Madison's worst fears were realised in 2004, when voters in a popular election lacked popular information and the means to acquire it. More than anything John Kerry, George Bush, or indeed, Karl Rove did, the media's mis-coverage of the campaign decided the election. Most disturbingly, the problems with the election coverage reflect long-term problems with U.S. journalism. John Nichols and Robert McChesney, two of America's foremost media analysts and founders of the national media reform group Free Press, dissect the troubling trends in journalism that surfaced in 2004 - the decline in resources and standards for political journalism, and the organised campaign by the political right to control the news cycle. They show how government decisions made without informed consent of the American people have led to a media system that undermines democracy. Including news making interviews with John Kerry, Howard Dean, Barack Obama, and other key players in the political process, this book is both an expose and a call to action.