes" tour of news in American politics. The core question explored in this book is: How well does the news, as the core of the national political information system, serve the needs of democracy? In investigating this question, the book examines how various political actors - from presidents and members of Congress, to interest organizations and citizen-activists - try to get their messages into the news.