Brian Calfano – författare

Though not all people are religious believers, religion has played important historic roles in developing political systems, parties, and policies—affecting believers and nonbelievers alike. This is particularly true in the United States, where scholars have devoted considerable attention to a variety of political phenomena at the intersection of religious belief and identity, including social movements, voting behavior, public opinion, and public policy. These outcomes are motivated by “identity boundary-making” among the religiously affiliated. The contributors to this volume examine two main factors that influence religious identity: the communication of religious ideas and the perceptions of people (including elites) in communicating said ideas.

Exploring the Public Effects of Religious Communication on Politics examines an array of religious communication phenomena. These include the media’s role in furthering religious narratives about minority groups, religious strategies that interest groups use to advance their appeal, the variable strength of Islamophobia in cross-national contexts, what qualifies as an “evangelical” identity, and clergy representation of religious and institutional teachings. The volume also provides ways for readers to think about developing new insights into the influence religious communication has on political outcomes.

With a particular focus on the United States, this book offers a practical guide to writing and delivering sound political TV news coverage.

Beginning with a historical overview of political reporting, and contextualizing political journalism and local TV news within wider industry issues, this book goes on to offer an essential understanding of the complex decision-making inherent in this critical form of journalism today. In accessible and engaging language, Calfano introduces students to all the basics of local political TV reporting—writing, shooting, editing, and producing—touching on long-form interviewing, political "talkbacks," election coverage, using data, and investigative journalism as a means of uncovering political stories. Readers will learn about working the political beats, from the City Hall to the Statehouse and from policy to budgets, in a way which is both compelling and ethical. A chapter on local, state, and federal government acts as a quick reference primer to the US political landscape. Each chapter includes a series of reflection exercises and ideas for exploring political coverage from the perspectives introduced, and case studies help readers translate what they’ve learned into real-world practice. This book also features a list of quick hacks for political reporters and a political resource list which TV news reporters and producers can go to for sources and government information.

This textbook is essential reading for anyone aspiring to become a reporter, producer, or news manager in the United States and will also be of great value to students of Political Journalism, Broadcast Journalism, and Local TV News worldwide.

With a particular focus on the United States, this book offers a practical guide to writing and delivering sound political TV news coverage.

Beginning with a historical overview of political reporting, and contextualizing political journalism and local TV news within wider industry issues, this book goes on to offer an essential understanding of the complex decision-making inherent in this critical form of journalism today. In accessible and engaging language, Calfano introduces students to all the basics of local political TV reporting—writing, shooting, editing, and producing—touching on long-form interviewing, political "talkbacks," election coverage, using data, and investigative journalism as a means of uncovering political stories. Readers will learn about working the political beats, from the City Hall to the Statehouse and from policy to budgets, in a way which is both compelling and ethical. A chapter on local, state, and federal government acts as a quick reference primer to the US political landscape. Each chapter includes a series of reflection exercises and ideas for exploring political coverage from the perspectives introduced, and case studies help readers translate what they’ve learned into real-world practice. This book also features a list of quick hacks for political reporters and a political resource list which TV news reporters and producers can go to for sources and government information.

This textbook is essential reading for anyone aspiring to become a reporter, producer, or news manager in the United States and will also be of great value to students of Political Journalism, Broadcast Journalism, and Local TV News worldwide.

Calfano provides an examination of the pressures faced by Muslims, often considered political and social outsiders in western nations, especially in the United States. Identity is a complex concept, especially when considering the role that group attachments play in affecting how one sees her/his role in the political environment of their country of residence. Perhaps the greatest tension in this regard is felt by those who are often considered outsiders in their home country, despite significant ties to their nation.

Though citizens and second generation residents in many cases, American Muslims face a combination of suspicion, government scrutiny, and social segregation in the United States, despite significant education and economic assimilation in America. The crux of the investigation advanced here centres on how group influence, emotions, and religious interpretation contribute to the political orientation and behaviour of a national sample of Muslims living in the American context.

A compelling explanation as to how members of an ostracized political group marshal the motivation to push through suspicion to become fully engaged political actors, this book has wide relevance and will be of interest to scholars researching Muslims and political participation across the fields of political science, history, sociology, and religion.

Calfano provides an examination of the pressures faced by Muslims, often considered political and social outsiders in western nations, especially in the United States. Identity is a complex concept, especially when considering the role that group attachments play in affecting how one sees her/his role in the political environment of their country of residence. Perhaps the greatest tension in this regard is felt by those who are often considered outsiders in their home country, despite significant ties to their nation.

Though citizens and second generation residents in many cases, American Muslims face a combination of suspicion, government scrutiny, and social segregation in the United States, despite significant education and economic assimilation in America. The crux of the investigation advanced here centres on how group influence, emotions, and religious interpretation contribute to the political orientation and behaviour of a national sample of Muslims living in the American context.

A compelling explanation as to how members of an ostracized political group marshal the motivation to push through suspicion to become fully engaged political actors, this book has wide relevance and will be of interest to scholars researching Muslims and political participation across the fields of political science, history, sociology, and religion.