Ten Observations about the Past, Present and Future of Political Communication.

Politicians believe they receive both insufficient and negative media coverage with a minimum of substance. Journalists complain about uninteresting politicians swamped by spin. Citizens are allegedly cynical and disengaged. This is a populist (and pessimist and partly incorrect) account. The themes are addressed in 'Ten Observations about the Past, Present and Future of Political Communication' in which De Vreese outlines the origins and development of the field of political communication, identifies key questions to be answered and provides guidance as how to answer these questions. With examples from political communication research, including his own work, he shows that citizens can be cynical and still engaged, that journalistic news framing can shift public opinion, and that news about European integration is a key source of information for citizens when formulating their opinions about integration.