Matthew R. Kerbel is professor of political science at Villanova University and author of five books on politics, the mass media, and the presidency, including If It Bleeds, It Leads: An Anatomy of Television News and the textbook American Government: Your Voice, Your Future. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, and he worked as a radio and television newswriter for outlets that included the Public Broadcasting Service in New York City.