EMC 2410Intro to Electronic Media

Edward Bowen

Lecture Twelve

Television News

Television Pioneers: Edward R. Murrow

• 1908: Born April 25.• 1935: Joins CBS as Director of Talks.• 1937: Becomes CBS’s Director of European Operations.• 1940: “This is London.” Helps create “London After Dark.”• 1945: Buchenwald.• 1951: Launches “See It Now.”• 1953: Premieres “Person to Person.”

Television PioneersEdward R. Murrow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQQaX2h1plo

Television PioneersEdward R. Murrow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anNEJJYLU8M

Television PioneersEdward R. Murrow

“Good Night and Good Luck” (2005)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNq8LoYjG2E

Television PioneersEdward R. Murrow

“Good Night and Good Luck” (2005)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCaBCdJWOyM

Television PioneersEdward R. Murrow

“Good Night and Good Luck” (2005)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opOE5Tc85r4

Ethics GuidelinesLisa Simeone and Michele Norris

http://youtu.be/_0SHahAgbQs

Occupy DC

Ethics GuidelinesLisa Simeone and Michele Norris

http://youtu.be/_0SHahAgbQs

Occupy DC

Ethics GuidelinesLisa Simeone and Michele Norris

http://www.npr.org/about/aboutnpr/ethics/ethics_code.html

Ethics GuidelinesLisa Simeone and Michele Norris

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/10/24/141650212/nprs-michele-norris-stepping-away-from-hosting-duties

A Few Possibly Relevant Concepts1. Hallin’s Spheres

• “The Uncensored War” (1986) by communications professor Daniel Hallin

A Few Possibly Relevant Concepts1. Hallin’s Spheres

• “The Uncensored War” (1986) by communications professor Daniel Hallin

A Few Possibly Relevant Concepts1. Hallin’s Spheres

• “The Uncensored War” (1986) by communications professor Daniel Hallin

• Sphere of Consensus - Issues American journalists and commentators can generally agree upon: Democracy is good, slavery is bad, all men are created equal. “Self-evident” truths about which journalists do not feel they need to be objective.

A Few Possibly Relevant Concepts1. Hallin’s Spheres

• “The Uncensored War” (1986) by communications professor Daniel Hallin

• Sphere of Consensus - Issues American journalists and commentators can generally agree upon: Democracy is good, slavery is bad, all men are created equal. “Self-evident” truths about which journalists do not feel they need to be objective.

• Sphere of Legitimate Controversy - Where journalists generally live: Gun control, interest rates, budget matters, abortion. Issues on which reasonable people can and do disagree and where journalists are obliged to present both sides.

A Few Possibly Relevant Concepts1. Hallin’s Spheres

• “The Uncensored War” (1986) by communications professor Daniel Hallin

• Sphere of Consensus - Issues American journalists and commentators can generally agree upon: Democracy is good, slavery is bad, all men are created equal. “Self-evident” truths about which journalists do not feel they need to be objective.

• Sphere of Legitimate Controversy - Where journalists generally live: Gun control, interest rates, budget matters, abortion. Issues on which reasonable people can and do disagree and where journalists are obliged to present both sides.

• Sphere of Deviance - Viewpoints deemed unworthy of debate. The pro-pedophelia position.

A Few Possibly Relevant Concepts1. Hallin’s Spheres

• “The Uncensored War” (1986) by communications professor Daniel Hallin

A Few Possibly Relevant Concepts2. Tribal Moral Communities

Jonathan Haidt -Associate professor of psychology at the University of Virginia

A Few Possibly Relevant Concepts2. Tribal Moral Communities

Jonathan Haidt• We join together in kin-based groups for procreation,

just like wasps and ants and bees and termites.

A Few Possibly Relevant Concepts2. Tribal Moral Communities

Jonathan Haidt• We join together in kin-based groups for procreation,

just like wasps and ants and bees and termites.• We join together when in competition with other

groups, just like families; jocks, heads and nerds; Elks, Masons and Kiwanis; Catholics, Baptists and Unitarians; Shia and Sunni; Orthodox and Reform Jews; BlueRaiders and RedHawks, or by national origin, ethnic background, racial affiliation, professional affiliation, ancestral heritage, political affiliation.

A Few Possibly Relevant Concepts2. Tribal Moral Communities

Jonathan Haidt• We join together in kin-based groups for procreation,

just like wasps and ants and bees and termites.• We join together when in competition with other

groups, just like families; jocks, heads and nerds; Elks, Masons and Kiwanis; Catholics, Baptists and Unitarians; Shia and Sunni; Orthodox and Reform Jews; BlueRaiders and RedHawks, or by national origin, ethnic background, racial affiliation, professional affiliation, ancestral heritage, political affiliation.

• We join with others who have common beliefs, values, allegiances, interests, histories, symbols, and needs, for protection and security.

A Few Possibly Relevant Concepts2. Tribal Moral Communities

Jonathan HaidtOur genetic and cultural backgrounds predispose us…•Predispose us to unite into teams•Divide us against other teams, and•Blind us to the truth

A Few Possibly Relevant Concepts3. Gatekeepers

An individual or individuals or organization that you allow to filter the information that reaches you.

A Few Possibly Relevant Concepts3. Gatekeepers

An individual or individuals or organization that you allow to filter the information that reaches you.

A Few Possibly Relevant Concepts4. Portals

Entities that aggregate information based on user input.

A Few Possibly Relevant Concepts4. Portals

Entities that aggregate information based on user input.

A Few Possibly Relevant Concepts5. Echo Chamber

A. Information is repeated over and over again without reliance on the initial source.

B. Encountering only news that reinforces out world view.

A Few Possibly Relevant ConceptsPostscript - “Network” (1976)

Because you’re on television, dummy!

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/294072/Network-Movie-Clip-Primal-Forces.html

Era of the Network News AnchorsWalter Cronkite, CBS, 1962-1981

Era of the Network News AnchorsWalter Cronkite, CBS, 1962-1981

• He was the man who told America that -

• President Kennedy had been shot,

Era of the Network News AnchorsWalter Cronkite, CBS, 1962-1981

• He was the man who told America that -

• President Kennedy had been shot,

Era of the Network News AnchorsWalter Cronkite, CBS, 1962-1981

• He was the man who told America that -

• We had put a man on the moon,

Era of the Network News AnchorsWalter Cronkite, CBS, 1962-1981

• He was the man who told America that -

• We had put a man on the moon,

Era of the Network News AnchorsWalter Cronkite, CBS, 1962-1981

• He was the man who told America that - • And we could not win the war in Vietnam.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=2827337n

Era of the Network News AnchorsWalter Cronkite, CBS, 1962-1981

• He was the man who told America that - • And we could not win the war in Vietnam.

http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=95107

Era of the Network News AnchorsWalter Cronkite, CBS, 1962-1981

• He was the man who told America that - • And we could not win the war in Vietnam.

Era of the Network News AnchorsWalter Cronkite, CBS, 1962-1981

• Managing Editor as well as Anchor of the CBS Evening News.

• 1963 - First to report on the air of John Kennedy’s assassination.

• 1968 - Returns from Vietnam following the Tet Offensive to editorialize opposition to war.

• Extensive reportage of the space program.• In 1972, a major poll described him as the most

trusted man in America.• Emphasized short, “breaking news” items over longer

“Enterprise” pieces.• Lent credibility and prestige to television news

broadcasting.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5170918n

Era of the Network News AnchorsChet Huntley and David Brinkley, NBC, 1956-1970

Era of the Network News AnchorsChet Huntley and David Brinkley, NBC, 1956-1970

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/remembering-the-huntley-brinkley-era/6844pad

Era of the Network News AnchorsChet Huntley and David Brinkley, NBC, 1956-1970

Era of the Network News AnchorsPeter Jennings, ABC, 1982 - 2005

Era of the Network News AnchorsPeter Jennings, ABC, 1982 - 2005

Era of the Network News AnchorsPeter Jennings, ABC, 1982 - 2005

Public Broadcasting

• 1952: A grant from the Ford Foundation establishes the National Educational Television (NET) network.

• 1967: The Public Television Act establishes the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

• 1969: Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is incorporated.

• 1970: National Public Radio is created. Premiers “All Things Considered” in 1971.

• 1983: Public Radio International (PRI) is established.

Era of the Network News AnchorsJim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil, PBS, 1975 - 1995

Era of the Network News AnchorsJim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil, PBS, 1975 - 1995

News and PoliticsRichard Nixon - The “Checkers” Speech

September 23, 1952

http://www.history.com/videos/the-checkers-speech#the-checkers-speech

News and PoliticsKennedy - Nixon Debate

September 26, 1960

Watched by 70 million Americans; required an act of Congress

http://www.history.com/videos/the-first-jfk-nixon-debate#the-first-jfk-nixon-debate

News Magazines“60 Minutes,” CBS, 1968 - Present

News Magazines 60 Minutes, 1968 to Present

Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing, 1996

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4455598n

News Magazines 60 Minutes, 1968 to Present

Timothy McVeigh, 2000

News Magazines 60 Minutes, 1968 to Present

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4455582n

Brown and Williamson, Jeffrey Wigand

News Magazines 60 Minutes, 1968 to Present

Brown and Williamson, Jeffrey Wigand

“The Insider,” 1999

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rkvxi5hdbA

News Magazines 60 Minutes, 1968 to Present

Brown and Williamson, Jeffrey Wigand

“The Insider,” 1999

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_ShktXHPII

News Magazines 60 Minutes, 1968 to Present

Brown and Williamson, Jeffrey Wigand

“The Insider,” 1999

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIjpP-XngKA

News Magazines 60 Minutes, 1968 to Present

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=703946n&tag=related;photovideo

Point/Counterpoint

News Magazines 60 Minutes, 1968 to Present

Point/Counterpoint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7S_XWuKpHc

News MagazinesTed Koppel - Nightline 1980 - 2005

News MagazinesTed Koppel - Nightline 1980 - 2005

• November 4, 1979: 52 US citizens are taken hostage by Islamic students and militants in support of the Iranian Revolution. They would be held for 440 days.

News MagazinesTed Koppel - Nightline 1980 - 2005

• November 4, 1979: 52 US citizens are taken hostage by Islamic students and militants in support of the Iranian Revolution. They would be held for 440 days.

• November 8: ABC begins nightly updates titled “The Iran Crisis - America Held Hostage: Day XXX.” They run late night opposite NBC’s “The Tonight Show.”

News MagazinesTed Koppel - Nightline 1980 - 2005

• November 4, 1979: 52 US citizens are taken hostage by Islamic students and militants in support of the Iranian Revolution. They would be held for 440 days.

• November 8: ABC begins nightly updates titled “The Iran Crisis - America Held Hostage: Day XXX.” They run late night opposite NBC’s “The Tonight Show.”

• “Nightline” becomes a permanent fixture in 1980.

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9049568

News MagazinesTed Koppel - Nightline 1980 - 2005

• April 15, 1987: Los Angeles Dodgers Executive Al Campanis is interviewed.

http://video.sbrforum.com/video-8901-al-campanis-nightline.html

News MagazinesTed Koppel - Nightline 1980 - 2005

Era of Cable News• 1976 - Ted Turner’s WTCG Atlanta (later

WTBS) begins national satellite broadcasting distribution via cable, becoming the first national “SuperStation” and launching the basic cable revolution.

Era of Cable News• 1976 - 1979: WTCG/WTBS airs “17 Update

Early in the Morning” from 3 to 4 am to comply with FCC regulations requiring news content.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGbOTbqrS4o

Era of Cable News• 1976 - 1979: WTCG/WTBS airs “17 Update

Early in the Morning” from 3 to 4 am to comply with FCC regulations requiring news content.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy8MTBxP7no

Era of Cable News• Turner launches CNN (Cable News Network)

in 1980. It is the first 24 hour all news network.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2OafHhD17E

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Era of Cable News• Turner launches CNN (Cable News Network)

in 1980. It is the first 24 hour all news network.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laf_Sorkmx4

Era of Cable News• Turner launches CNN (Cable News Network)

in 1980. It is the first 24 hour all news network.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zX-r49hgx0

Era of Cable News• As-it-happens, uninterrupted coverage grabs

the nation’s attention.

January 28, 1986

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4JOjcDFtBE

Era of Cable News• As it happens uninterrupted coverage grabs

the nation’s attention.• The Gulf War rockets CNN past the big three

networks in news viewership.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOPvdIQwfUU

Era of Cable News• As it happens uninterrupted coverage grabs

the nation’s attention.• The Gulf War rockets CNN past the big three

networks in news viewership.• News is no longer delivered in a “news cycle.”

Era of Cable News• And news stories are “branded” just like

products and entertainment programs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auD7psnGXVUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsch0QmerA4

Era of Cable News

• The CNN Effect

Era of Cable News

CNN Programming

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2lohcGoGdshttp://www.dailymotion.com/video/x51eqj_cnn-1984-promos_news

Era of Cable News

CNN - Crossfire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd5MqS03vkE

Era of Cable News

CNN - Crossfire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au-7n6WIALg

Era of Cable News

• 1982: Headline News (CNN2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78NWZWQs3q4http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7i5g4_cnn-headline-news-promo-1984_news

Era of Cable News

• 1982: Headline News (CNN2)• 1996 Fox News, MSNBC

Era of Cable News

• 1982: Headline News (CNN2)• 1996 :Fox News, MSNBC

• In 2011: ABC News Now, Bloomberg Television, CNBC World, CNN Airport Network, CNN en Espanol, CNN International, CNN On Demand, C-SPAN, C-SPAN 2, C-SPAN 3, Current TV, Euronews, Fox Business Network, Free Speech TV, MundoVision, NOAA Weather Radio, Pentagon Channel, The Local AccuWether Channel, The Weather Channel, TV Guide Network, Weatherscan.

Era of Cable News

• So, does all this varied coverage lead to better and more thorough reporting?

• Or …

Election Coverage

The 2000 Presidential Election

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/covering-the-election/6uciwl9

Election Coverage

The 2000 Presidential Election

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldZ1HGNkxiQ

Era of Cable News

CNN - Crossfire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFQFB5YpDZE

October 15, 2004

Era of Cable News

Comedy Central - “The Daily Show”

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-october-18-2004/your-show-blows

http://www.spike.com/video-clips/7hirrh/jon-stewart-spins-his-crossfire-appearance

Era of Cable News

CNN – Crossfire

January 2005 – Crossfire cancelled by CNN CEO Jonathan Klein, stating that he wanted to change the “tone” of the network.

September 2010 - Jonathan Klein Out as President of CNN

Jonathan Klein

CNN's numbers had been in serious decline for most of 2010, when the net saw several embarrassing milestones: •Worst single month in history (February, when it dropped behind even HLN)•Worst quarter ever for both "Larry King Live" and "Campbell Brown" (second quarter), and Brown's abrupt resignation.

Jonathan Klein• Klein left on the eve of a CNN primetime

launch that he helped construct, including the launch of "Parker Spitzer,” which was cancelled less than 6 months later, and the January debut of Piers Morgan in Larry King's time slot.

Era of Cable News

Comedy Central - “The Daily Show”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f3nQPJfgPo

Era of Cable News

Comedy Central - “The Daily Show”August - December, 2010

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-august-4-2010/i-give-up---9-11-responders-billhttp://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/jon-stewart-rant-for-911-health-bill-12423837http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-december-9-2010/republicans-block-9-11-health-care-billhttp://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/911-responders-jon-stewart-12462709http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/40800449

Era of Cable News

Comedy Central - “The Daily Show”January 8, 2011

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-january-10-2011/arizona-shootings-reactionhttp://vodpod.com/watch/5310828-watch-jon-stewarts-poignant-speech-on-the-arizona-shootinghttp://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/video/comedians-sound-off-arizona-shooting-12593500

Era of Cable News

Comedy Central - “The Daily Show”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oBlh8ca-RA

The Blogosphere

Newsletters and the Drudge Report

http://www.gametrailers.com/user-movie/prince-harry-in-afghanistan/183022

The BlogosphereCase Study - Story Trajectory:

Morgen Richmond, Verumserum.com, Sonya Sotomayor

The BlogosphereCase Study - Story Trajectory:

Morgen Richmond, Verumserum.com, Sonya Sotomayor

The BlogosphereCase Study - Story Trajectory:

Morgen Richmond, Verumserum.com, Sonya Sotomayor

Verumserum readership at the time: 20 to 30 people.

The BlogosphereCase Study - Story Trajectory:

Morgen Richmond, Verumserum.com, Sonya Sotomayor

Verumserum readership at the time: 20 to 30 people.

Among them - More widely read Blogs and Bloggers at Volokh Conspiracy and hotair.com.

The BlogosphereCase Study - Story Trajectory:

Morgen Richmond, Verumserum.com, Sonya Sotomayor

Verumserum readership at the time: 20 to 30 people.

Among them - More widely read Blogs and Bloggers at Volokh Conspiracy and hotair.com.

Among THEIR readers - the Judicial Confirmation Network

The BlogosphereCase Study - Story Trajectory:

Morgen Richmond, Verumserum.com, Sonya Sotomayor

Verumserum readership at the time: 20 to 30 people.

Among them - More widely read Blogs and Bloggers at Volokh Conspiracy and hotair.com.

Among THEIR readers - the Judicial Confirmation Network.

They send it out to major news outlets.

The BlogosphereCase Study - Story Trajectory:

Morgen Richmond, Verumserum.com, Sonya Sotomayor

Verumserum readership at the time: 20 to 30 people.

Among them - More widely read Blogs and Bloggers at Volokh Conspiracy and hotair.com.

Among THEIR readers - the Judicial Confirmation Network.

They send it out to major news outlets.

So - at this point - is it news or is it a press release?

The BlogosphereCase Study - Story Trajectory:

Morgen Richmond, Verumserum.com, Sonya Sotomayor

Daniel Ellsberg and Wikileaks

Daniel Ellsberg:

In 1969, was a former United StatesMilitary analyst who had worked for Johnson administration under Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.

He was working for the Rand Corporation,a think-tank offering research and analysisTo the U.S. Military.

His security clearance gave him access toA series of highly classified documents thatDetailed the conduct of the Vietnam War and contradicted public accounts releasedby the Pentagon.

Daniel Ellsberg and Wikileaks

Daniel Ellsberg:

Ellsberg began the lengthy and arduousProcess of photocopying some of the7000 pages in 47 volumes.

It took months.

The New York Times, after much internalEditorial debate, began publishing excerptsin 1971.

Daniel Ellsberg and Wikileaks

Daniel Ellsberg:

http://www.history.com/videos/pentagon-papers-reveal-secret-war#pentagon-papers-reveal-secret-war

http://video.pbs.org/video/1403016313/

Daniel Ellsberg and Wikileaks

Wikileaks:

Julian Assange’s whistleblowersite releases classified information and data from undisclosed sources.

Publishes submissions of otherwise unavailable documents from anonymous source and leak.

Daniel Ellsberg and Wikileaks

Wikileaks:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6718137n

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2010/jul/26/afghanistan-war-logs-wikileaks-assange

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/25/wikileaks-war-logs-back-story

Ponderings

How would “Harvest of Shame” find an audience in today’s multi-channel, 24-hour news environment?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh7cPv8btng

Ponderings

How would “Harvest of Shame” find an audience in today’s multi-channel, 24-hour news environment?

http://vimeo.com/1551798

Ponderings

How would “Harvest of Shame” find an audience in today’s multi-channel, 24-hour news environment?

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/359888/september-22-2010/fallback-position---migrant-worker---zoe-lofgrenhttp://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/360017/september-23-2010/fallback-position---migrant-worker-pt--2

Ponderings

How would “Harvest of Shame” find an audience in today’s multi-channel, 24-hour news environment?

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/stephen-colbert-says-migrant-workers-have-no-rights-11719764http://video.foxnews.com/v/4349458/mr-colbert-goes-to-washingtonhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1T75jBYeCs

Ponderings

Is there a line between news and entertainment? What happens in the absence of infrastructure or tradition to maintain traditional journalistic standards?

Ponderings

Do more voices and more channels and more views lead to a more enlightened viewership?

Or is the noise overwhelming and deafening?

Ponderings

If you’re able to find news programming that delivers what you already believe,will you still consider alternate views, or opposing facts?

Ponderings

Does a politically polarized population lead to a politically polarized media?

Or Does a politically polarized media support a politically polarized population?

Ponderings

How do you decide what sources you will trust?

Will they be sources that tell you what you already believe to be true …

Or sources that challenge your pre-conceptions?