Excellent source on the Russian media, development of the Russian television. Very well researched. Full of insights on the role of top Soviet and Russian government officials in the development of Russian television. Good combination of personal interviews with journalists, experts, government officials, and analysis of public opinion research data, focus group data as well as personal observations. A good source for both academic and interest reading. If you'd like to understand what is happening with the Russian television today, this is a must reading.

*Democracy on the Air* is the single most helpful public policy guidebook available on the role of the electronic media in democratic countries. The guidebook explores "how autonomous and responsible media systems function in democracies"; "the ways in which television can be used in the coverage of democratic elections"; and "how journalists cover the lives of ethnic minorities and ethnic conflict, if and when it arises, as well as integrate minorities into the journalistic profession." This is what the guidebook promises, and indeed does, deliver, with an added overview and analysis of policy alternatives. For those interested in learning about public policy, democracy, and the media, this book is clearly written, globally informed and informative, and covers topics such as political freedom for broadcasting, news coverage of elections, paid political advertising, and coverage of conflict and ethnic minorities. Jimmy Carter's foreword is of particular interest.

In this election year Ellen Mickiewicz, arguably the most brilliant and well-informed scholar on media and politics in U.S. academe, and Charles Firestone, the Director of the Aspen Institute, team up to give us the long-awaited second edition of the esteemed _Television & Elections_, the first edition of which was translated into more than a dozen languages. This definitive and completely updated 2nd edition teaches politically-concerned constituents everything they need to know about news coverage of elections, the issue of free time for political candidates, paid political advertising, campaign and election debates, and regulation. Highly recommended.