Strategic elites, the press, and race relations

In public discourse about race relations, social and political actors inter act with the press with the goal of shaping the picture of social reality, accepted by policymakers and citizens. In a departure from research focusin g on how, elites shape news coverage, this research examines what policymak ers do-in a strategic sense-with discourse about race in news media. Eviden ce linking press content or journalists' comments about race with advocacy by Elites of certain legislative policies would be suggestive of how mass c ommunication has been "used" in public discussion about race relations. Wit h this in mind, this research examines 2 important congressional debates ab out race relations during a critical era in U.S. history.