In modern democracies, public deliberation is often mediated; it large
ly involves not face-to-face debate among citizens, but discussion amo
ng public officials, experts, and professional communicators through t
he mass media. Close examination of a particular instance of public de
liberation-the quick rejection of the Bush White House charge that the
1992 Los Angeles riots were caused by failed social programs of the 1
960s and 1970s-reveals several features of mediated deliberation that
may be Father general: the great speed with which communication can oc
cur; the differing editorial stands of particular print and electronic
media; the ways in which editorial positions are reflected in news st
ories; and the leading roles of such elite newspapers as the Wall Stre
et Journal, New York Times, and Washington Post. This case also sugges
ts conditions under which the communications power of the presidency a
re limited, and it illustrates some of the political currents that bro
ught the Bush presidency to an end.