Promotional Information

The importance of political communication to the study of media and politics is generally accepted. Why has government communication been neglected? This book provides the first account of government communication worldwide and an exploration of the prevailing themes.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Mapping the Field of Government Communication Section One: Continental European Approaches: from Advertising to Marketing: 30 Years of French Government Communication Meeting the Challenges? Government Communication in Germany Looking for News Space or Thinking Strategically? The Case of Spanish Government Communication Government Communication in Sweden: From Public Reliance to Public Relations Poland: Government Communication in Democratic Poland 20 Years After the Collapse of Communism Section Two: Anglo American Traditions: Australia and Government Communication Understanding the Strengths and Limitations of Strategic Communication: The Case of British Government Communication United States Section Three: The Achievements and Challenges for Emerging Democracies: Government Communication in Southern Africa Government Strategic Communication in the Chilean Political Transition Contributing to Consensus, Stability and Economic Growth: Political Communications of the Chinese Government in 2008 Conclusion: A Comparative Perspective in Government Communication?

About the Author

Karen Sanders is Professor in the Faculty of Communication and Humanities, San Pablo CEU University, Madrid, Spain. She is also visiting lecturer at the University of Navarra, Spain, and teaches on their MA in Political and Corporate Communication run jointly with George Washington University, USA. María José Canel is Professor in Political Communication and Public Relations at the University Complutense of Madrid, Spain, Vice President of the Section in Political Communication of the International Association for Mass Communication Research (IAMCR) and President of ACOP Asociación de Comunicación Política. She has published nationally and internationally on government communication and related matters.

Reviews

This tour of how different governments communicate to press and publics is led by top scholars in the field. The authors have created a valuable sourcebook on an important and changing topic.
*Lance Bennett, Professor of Political Science and Ruddick C. Lawrence Professor of Communication, and Director for the Center for Communication & Civic Engagement, University of Washington, US*

It has been about time that somebody maps the field of government communication, a field with ever increasing scientific and political importance. This book does the job and it does it theoretically as well as with a plethora of empirical data from no less than 15 countries around the world. For years to come this book will be the first stop for scholars and practitioners seeking information on what is out there and how it can be normatively assessed on blurring lines between information and advertising or spin and substance.
*Wolfgang Donsbach, Professor and Founding Director, Department of Media and Communication at Dresden University of Technology, Germany*

This is a much needed and deeply thoughtful book about Government Communication. The authors have brought together a carefully selected group of comparative case studies from around the world using the Freedom House Index as the basis for choice and analysis. The result is a rich picture of the purpose, structure and process of Government Communication in different settings, or to use Canel and Sanders words, 'what it is' and 'what it does'. This seminal text plugs a gap in our knowledge and understanding in a growing area of study and as such is essential reading for both academics and practitioners.
*Anne Gregory, Professor and Director, Centre for Public Relations Studies, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK*

As somebody who is sometimes described as a 'spin doctor,' it is a pleasure to read a book on government communication that depicts leaders and citizenry in a relationship, rather than simply manipulation from the top. Using rich case studies in fifteen countries, Karen Sanders and María José Canel analyze the different ways governments cope with growing uncertainty in the world of politics and media and the importance of strategy and perspective over tactics and rapid response.
*Stanley Greenberg, Chairman and CEO of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research*