英语演讲Television News Coverage.docx

英语演讲Television News Coverage.docx

《英语演讲Television News Coverage.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《英语演讲Television News Coverage.docx（4页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

英语演讲TelevisionNewsCoverage

英语演讲：

TelevisionNewsCoverage

Ithinkit'sobviousfromthecamerasherethatIdidn'tcometodiscussthebanoncyclamates or DDT.IhaveasubjectwhichIthinkifofgreatimportancetotheAmericanpeople.TonightIwanttodiscusstheimportanceofthetelevisionnewsmediumtotheAmericanpeople.Nonationdependsmoreontheintelligentjudgmentofitscitizens.Nomediumhasamoreprofoundinfluenceoverpublicopinion.Nowhereinoursystemaretherefewerchecksonvastpower.So,nowhereshouldtherebemoreconscientiousresponsibilityexercisedthanbythenewsmedia.Thequestionis,"Arewedemandingenoughofourtelevisionnewspresentations?

""Andarethemenofthismediumdemandingenoughofthemselves?

"

Mondaynightaweekago,PresidentNixondeliveredthemostimportantaddressofhisAdministration,oneofthemostimportantofourdecade.HissubjectwasVietnam.Myhope,ashisatthattime,wastorallytheAmericanpeopletoseetheconflictthroughtoalastingandjustpeaceinthePacific.For32minutes,hereasonedwithanationthathassufferedalmostathirdofamillioncasualtiesinthelongestwarinitshistory.

WhenthePresidentcompletedhisaddress--anaddress,incidentally,thathespentweeksinthepreparationof--hiswordsandpoliciesweresubjectedtoinstantanalysisandquerulouscriticism.Theaudienceof70millionAmericansgatheredtohearthePresidentoftheUnitedStateswasinheritedbyasmallbandofnetworkcommentatorsandself-appointedanalysts,themajorityofwhomexpressedinoneway or anothertheirhostilitytowhathehadtosay.

Itwasobviousthattheirmindsweremadeupinadvance.ThosewhorecallthefumblingandgropingthatfollowedPresidentJohnson’sdramaticdisclosureofhisintentionnottoseekanothertermhaveseenthesemeninagenuinestateofnonpreparedness.Thiswasnotit.

OnecommentatortwicecontradictedthePresident’sstatementabouttheexchangeofcorrespondencewithHoChiMinh.AnotherchallengedthePresident’sabilitiesasapolitician.AthirdassertedthatthePresidentwasfollowingaPentagonline.Others,bytheexpressionsontheirfaces,thetoneoftheirquestions,andthesarcasmoftheirresponses,madecleartheirsharpdisapproval.

ToguaranteeinadvancethatthePresident’spleafornationalunitywouldbechallenged,onenetworktrottedoutAverellHarrimanfortheoccasion.ThroughoutthePresident'saddress,hewaitedinthewings.WhenthePresidentconcluded,Mr.Harrimanrecitedperfectly.HeattackedtheThieuGovernmentasunrepresentative;hecriticizedthePresident’sspeechforvariousdeficiencies;hetwiceissuedacalltotheSenateForeignRelationsCommitteetodebateVietnamonceagain;hestatedhisbeliefthattheVietcong or NorthVietnamesedidnotreallywantmilitarytake-overofSouthVietnam;andhetoldalittleanecdoteabouta“very,veryresponsible”fellowhehadmetintheNorthVietnamesedelegation.

Allinall,Mr.HarrisonofferedabroadrangeofgratuitousadvicechallengingandcontradictingthepoliciesoutlinedbythePresidentoftheUnitedStates.WherethePresidenthadissuedacallforunity,Mr.Harrimanwasencouragingthecountrynottolistentohim.

AwordaboutMr.Harriman.For10monthshewasAmerica’schiefnegotiatorattheParispeacetalks--aperiodinwhichtheUnitedStatesswappedsomeofthegreatestmilitaryconcessionsinthehistoryofwarfareforanenemyagreementontheshapeofthebargainingtable.LikeColeridge’sAncientMariner,Mr.Harrimanseemstobeundersomeheavycompulsiontojustifyhisfailurestoanyonewhowilllisten.Andthenetworkshaveshownthemselveswillingtogivehimalltheairtimehedesires.

NoweveryAmericanhasarighttodisagreewiththePresidentoftheUnitedStatesandtoexpresspubliclythatdisagreement.ButthePresidentoftheUnitedStateshasarighttocommunicatedirectlywiththepeoplewhoelectedhim,andthepeopleofthiscountryhavetherighttomakeuptheirownmindsandformtheirownopinionsaboutaPresidentialaddresswithouthavingaPresident’swordsandthoughtscharacterizedthroughtheprejudicesofhostilecriticsbeforetheycanevenbedigested.

WhenWinstonChurchillralliedpublicopiniontostaythecourseagainstHitler’sGermany,hedidn’thavetocontendwithagaggleofcommentatorsraisingdoubtsaboutwhetherhewasreadingpublicopinionright, or whetherBritainhadthestaminatoseethewarthrough.WhenPresidentKennedyralliedthenationintheCubanmissilecrisis,hisaddresstothepeoplewasnotchewedoverbyaroundtableofcriticswhodisparagedthecourseofactionhe’daskedAmericatofollow.

ThepurposeofmyremarkstonightistofocusyourattentiononthislittlegroupofmenwhonotonlyenjoyarightofinstantrebuttaltoeveryPresidentialaddress,but,moreimportantly,wieldafreehandinselecting,presenting,andinterpretingthegreatissuesinournation.First,let’sdefinethatpower.

Atleast40millionAmericanseverynight,it’sestimated,watchthenetworknews.Sevenmillionofthemview,theremainderbeingdividedbetweenandAccordingtoHarrispollsandotherstudies,formillionsofAmericansthenetworksarethesolesourceofnationalandworldnews.InWillRoger’sobservation,whatyouknewwaswhatyoureadinthenewspaper.TodayforgrowingmillionsofAmericans,it’swhattheyseeandhearontheirtelevisionsets.

Nowhowisthisnetworknewsdetermined?

Asmallgroupofmen,numberingperhapsnomorethanadozenanchormen,commentators,andexecutiveproducers,settleuponthe20minutes or sooffilmandcommentarythat’storeachthepublic.Thisselectionismadefromthe90to180minutesthatmaybeavailable.Theirpowersofchoicearebroad.

Theydecidewhat40to50millionAmericanswilllearnoftheday’seventsinthenationandintheworld.Wecannotmeasurethispowerandinfluencebythetraditionaldemocraticstandards,forthesemencancreatenationalissuesovernight.Theycanmake or breakbytheircoverageandcommentaryamoratoriumonthewar.Theycanelevatemenfromobscuritytonationalprominencewithinaweek.Theycanrewardsomepoliticianswithnationalexposureandignoreothers.

FormillionsofAmericansthenetworkreporterwhocoversacontinuingissue--liketheABM or civilrights--becomes,ineffect,thepresidingjudgeinanationaltrialbyjury.

Itmustberecognizedthatthenetworkshavemadeimportantcontributionstothenationalknowledge--throughnews,documentaries,andspecials.Theyhaveoftenusedtheirpowerconstructivelyandcreativelytoawakenthepublicconsciencetocriticalproblems.Thenetworksmadehungerandblacklungdiseasenationalissuesovernight.TheTVnetworkshavedonewhatnoothermediumcouldhavedoneintermsofdramatizingthehorrorsofwar.Thenetworkshavetackledourmostdifficultsocialproblemswithadirectnessandanimmediacythat’sthegiftoftheirmedium.Theyfocusthenation’sattentiononitsenvironmentalabuses--onpollutionintheGreatLakesandthethreatenedecologyoftheEverglades.ButitwasalsothenetworksthatelevatedStokelyCarmichaelandGeorgeLincolnRockwellfromobscuritytonationalprominence.

Noristheirpowerconfinedtothesubstantive.Araisedeyebrow,aninflectionofthevoice,acausticremarkdroppedinthemiddleofabroadcastcanraisedoubtsinamillionmindsabouttheveracityofapublicofficial or thewisdomofaGovernmentpolicy.OneFederalCommunicationsCommissionerconsidersthepowersofthenetworksequaltothatoflocal,state,andFederalGovernmentsallcombined.CertainlyitrepresentsaconcentrationofpoweroverAmericanpublicopinionunknowninhistory.

NowwhatdoAmericansknowofthemenwhowieldthispower?

Ofthemenwhoproduceanddirectthenetworknews,thenationknowspracticallynothing.Ofthecommentators,mostAmericansknowlittleotherthanthattheyreflectanurbaneandassuredpresenceseeminglywell-informedoneveryimportantmatter.WedoknowthattoamanthesecommentatorsandproducersliveandworkinthegeographicalandintellectualconfinesofWashington,, or NewYorkCity,thelatterofwhichJamesRestontermsthemostunrepresentativecommunityintheentireUnitedStates.

Bothcommunitiesbaskintheirownprovincialism,theirownparochialism.

Wecandeducethatthesemenreadthesamenewspapers.Theydrawtheirpoliticalandsocialviewsfromthesamesources.Worse,theytalkconstantlytooneanother,therebyprovidingartificialreinforcementtotheirsharedviewpoints.Dotheyallowtheirbiasestoinfluencetheselectionandpresentationofthenews?

DavidBrinkleystatesobjectivityisimpossibletonormalhumanbehavior.Rather,hesays,weshouldstriveforfairness.

Anotheranchormanonanetworknewsshowcontends,andIquote:

“Youcan’texpungeallyourprivateconvictionsjustbecauseyousitinaseatlikethisandacamerastartstostareatyou.Ithinkyourprogramhastoreflectwhatyourbasicfeelingsare.I’llpleadguiltytothat.”

Lessthanaweekbeforethe1968election,thissamecommentatorchargedthatPresidentNixon’scampaigncommitmentswerenomoredurablethancampaignballoons.Heclaimedthat,wereitnotforthefearofhostilereaction,RichardNixonwouldbegivinginto,andIquotehimexactly,“hisnaturalinstincttosmashtheenemywithaclub or goafterhimwithameataxe.”

Hadthisslanderbeenmadebyonepoliticalcandidateaboutanother,itwouldhavebeendismissedbymostcommentatorsasapartisanattack.Butthisattackemanatedfromtheprivilegedsanctuaryofanetworkstudioandthereforehadtheapparentdignityofanobjectivestatement.TheAmericanpeoplewouldrightlynottoleratethisconcentrationofpowerinGovernment.Isitnotfairandrelevanttoquestionitsconcentrationinthehandsofatiny,enclosedfraternityofprivilegedmenelectedbynooneandenjoyingamonopolysanctionedandlicensedbyGovernment?

Theviewsofthemajorityofthisfraternitydonot--andIrepeat,not--representtheviewsofAmerica.ThatiswhysuchagreatgulfexistedbetweenhowthenationreceivedthePresident’saddressandhowthenetworksreviewedit.NotonlydidthecountryreceivethePresident’sspeechmorewarmlythanthenetworks,butsoalsodidtheCongressoftheUnitedStates.