Date of Graduation
2001
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
Committee Chair
Ralph E. Hanson
Abstract
The proliferation of political television talk shows as a modern media form appears to have had a profound influence on the dimensions and depth of public discourse. While the majority of these public affairs programs position themselves as forums for the serious discussion of consequential events and ideas, many media critics have suggested that these programs have diminished the quality of the national political dialogue by presenting and interpreting information according to television’s penchant for drama and amusement. Although public affairs programs have been the target of much criticism, their has been little academic exploration of the ways which these shows may employ certain techniques to make everyday events seem intriguing and interesting. The current study attempts to address this apparent gap between popular criticism and principled scholarship on the subject. By observing patterns in subject treatment and speaker choice and by examining the use of rhetorical forms on political talk shows, the researcher draws conclusions about the propensity of public affairs programs to present serious information from an entertainment perspective.
Recommended Citation
Snyder, Marcus Edward, ""Playing to the cameras": The presence of an entertainment perspective in political panel programming and the implications of making politics palatable and appealing." (2001). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 10586.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/10586