Has the communication of politics become professionalised? Who are the 'professionals' and what part do they play in the political process? Can the process of professionalisation be observed in different political systems? These, and related questions, about the changing nature of practices in political communication are explored in this book that looks at developments across a number of different countries. The different ways in which the idea of the professionalisation of political communication has been commonly used is explored and the authors develop a framework for understanding changing practices in political communication and in different contexts, for example, in respect of political campaigns and elections in general, and in respect of communication by governments. It is also focuses on these same themes in specific countries: Germany, France, Britain, Greece, the Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, Sweden.

Autorentext

Ralph Negrine is professor of political communication at the University of Sheffield.

Christina Holtz-Bacha is professor of communication of the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.

Paolo Mancini is professor of communication at the University of Perugia, Italy.

Stylianos Papathanassopoulos is professor of media organization and policy at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

Zusammenfassung
Long before a politician opens his mouth to speak in public, his words have been filtered through a team of public relations experts, communications consultants, and campaign assistants. When did politicians' speeches stop being their own? And who are these professional communicators who fine-tune messages to suit the demands of electoral strategy? In The Professionalization of Political Communication, renowned contributors explore the effect of such consciously manipulated discourse on European politics; the resulting volume is essential for anyone interested in the changing political dialect.