"All politics is about perception." Media and Politics in the United States.

Bernd Greiner

“The intricate tango of political and press cultures” (Michael Janeway) is largely ignored in debates about the impact of the media on democratic life. In this essay, the author gives an overview on two distinct periods of the American experience after World War II, namely the period up to the mid-70s and the revolution in media-coverage ever since. The article maintains that the way in which politics is covered by the media and in which politicians for their part make use of the media is detrimental to democracy as a political and social way of life.