The dynamic relationship of media and politics in the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries is a new field in historical scholarship. The
mediatization of politics is a central topic in current debates on the
role of media in society and culture. Until now a historical perspective
has been strikingly absent from this debate. At an international
congress at the University of Groningen in November 2006 a wide range of
scholars tried to address this lack. The result is this book, in which
an interdisciplinary effort is made to shed light on the historical
background of media processes and media forms influencing politics. Also
included are articles that analyse the ways in which politicians and
parties tried to mobilize media power for their own goals.