Dr Nick Anstead PEL.7.01F

This course is available on the MSc in Media and Communications, MSc in Media and Communications (Research), MSc in Politics and Communication and MSc in Strategic Communications. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

This course is available to other students from the Department of Media and Communications, and students from other departments at the LSE. Students from the Department of Government are particularly welcome. 

Please note however that places are limited. In order to accommodate academic staff research leave and sabbaticals, and in order to maintain smaller seminar group sizes, this course is capped. This means that there is a limit to the number of students who can be accepted. While we do our best to accommodate all requests, we cannot guarantee places on the course. 

The aim of the course is to examine the relationship between the media and political processes in comparative perspective. It offers a critical review of key aspects of contemporary theory and research in political communications, examining a range of interconnected issues concerning the relationship between politics and media including: the political influence of the media; public opinion; election and referendum campaigning; political marketing and branding; political reporting; media and public knowledge; and public diplomacy.

10 hours of lectures and 10 hours of seminars in the MT.

All students are expected to complete advance reading, prepare seminar presentations, and submit one essay of 1,500 words.

• Bennett, W. L. & Segerberg, A. 2012. The Logic of Connective Action : Digital Media and the Personalization of Contenious Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Chadwick, A. 2013. The Hybrid Media System: Politics and Power. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Coleman, S. & Blumler, J. G. 2009. The Internet and democratic citizenship : theory, practice and policy. Cambridge ; New York: Cambridge University Press.
• Davis, A. 2010. Political communication and social theory. London ; New York: Routledge.
• Esser, F. and Pfetsch, B. (Eds). 2004. Comparing Political Communications, New York, Cambridge University Press;
• Issenberg, S. 2012. The Victory Lab: The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns: Crown;
• Norris, P. 2000. Virtuous Circle, Cambridge University Press;
• Scammell, Margaret. 2014. Consumer Democracy: The Marketing Of Politics. New York, NY USA: Cambridge University Press.
• Stromer-Galley, J. 2014. Presidential campaigning in the Internet age. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Willnat, L, and Annette A (Eds) 2009. Political communication in Asia. London ; New York: Routledge.

Essay (100%, 3000 words) in the LT.

The course focuses on how politicians communicate with the public, and what developments in this area mean for democracy.

Students' comments

"The lectures are some of the most stimulating and interesting I've had in my education. Fantastic teaching"

"The student-led seminars were great... [I] enjoyed leading on one myself!"