The ideal of a neutral, objective press has proven in recent years to be just that--an ideal. In "Governing with the News," Timothy E. Cook goes far beyond the single claim that the press is not impartial to argue that the news media are in fact a political institution integral to the day-to-day operations of our government. This updated edition includes a new afterword by the author, which pays close attention to two key developments in the twenty-first century: the accelerating fragmentation of the mass media and the continuing decline of Americans' confidence in the press.
"Provocative and often wise. . . . Cook, who has a complex understanding of the relationship between governing and the news, provides a fascinating account of the origins of this complicity."--James Bennet," Washington Monthly"
"["Governing with the News"] addresses central issues of media impact and power in fresh, illuminating ways. . . . Cook mines a wealth of historical and organizational literature to assert that the news media are a distinct political
institution in our democratic system."--Robert Schmuhl," Commonweal"

"A thoughtful, provocative, and timely account of the meaning of a free press in the United States." -- American Journal of Political Science

Most Americans consider a free press essential to democratic society -- -either as an independent watchdog against governmental abuse of power or as a wide-open marketplace of ideas. But few understand that far--reaching public policies have shaped the news citizens receive. With contributions from leading scholars in the fields of history, legal scholarship, political science, and communications, this revised and updated edition of Freeing the Presses offers an in-depth inquiry into the theory and practice of journalistic freedom. In addition to a new foreword by Regina G. Lawrence and afterword by Laura Stein, Freeing the Presses presents fresh and timely analyses of the complexities of news media and politics.