Political Conflict

Political conflict can be defined as a public dispute over political influence or control between two or more antagonists. The role of the news media in political conflict is a central area of research in the field of political communication. There are at least two reasons for this level of interest. First, there is reason to believe that that role of the media in such disputes can have a major impact on both the course of these disputes and on their final outcome. Second, the news media serve as the central arena for such disputes, and most citizens rely on the press as their primary source of information about political conflicts.

[Page 573]The research in this area can be divided into two broad areas. Studies concerning ...