The case presented so far in this book rests heavily on comparative evidence derived from aggregate data across OECD countries and the Eurobarometer surveys available for the fifteen member states of the EU. It could be argued, however, that the evidence we have presented thus far misses the point if media malaise turns out to be a case of ‘American exceptionalism’. Many accounts of media malaise have focused on specific aspects of the news media and campaigns in the United States, and it may be that these propositions and findings cannot be generalized more widely to other systems. This potential criticism needs to be addressed because there are many plausible reasons why the pattern seen in the United States could prove different from the patterns observed in other postindustrial societies, including the nature of the media environment, political system, and historical culture. This chapter considers these reasons and then explores the evidence for specific and diffuse media malaise effects in the American context. Far from indicating American exceptionalism, the findings suggest the positive effect from the news media that we have already observed in Europe.

REASONS FOR AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM?

There are many reasons why the media malaise theory may be applicable to America. The political system and institutions in the United States have many features that may produce distinctive patterns of political communication unlike those in other established democracies.