Political Communication in Britain

RIC BAILEY Chief Political Advisor, BBCADAM BOULTON Sky Presenter of the second Prime Ministerial DebateJAY G BLUMLER Emeritus Professor of Public Communication, University of Leeds, UKCHRIS BURGESS Postgraduate Research Student, University of Nottingham, UKSTEPHEN COLEMAN Professor of Political Communication and Director of Research, Institute of Communication Studies, University of Leeds, UKNICK COOK Labour PartyHELEN COOMBS Deputy Head of Political Research, Ipsos MORIJOHN CORNER Researcher on the AHRC-funded project, 'Media Genre and Political Culture', University of Liverpool, UKDAVID CUTTS Research Fellow, University of Manchester, UKDAVID DEACON Professor of Communication and Media AnalysisLoughborough University, UK EDWARD FIELDHOUSE Director of the Institute for Social Change, University of Manchester, UKJUSTIN FISHER Professor of Political Science, Brunel University, London, UKIVOR GABER Professor of Political Campaigning, City University, London, UKPETER GOLDING Northumbria University, UKANDREW HAWKINS Chairman, ComResPETER KELLNER Chair, YouGovTOMASZ MLUDZINSKI Research Executive, Ipsos MORIKATY PARRY Researcher on the AHRC-funded project, 'Media Genre and Political Culture', University of Liverpool, UKLORD CHRIS RENNARD Liberal Democrat Party KAY RICHARDSON Researcher on the AHRC-funded project, 'Media Genre and Political Culture', University of Liverpool, UKTOM D. C. ROBERTS Macquarie University, AustraliaROSALYND SOUTHERN PhD Student, University of Manchester, UKJAMES STANYER Senior Lecturer in Media and Communication Studies, Loughborough University, UKFABRO STEIBEL Research and Teaching Assistant, Institute of Communication Studies, University of Leeds, UKJOE TWYMAN Director of Political Research, YouGovJENNIFER VAN HEERDE-HUDSON Lecturer in Research Methods, University College London, UKSTEPHEN WARD Reader in Politics, University of Salford, UKJENNY WATSON Chair, Electoral Commission ALEX WILSON, Conservative Party

"This fascinating collection of essays provides a detailed, scholarly but always accessible analysis of the interplay between the media and politicians - when there is most at stake. Political Communication in Britain is the 2010 election laid bare' - Michael Cockerell, Award-winning political broadcaster

• Introduction; D.Wring PART I: DEBATES What Took So Long? The late arrival of TV election debates in the UK; R.Bailey The Election Debates from Sky News' Perspective; A.Boulton & T. D. C. Roberts Media Coverage of the Prime Ministerial Debates; S.Coleman, F.Steibel & J.G.Blumler The polls, the media and voters: the leader debates; A.Hawkins & C.Laws PART II: POLLING Were they Wrong about the LibDems All Along?; S.Atkinson & R.Mortimore Polling Voting Intentions; P.Kellner, J.Twyman & A.Wells PART III: VOTERS The Campaign as Experienced by the Voters in the Battleground Seats; R.Mortimore, H.Cleary & T.Mludzinski Public Confidence in Elections; J.Watson PART IV: PARTIES The Conservative Campaign; A.Wilson The Labour Campaign; N.Cook The Liberal Democrat Campaign; Lord C.Rennard PART V: CAMPAIGNING This election will be won by people not posters'… Posters and the 2010 General Election; C.Burgess Constituency Campaigning in 2010; J.Fisher, D.Cutts & E.Fieldhouse Below the Radar? Online campaigning at the Local Level; R.Southern & S.Ward PART VI: MEDIA Playing by the Rules: the 2009 MPs Expenses Scandal; J.Hudson The Transformation of Campaign Reporting: the 2010 UK General Election, revolution or evolution?; I.Gaber Reporting the 2010 General Election: Old Media, New Media - Old Politics, New Politics; D.Deacon & D.Wring Genre and the mediation of election politics; K. Richardson, K. Parry & J. Corner Conclusion; R.Mortimore & S.Atkinson