permanent campaign has resulted in ‘permanent communication’
whereby political actors seek to dominate the political agenda every
day through every available communication channel.
In order to win the media battle every day, governments, political
parties and other political actors have increasingly relied on media
management to dominate the news agenda. This is a competitive
process where the protagonists are always looking for new techniques
and technologies to gain an advantage.
The ever-increasing reliance on media management has funda-
mentally changed the relationship between politicians and the media.
One school of thought suggests that the control of mass communi-
cation in the hands of an elite has led to a ‘public relations state’
(Deacon and Golding, 1994). Another view is that where journalists
were deferential to politicians in the 1950s, they are now con-
temptuous (Barnett, 2002; McNair, 2003). A worsening relation-
ship between journalists and politicians cannot help the transmission
of political communication to citizens.
Interest groups
BOX 7.2 PRESSURE OR INTEREST GROUPS
A pressure group can be said to be in the business of political
communication. ‘Interest group’ may be the better term (Box 7.2)
since it may well seek to influence the government more by
persuasion and information than by threats of political reward or
penalty. However, it would be surprising if interest groups were not
listened to more closely if they represent large numbers of voters
(trade unions), influential ‘opinion formers’ (doctors) or wealthy
actual or potential contributors to party funds.
Where the interest is a professional or business one, then the
group concerned may well have both specialised expertise which
DEMOCRACY 195A pressure or interest group is a formal social group that differs from a
political party in seeking only to influence the government – and not to
become a formal part of it.