Being under the influence of globalization, political culture has acquired significance within the national context. In this regard, the study of political communication is necessary for explaining and understanding its essence. In book called Communicating Politics in the Twenty-First Century, Sanders (2009) outlines theoretical concepts and themes related to political communication.
The author also provides an in-depth study of current media and politics. Using contemporary and historical examples and cases, Sanders presents the essential theoretical frameworks and main researches in this academic field. To be more precise, the scholar presents historical, interdisciplinary, and ethical approaches to studying political communicating, stating that these aspects can better contribute to a deeper consideration of the political processes.
Discussing historic theoretical model, the author provides subsequence stages of political development to explain the role of various disciplines in political communication. This historical analysis ranges from the political positions expressed by Rousseau and Dickens to the current means of political and media culture. While introducing the means of political communications – from mass media to the Internet – the author intends to explain the way public opinion and public news coverage influences the character of political communication.
Hence, through means and techniques, but not through the participants, the author provides a snapshot of political process capturing a significant historical period. While analyzing political communication from the disciplinary viewpoint, the author correlates this study with ethical and cultural issues. In particular, Sanders considers it necessary to assess the role of ethics in forming political processes, including decision-making and problem-solving. Apart from ethical considerations, the author also discusses the role of cognitive sciences and political research in developing arguments concerning how politics should regulated and administered in the twenty first century (Sanders, 2009, p. 175). Finally, using a multidimensional approach to examining the study, the author also provides the major components contributing to identification of the chief aspects of political communication (Kaid, 2004, p. 89).
Finally, the author resorts to ethical and cultural models of studying political communication. In particular, Sanders (2009) believes that there should a clear distinction between certain concept and theme allowing to understand the essence of successful communication. The ethical issues in politics come to the forth when it is necessary to consider moral and social aspects of democracy. What is more important the author emphasize the ethical problems are especially urgent in the light the globalization process when the public should be interested in the welfare of the globalized community (Sanders, 2009, p. 178). With the emergence of the Internet, the aspects of ethics and democracy have become the opposed issues (Denton, 2000, p.
51). Therefore, the study of political communication should take into consideration such aspects as media, Internet, globalization, and regulatory governance. In conclusion, Sanders’ book comprehensively presents the basis theoretical models that have greatly contributed to the study of political communication. While examining these theoretical frameworks, the author connects them to practical side of the political process, paying more attention on the means of the development of the political communication.
In particular, using historic and interdisciplinary view, the author provides a clearer image of today’s situation in the world of politics. What is more important is that the research attains the importance to the consideration of ethical issues introducing new dimensions and fresh insights of political culture in the twenty first century.
Reference List
Denton, R. E.
(2000) Political Communication Ethics. US: Greenwood Publishing Group. Kaid, L.
L. (2004) Handbook of Political Communication Research. NY: Routledge. Sanders, K. (2009) Communicating politics in the twenty-first century. US: Palgrave Macmillan.
