With Malice Toward All: The Media and Public Confidence in Democratic Institutions

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Public opinion polls point to a continuing decline in confidence in the Presidency, court system, Congress, the news media, state government, public education, and other key institutions. Moy and Pfau analyze the reasons for this crisis of confidence, with particular attention to the role of the media. Moy and Pfau examine the impact of sociodemographic factors, political expertise, and use of communication media on people's perceptions of confidence in democratic institutions. Their conclusions are based on two years of data collection. In three waves between 1995 and 1997, they conducted a series of content analyses of media depictions of democratic institutions in conjunction with general survey data. The result is one of the most comprehensive examinations ever conducted on the influence of the media on public confidence. It will be of great value to scholars, researchers, students, and professionals in government and the media.

Reviews

"Is the decline in public confidence in America's political institutions largely attributable to a cynical news media Patricia Moy and Michael Pfau's study demonstrates that the question is a complex one that cannot be answered with sweeping generalizations. Not everyone will agree with their conclusions, or even the way that they chose to examine the question, but their book is the best study yet of this important topic. With Malice Toward All should be on the reading list of everyone who seeks a fuller understanding of the news media's role in American public life."-Thomas E. Patterson Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press John F. Kennedy School of Government Harvard University
"Moy and Pfau point the way toward a new research agenda on media effects. They demonstrate that different media have different effects on public confidence in government. In the process, they deliver a thorough and thoughtful review of work on public confidence and trust in government."-W. Lance Bennett Professor University of Washington
"This book makes a contribution in being comprehensive in examining the direct and indirect effects of 15 antecedent variables on the public confidence in five democratic institutions. In contrast to much of political communication research, the authors use adequate measures of both media content and use (attention as well as exposure) of seven media sources....The book provides a clear warning of the dangers of using "media effects" without specifying which medium and what content."-Jack M. McLeod Maier-Bascom Professor Journalism and Mass Communication Chair, Mass Communications Research Center University of Wisconsin-Madison
"With Malice Toward All is an innovative yet rigorous examination of one of the key problems of contemporary political life. Moy and Pfau have combined careful content analysis and some sophisticated survey work and analysis to create a perspective and insightful look on an old problem that remains of considerable contemporary concern."-Gerald M. Kosicki Director of Graduate Studies School of Journalism and Communication The Ohio State University

Author Bio

PATRICIA MOY is Assistant Professor, School of Communications, University of Washington. Professor Moy has published numerous articles in journals dealing with communication and journalism issues. MICHAEL PFAU is Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Professor Pfau has published five earlier books and numerous journal articles dealing with the media and public perceptions.