| Over the past three
decades, important new areas of political communication research
have emerged. The on-going revolution in communications technology
continues to alter how politics is practiced. The rise of
television drastically altered how politicians communicate
with the electorate, transforming the way political news reached
mass audiences. The Internet, e-mail, and cell phones likely
will produce even more profound changes. There have been equally
profound changes in the way media industries are structured.
Currently, a handful of large multinational corporations dominate
important forms of mass communication in many nations of the
world.
Political and cultural communication research
takes many forms and uses a broad range of qualitative and
quantitative research methods. Macroscopic research, for example,
looks at how various forms of media can foster or impede democracy.
It critically assesses how well private media serve public
interests. Microscopic research looks at how individuals use
media to learn about politics and to guide political action.
This research draws on theories and research methods used
in many academic disciplines, including anthropology, political
science, communication arts and sciences, sociology, psychology,
law, education, health and human development, and history.
Some faculty research is aimed at shaping communications law
or policy while other research seeks to describe and understand
how individual use of media affects their political actions.
Some research takes a critical theory or political economy
approach to analysis of the role of media while other research
uses social science theory and methods. |
Faculty
(links to their bios) |
