Series: Elements in Politics and Communication

Why do some events catch fire in the news, producing a media storm, while many similar events go all but unnoticed? Catching Fire in the News uses a fire triangle analogy to explain the necessary conditions of media storms. The “heat” is the spark: a dramatic event or discovery. The “fuel” is the political and cultural landscape, including similar items...

Why do some events catch fire in the news, producing a media storm, while many similar events go all but unnoticed? Catching Fire in the News uses a fire triangle analogy to explain the necessary conditions of media storms. The “heat” is the spark: a dramatic event or discovery. The “fuel” is the political and cultural landscape, including similar items...

While scholars have long considered how political messages make people feel, changes in the media environment have given people unprecedented access to the expressed emotions of others. Through both contemporary news stories and social media, people now learn how others – often strangers – feel about political events. Do people believe in the sincerity of these expressed emotions? To answer...

The established idea that people learn about politics and relevant societal issues via the news media can be put into question because of a "twin challenge of increased media choice." First, there is a growing number of people who choose to avoid most news, which leaves them uninformed about what is happening in politics and society. Second, people may form...

The established idea that people learn about politics and relevant societal issues via the news media can be put into question because of a 'twin challenge of increased media choice.' First, there is a growing number of people who choose to avoid most news, which leaves them uninformed about what is happening in politics and society. Second, people may form...