News and Politics critically examines television news bulletins ‎- still the primary source of information for most people ‎- and asks whether the wider pace and immediacy of 24‎-hour news culture has influenced their format and style over time‎.‎ Drawing on the concepts of mediatization and journalistic interventionism‎,‎ Stephen Cushion empirically traces the shift from edited to live reporting from a cross‎-national perspective‎,‎ focussing on the two‎-way convention in political coverage and the more interpretive approach to journalism it promotes‎.‎ Challenging prevailing academic wisdom‎,‎ Cushion argues that the mediatization of news does not necessarily reflect a commercial logic or a lowering of journalism standards‎.‎ In particular‎,‎ the rise of live two‎-ways can potentially enhance viewers‎'‎ understanding of public affairs ‎- moving reporters beyond their visual backdrops and reliance on political soundbites ‎- by asking journalists to scrutinize the actions of political elites‎,‎ interpret competing source claims and to explain the broader context to everyday stories‎.‎ Considering the future of 24‎-hour news‎,‎ a final discussion asks whether new content and social media platforms ‎- including Twitter and Buzzfeed ‎- enhance or weaken democratic culture‎.‎ This timely analysis of News and Politics is ideal for students of political communication and journalism studies‎,‎ as well as communication studies‎,‎ media studies‎,‎ and political science‎.‎