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Sunday, February 9, 2014

The Outrage Industry: Political Opinion Media and the New Incivility ( Studies in Postwar American Political Development )

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"The United States has a long history of controversial political commentary, but recent years have seen a new genre of opinion characterized by outrageous innuendo and misrepresentation. Berry and Sobieraj (political science & sociology, respectively, Tufts Univ.), using a variety of well-documented qualitative and quantitative methods to conduct their research, chronicle the variety and types of outrageous commentary found across the political spectrum, from conservative to liberal. The authors draw on a variety of examples, including Rush Limbaugh's attack on Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke for advocating for health insurance coverage for contraceptives and Keith Olbermann's belaboring of Michelle Bachman's misstatement about sharing a hometown with John Wayne, in order to illustrate the hyperpartisan nature of some commentary. The growth in outrage-based opinion is attributed to decreasing regulation, new media outlets and formats, changes in popular culture, and the fear of engaging in political conversation in social settings. While the authors are careful not to imply a causal relationship, they link changes in commentary to the growing polarization of Congress and the incivility in politics. VERDICT Scholars in the fields of communication, political science, and sociology will welcome this detailed examination of the changes in public political discourse.-"  (Library Journal)

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