Democracy under attack : how the media distort policy and politics / Malcolm Dean.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Rise and fall of mainstream journalism -- 2. Inside and outside look at policy-making -- 3. Law and order -- 4. Drugs: tabloid puppets and pawns -- 5. Asylum: an oppressive media campaign prompts a cowardly political response -- 6. Labour's boldest bid: to end child poverty -- 7. Vocational education: the biggest disappointment -- 8. Health and social care: the most expensive breakfast in history -- 9. Disappearance of the housing correspondent -- 10. Subverting democracy: seven sins of the reptiles.

The ongoing News International phone-hacking scandal has made abundantly clear that the media{u2019}s influence over politics is both immense and largely hidden from public scrutiny. As the scandal grows, a question arises: even when they stay on the right side of the law, to what extent does the media influence the political process? In Democracy under Attack, one of the media{u2019}s own{u2014}Malcolm Dean, theGuardian{u2019}s longstanding chief monitor of social policy{u2014}expertly indicts his fellow journalists, revealing the ways their distorted coverage undermines democracy.