Davis Buzz Merritt, Maxwell E. McCombs

"Providing fresh perspectives on journalism and the coverage of public affairs, Merritt and McCombs offer one of the first books to look at specific reporting challenges involved with civic or public journalism....The combination of Merritt and McCombs brings the rare authority of both a distinguished scholar and newspaper editor, each with a career of professional leadership....Though scholarly, the book is commendably accessible."—CHOICE"...the book looks at the nature of deliberation, the importance of election coverage and the use and abuse of polls....it is a very challenging read."—Journalism Studies"This is a unique and valuable blueprint for how journalism can become more useful and relevant in this age of information abundance."—David WeaverIndiana University

• Contents: Preface. Introduction. Part I.The Why. Why We Have a First Amendment. Conflicting Visions of Democracy. The Evolution of Journalism. What the Public Needs to Know. Three Publics for the News. Technology and the New Millennium. Part II.The What. Sampling the News. Framing Stories and Positioning Citizens. Positioning Ourselves as Journalists. Deliberation. Elections. Polling--Use and Abuse. A Map of the Future.