Publisher's Synopsis
[We are trying to secure a blurb.] This close-up of the 1991 Philadelphia mayor's race gives an unsettling look into the lamentable state of media coverage of politics today. Phyllis Kaniss followed reporters on the campaign trail, talked with them about their decisions in reporting the news, saw how they related to each other and to the candidates. She analyzed local newscasts and newspaper stories to find out what made the news, and spoke with the candidates and their campaign staffs about trying to get - and even control - media coverage. The result is a fast-paced, insider's view of local news and local politics, of the forces that drive political reportage, and of how the way the media cover local elections has profound implications for all citizens. Students of political reportage will find it fascinating, and it belongs on every journalist's reading list.
