Emerging media technologies have fostered new forms of political communication, from televised town halls to political cable channels, that may challenge journalists' role as the provider of political news. Applying occupational sociological theory, this article examines claims of journalists in news and commentary focusing on several new political communication forms that emerged, or were heavily discussed, during the 1992 presidential election campaigns; including electronic town meetings, electronic forums, and talk shows, and in 1993, cable television's National Empowerment Television. The analysis suggests that journalists are engaging in a technologically inspired jurisdictional struggle for control of political communication work tasks with politicians, the public, and other nonjournalists.
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