The Media's Financial Influence on Politics

在台灣，我們常常會聽到有人批評新聞媒體過度介入政治，尤其是在最近的紅衫軍倒扁運動中，新聞媒體的角色更是惹人非議。類似的討論也出現在美國，不過，是從「媒體政治獻金的數量與流向」來作分析討論。

John Dunbar，Center for Public Integrity的研究計畫主持人，出了一本名為〈Networks of Influence: The Political Power of the Communications Industry〉在討論這問題。

這本書從三個現象出發：

• Total lobbying expenditures from 1998 through mid-2004 by the industry were more than $764 million. In comparison, the oil and gas industry less than $400 million over the same period, the Center has found.


• Campaign contributions from 1998 through September 2004 were $145.6 million. The total includes both hard and soft money donations from industry employees, labor unions representing employees in the communications industry and political action committees.


• The Center identified 450 industry-funded trips valued at $704,229 from 2000 through March of 2004.

並且搭配這些獻金的流向，來分析媒體如何透過政治獻金對政治進行遊說，政治人物又如何從他們所管理的媒體中獲利。

沒時間看整本書的話，這裡有一篇短文。又或者，你可以花一個小時的時間聽聽他在「加州大學電視」上的演講。


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