Cycles of Spin: Strategic Communication in the U.S. Congress (Communication, Society and Politics)

How Do Politicians Try To Shape Their News Coverage? Patrick Sellers Examines Strategic Communication Campaigns In The U.s. Congress. He Argues That These Campaigns Create Cycles Of Spin: Leaders Create Messages, Rank-and-file Legislators Decide Whether To Promote Those Messages, Journalists Decide Whether To Cover The Messages, And Any Coverage Feeds Back To Influence The Policy Process. These Four Stages Are Closely Related; Decisions At One Stage Influence Those At Another. Sellers Uses Diverse Evidence, From Participant Observation And Press Secretary Interviews To Computerized Content Analysis And Vector Auto Regression. The Result Is A Comprehensive And Unprecedented Examination Of Politicians' Promotional Campaigns And Journalists' Coverage Of Those Campaigns. Countering Numerous Critics Of Spin, Sellers Offers The Provocative Argument That The Promotional Messages Have Their Origins In The Actual Policy Preferences Of Members Of Congress. The Campaigns To Promote These Messages Thus Can Help The Public Learn About Policy Debates In Congress.--jacket. The Cycle -- Building Blocks -- Creation -- Promotion -- Coverage And Feedback -- Completing The Cycle. Patrick Sellers. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 225-249) And Index. Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Contents......Page 9 Acknowledgments......Page 11 1 The Cycle......Page 15 1.1. THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF AGENDA SETTING IN CONGRESS......Page 19 1.2. CYCLES OF SPIN......Page 24 1.3. EVIDENCE......Page 29 2 Building Blocks......Page 32 2.1. MEMBERS OF CONGRESS......Page 33 2.2.1. Partial Birth Abortion......Page 35 2.2.2. The Supplemental......Page 36 2.2.3. The Budget Debates of 1997 and 2003......Page 38 2.3. UNANSWERED QUESTIONS......Page 41 3 Creation......Page 43 3.1. THE CHOICE OF ISSUES......Page 45 3.1.1. Remaining Challenges of Persuasion and Promotion......Page 49 3.1.2. Strategies of Leaders and Followers......Page 53 3.1.3. Summary of Expectations......Page 55 3.2. THE CREATION OF MESSAGES......Page 56 3.3. CHOOSING AMONG BROAD ISSUES......Page 62 3.3.1. Party Leaders’ Statements......Page 64 3.3.2. Leaders’ Linkage of Issues......Page 68 3.4.1. Partial Birth Abortion......Page 70 3.4.2. The Supplemental......Page 73 3.4.3. The Budget Debates of 1997 and 2003......Page 75 3.5.1. Individual Benefits of News Coverage......Page 77 3.5.2. Costs of Promotion......Page 80 3.5.3. Probability of Coverage......Page 83 3.6. PARTISAN CONTROL OF GOVERNMENT......Page 85 3.7. CONCLUSION......Page 88 APPENDIX 3.A. PARTISAN ADVANTAGE ON BROAD ISSUES......Page 90 3.B.2. Public Statements About Broad Issues......Page 93 3.B.3. Public Statements and News Stories About Specific Debates......Page 95 3.B.4. The Tone of Public Statements About Specific Debates......Page 97 Partial Birth Abortion Debate, Democratic Arguments......Page 98 Supplemental Debate, Democratic Arguments......Page 99 Supplemental Debate, Republican Arguments......Page 100 1997 Budget Debate, Democratic Arguments......Page 101 1997 Budget Debate, Republican Arguments......Page 102 2003 Budget Debate, Democratic Arguments......Page 104 2003 Budget Debate, Republican Arguments......Page 108 4 Promotion......Page 110 4.1. THE PROMOTION OF PARTY MESSAGES......Page 111 4.1.1. Broad Issues and Specific Debates......Page 113 4.1.2. Deference, Coordination, and the President......Page 122 4.1.3. Discussion......Page 124 4.2. WHO PROMOTES PARTY MESSAGES?......Page 125 4.2.1. Identifying Show Horses......Page 126 4.2.2. Partisan Messages and Party Loyalty......Page 128 4.2.3. Partial Birth Abortion......Page 130 4.2.4. The Supplemental......Page 137 4.2.5. The 1997 and 2003 Budget Resolutions......Page 144 4.3.CONCLUSION......Page 147 4.3.1. Strategic Communication and the Expansion of Advantage......Page 148 APPENDIX 4. REGRESSION MODELS......Page 149 5 Coverage and Feedback......Page 155 5.1. CHOOSING WHAT TO COVER......Page 157 5.1.1. Ignoring Politicians......Page 158 5.1.2. Mirroring Events......Page 159 5.1.3. Balancing Arguments......Page 162 5.1.4. Adding Partisan Bias......Page 163 5.1.5. Feedback......Page 167 5.1.6. Patterns of Coverage and Feedback......Page 168 5.2. COVERAGE AND FEEDBACK......Page 169 5.2.1. The Supplemental......Page 170 5.2.1.1. The Interaction of Promotion and Coverage......Page 177 5.2.2. The Partial Birth Abortion Ban......Page 182 5.2.3. The 1997 Budget Debate......Page 186 5.2.4. The 2003 Budget Debate......Page 192 5.3. PARTISAN BIAS ACROSS NEWS OUTLETS......Page 199 5.3.1. Markets and Coverage......Page 203 5.3.2. Sources of News......Page 208 5.4. LESSONS FROM THE FOUR DEBATES......Page 211 APPENDIX 5.A. ESTIMATION OF VAR MODELS......Page 214 6.1. FUNDAMENTALS OF CYCLES OF SPIN......Page 219 6.2.1. Multimethod Research......Page 222 6.2.2. The Reputations of Parties......Page 223 6.2.3. The Independence of the Press......Page 225 6.2.4. Institutional Rules......Page 227 6.3. THE VIRTUES OF SPIN......Page 228 6.3.1. Simplicity Over Substance......Page 231 6.3.2. Distortion and Dialogue......Page 234 6.3.3. The Nature of Public Opinion......Page 236 References......Page 239 Index......Page 265 Half-title 3 Series-title 5 Title 7 Copyright 8 Contents 9 Acknowledgments 11 1 The Cycle 15 1.1. THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF AGENDA SETTING IN CONGRESS 19 1.2. CYCLES OF SPIN 24 1.3. EVIDENCE 29 2 Building Blocks 32 2.1. MEMBERS OF CONGRESS 33 2.2. THE FOUR DEBATES 35 2.2.1. Partial Birth Abortion 35 2.2.2. The Supplemental 36 2.2.3. The Budget Debates of 1997 and 2003 38 2.3. UNANSWERED QUESTIONS 41 3 Creation 43 3.1. THE CHOICE OF ISSUES 45 3.1.1. Remaining Challenges of Persuasion and Promotion 49 3.1.2. Strategies of Leaders and Followers 53 3.1.3. Summary of Expectations 55 3.2. THE CREATION OF MESSAGES 56 3.3. CHOOSING AMONG BROAD ISSUES 62 3.3.1. Party Leaders’ Statements 64 3.3.2. Leaders’ Linkage of Issues 68 3.4. SPECIFIC DEBATES 70 3.4.1. Partial Birth Abortion 70 3.4.2. The Supplemental 73 3.4.3. The Budget Debates of 1997 and 2003 75 3.5. ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES 77 3.5.1. Individual Benefits of News Coverage 77 3.5.2. Costs of Promotion 80 3.5.3. Probability of Coverage 83 3.6. PARTISAN CONTROL OF GOVERNMENT 85 3.7. CONCLUSION 88 APPENDIX 3.A. PARTISAN ADVANTAGE ON BROAD ISSUES 90 APPENDIX 3.B. CODING POLITICIANS’ STATEMENTS AND NEWS STORIES 93 3.B.1. The Senate Democratic Leadership and Private Statements About Broad Issues 93 3.B.2. Public Statements About Broad Issues 93 3.B.3. Public Statements and News Stories About Specific Debates 95 3.B.4. The Tone of Public Statements About Specific Debates 97 APPENDIX 3.C. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS’ MESSAGES AND COMPONENT ARGUMENTS IN SPECIFIC DEBATES 98 Partial Birth Abortion Debate, Democratic Arguments 98 Partial Birth Abortion Debate, Republican Arguments 99 Supplemental Debate, Democratic Arguments 99 Supplemental Debate, Republican Arguments 100 1997 Budget Debate, Democratic Arguments 101 1997 Budget Debate, Republican Arguments 102 2003 Budget Debate, Democratic Arguments 104 2003 Budget Debate, Republican Arguments 108 4 Promotion 110 4.1. THE PROMOTION OF PARTY MESSAGES 111 4.1.1. Broad Issues and Specific Debates 113 4.1.2. Deference, Coordination, and the President 122 4.1.3. Discussion 124 4.2. WHO PROMOTES PARTY MESSAGES? 125 4.2.1. Identifying Show Horses 126 4.2.2. Partisan Messages and Party Loyalty 128 4.2.3. Partial Birth Abortion 130 4.2.4. The Supplemental 137 4.2.5. The 1997 and 2003 Budget Resolutions 144 4.3.CONCLUSION 147 4.3.1. Strategic Communication and the Expansion of Advantage 148 APPENDIX 4. REGRESSION MODELS 149 5 Coverage and Feedback 155 5.1. CHOOSING WHAT TO COVER 157 5.1.1. Ignoring Politicians 158 5.1.2. Mirroring Events 159 5.1.3. Balancing Arguments 162 5.1.4. Adding Partisan Bias 163 5.1.5. Feedback 167 5.1.6. Patterns of Coverage and Feedback 168 5.2. COVERAGE AND FEEDBACK 169 5.2.1. The Supplemental 170 5.2.1.1. The Interaction of Promotion and Coverage 177 5.2.2. The Partial Birth Abortion Ban 182 5.2.3. The 1997 Budget Debate 186 5.2.4. The 2003 Budget Debate 192 5.3. PARTISAN BIAS ACROSS NEWS OUTLETS 199 5.3.1. Markets and Coverage 203 5.3.2. Sources of News 208 5.4. LESSONS FROM THE FOUR DEBATES 211 APPENDIX 5.A. ESTIMATION OF VAR MODELS 214 6 Completing the Cycle 219 6.1. FUNDAMENTALS OF CYCLES OF SPIN 219 6.2. BROADER LESSONS 222 6.2.1. Multimethod Research 222 6.2.2. The Reputations of Parties 223 6.2.3. The Independence of the Press 225 6.2.4. Institutional Rules 227 6.3. THE VIRTUES OF SPIN 228 6.3.1. Simplicity Over Substance 231 6.3.2. Distortion and Dialogue 234 6.3.3. The Nature of Public Opinion 236 References 239 Index 265 9780521755993 "How do politicians try to shape their news coverage? Patrick Sellers examines strategic communication campaigns in the U.S. Congress. He argues that these campaigns create cycles of spin: Leaders create messages, rank-and-file legislators decide whether to promote those messages, journalists decide whether to cover the messages, and any coverage feeds back to influence the policy process. These four stages are closely related; decisions at one stage influence those at another." "Sellers uses diverse evidence, from participant observation and press secretary interviews to computerized content analysis and vector auto regression. The result is a comprehensive and unprecedented examination of politicians' promotional campaigns and journalists' coverage of those campaigns. Countering numerous critics of spin, Sellers offers the provocative argument that the promotional messages have their origins in the actual policy preferences of members of Congress. The campaigns to promote these messages thus can help the public learn about policy debates in Congress."--BOOK JACKET

How do politicians try to shape their news coverage? Sellers examines strategic communication campaigns in the U.S. Congress. He argues that these campaigns create cycles of spin: leaders create messages, rank-and-file legislators decide whether to promote those messages, journalists decide whether to cover the messages, and any coverage feeds back to influence the policy process. These four stages are closely related; decisions at one stage influence those at another. Sellers uses diverse evidence, from participant observation and press secretary interviews, to computerized content analysis and vector auto regression. The result is a comprehensive and unprecedented examination of politicians' promotional campaigns and journalists' coverage of those campaigns. Countering numerous critics of spin, Sellers offers the provocative argument that the promotional messages have their origins in the actual policy preferences of members of Congress. The campaigns to promote these messages thus can help the public learn about policy debates in Congress.