Typing Politics : The Role of Blogs in American Politics

The power of political blogs in American politics is now evident to anyone who follows it. In Typing Politics , Richard Davis provides a comprehensive yet concise assessment of the growing role played by political blogs and their relationship with the mainstream media. Through a detailed content analysis of the most popular political blogs—Daily Kos, Instapundit, Michelle Malkin, and Wonkette—he shows the degree to which blogs influence the traditional news media. Specifically, he compares the content of these blogs to four leading newspapers noted for their political coverage: The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal , and The Washington Times . He explains how political journalists at these papers use blogs to inform their reportage and analyzes general attitudes about the role of blogs in journalism. Drawing on a national survey of political blog readers, Davis concludes with a novel assessment of the blog audience. Compact, accessible, and well-researched, Typing Politics will be an invaluable contribution to the literature on a phenomenon that has reshaped the landscape of political communication. Contents......Page 10 Introduction......Page 14 1. Agenda Setting......Page 20 2. Blogs and Politics......Page 33 3. Bloggers......Page 44 4. Inside the Blogs......Page 67 5. Agenda Seekers......Page 93 6. Journalists......Page 118 7. The Audience......Page 166 Conclusion......Page 189 Appendix: Methodology......Page 205 Notes......Page 210 B......Page 244 C......Page 246 D......Page 247 I......Page 248 M......Page 249 P......Page 250 T......Page 251 Y......Page 252 Examines the growing role of blogs in United States politics and the relationship between blogs and the mainstream media, discussing the content and audience of political blogs and the general perception of their role in journalism Agenda Setting -- Blogs And Politics -- Bloggers -- Inside The Blogs -- Agenda Seekers -- Journalists -- The Audience. Richard Davis. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 199-232) And Index.