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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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