POLITICAL COMMUNICATION IN THE MEDIA AGE

I.          Introduction:  A Mediated Reality

II.         A Model of Political Communication

A.  How It Works
B.  Proper Mediums

III.       Modes of Political Communication

A.  Nonverbal versus Verbal Communication
B.  Face to Face Contact
C.  The Print Media
D.  The Wire Media
E.  The Broadcast Media

IV.       Communicators and Receivers:  Forms and Impacts

A.  Government to the People
B.  People to the Government
C.  Media to the People
        1.  Bias
        2.  Impact
                a.  No...
                b.  ...and Yes - "agenda setting"
D.  Government to the Media
E.  Media to the Government
        1.  "Fourth Branch" of Government
        2.  "Feeding Frenzy"

V.        Conclusion:  The Political Communications Revolution

A.  Access for elites
B.  Access for citizens
C.  Electronic Democracy?