Media bias has been a hot-button issue for several decades and it features prominently in the post-2016 political conversation. Yet, it receives only spotty treatment in existing materials aimed at political communication or introductory American politics courses. Evaluating Media Bias is a brief, supplemental resource that provides an academically informed but broadly accessible overview of the major concepts and controversies involving media bias. Adam Schiffer explores the contours of the partisan-bias debate before pivoting to real biases: the patterns, constraints, and shortcomings plaguing American political news. Media bias is more relevant than ever in the aftermath of the presidential election, which launched a flurry of media criticism from scholars, commentators, and thoughtful news professionals. Engaging and informative, this text reviews what we know about media bias, offers timely case studies as illustration, and introduces an original framework for unifying diverse conversations about this topic that is the subject of so much ire in our country. Evaluating Media Bias allows students of American politics, and politically aware citizens alike, the means of detecting and evaluating bias for themselves, and thus join the national conversation about the state of American news media.

Conditional Press Influence in Politics theorizes about and tests the conditions under which the press acts as an independent political institution, and when it cedes its power to other actors or phenomena. Using substantive case studies, Adam J. Schiffer reviews the most politically consequential press routines, and illustrates 'true media influence'-the unique effect of press norms, constraints, and routines on the political world. By moving beyond news content to treat the organizations that produce the content as political actors, Conditional Press Influence in Politics gives a theoretical framework to aid scholars in understanding the news media's role in American politics.

Conditional Press Influence in Politics theorizes about and tests the conditions under which the press acts as an independent political institution, and when it cedes its power to other actors or phenomena. Using substantive case studies, Adam J. Schiffer reviews the most politically consequential press routines, and illustrates "true media influence"-the unique effect of press norms, constraints, and routines on the political world. By moving beyond news content to treat the organizations that produce the content as political actors, Conditional Press Influence in Politics gives a theoretical framework to aid scholars in understanding the news media's role in American politics.

Media bias has been a hot-button issue for several decades and it features prominently in the post-2016 political conversation. Yet, it receives only spotty treatment in existing materials aimed at political communication or introductory American politics courses. Evaluating Media Bias is a brief, supplemental resource that provides an academically informed but broadly accessible overview of the major concepts and controversies involving media bias. Adam Schiffer explores the contours of the partisan-bias debate before pivoting to real biases: the patterns, constraints, and shortcomings plaguing American political news. Media bias is more relevant than ever in the aftermath of the presidential election, which launched a flurry of media criticism from scholars, commentators, and thoughtful news professionals. Engaging and informative, this text reviews what we know about media bias, offers timely case studies as illustration, and introduces an original framework for unifying diverse conversations about this topic that is the subject of so much ire in our country. Evaluating Media Bias allows students of American politics, and politically aware citizens alike, the means of detecting and evaluating bias for themselves, and thus join the national conversation about the state of American news media.