Media-centric or Politics-centric Political Communication Research? Some Reflections

Abstract

Whether political communication research is media-centric or politics-centric is an interesting question. In this article, I argue however that it is important is to clarify whether the answer depends on the extent to which the focus is on media or on politics, or the extent to which the role of the media in political processes is viewed positively or negatively. With respect to the assessment of the role of media in political processes, it is also important to distinguish between assessments based on a priori normative assumptions and based on empirical results. In conclusion, it is argued that the strength of political communication research lies in its interdisciplinarity. From that perspective, it is imperative that political communication scholars include relevant theories regardless of their disciplinary origin.