Spiro Theodore Agnew Televisi.docx

Spiro Theodore Agnew Televisi.docx

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SpiroTheodoreAgnewTelevisi

SpiroTheodoreAgnew:

Televisi

spirotheodoreagnew:

televisionnewscoverage

ithinkit'sobviousfromthecamerasherethatididn'tcometodiscussthebanoncyclamatesorddt.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,themajorityofwhomexpressedinonewayoranothertheirhostilitytowhathehadtosay.

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;hestatedhisbeliefthatthevietcongornorthvietnamesedidnotreallywantmilitarytake-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,orwhetherbritainhadthestaminatoseethewarthrough.whenpresidentkennedyralliedthenationinthecubanmissilecrisis,hisaddresstothepeoplewasnotchewedoverbyaroundtableofcriticswhodisparagedthecourseofactionhe¡¯daskedamericatofollow.

thepurposeofmyremarkstonightistofocusyourattentiononthislittlegroupofmenwhonotonlyenjoyarightofinstantrebuttaltoeverypresidentialaddress,but,moreimportantly,wieldafreehandinselecting,presenting,andinterpretingthegreatissuesinournation.first,let¡¯sdefinethatpower.

atleast40millionamericanseverynight,it¡¯sestimated,watchthenetworknews.sevenmillionofthemviewa.b.c.,theremainderbeingdividedbetweenn.b.c.andc.b.s.accordingtoharrispollsandotherstudies,formillionsofamericansthenetworksarethesolesourceofnationalandworldnews.inwillroger¡¯sobservation,whatyouknewwaswhatyoureadinthenewspaper.todayforgrowingmillionsofamericans,it¡¯swhattheyseeandhearontheirtelevisionsets.

nowhowisthisnetworknewsdetermined?

asmallgroupofmen,numberingperhapsnomorethanadozenanchormen,commentators,andexecutiveproducers,settleuponthe20minutesorsooffilmandcommentarythat¡¯storeachthepublic.thisselectionismadefromthe90to180minutesthatmaybeavailable.theirpowersofchoicearebroad.

theydecidewhat40to50millionamericanswilllearnoftheday¡¯seventsinthenationandintheworld.wecannotmeasurethispowerandinfluencebythetraditionaldemocraticstandards,forthesemencancreatenationalissuesovernight.theycanmakeorbreakbytheircoverageandcommentaryamoratoriumonthewar.theycanelevatemenfromobscuritytonationalprominencewithinaweek.theycanrewardsomepoliticianswithnationalexposureandignoreothers.

formillionsofamericansthenetworkreporterwhocoversacontinuingissue--liketheabmorcivilrights--becomes,ineffect,thepresidingjudgeinanationaltrialbyjury.

itmustberecognizedthatthenetworkshavemadeimportantcontributionstothenationalknowledge--throughnews,documentaries,andspecials.theyhaveoftenusedtheirpowerconstructivelyandcreativelytoawakenthepublicconsciencetocriticalproblems.thenetworksmadehungerandblacklungdiseasenationalissuesovernight.thetvnetworkshavedonewhatnoothermediumcouldhavedoneintermsofdramatizingthehorrorsofwar.thenetworkshavetackledourmostdifficultsocialproblemswithadirectnessandanimmediacythat¡¯sthegiftoftheirmedium.theyfocusthenation¡¯sattentiononitsenvironmentalabuses--onpollutioninthegreatlakesandthethreatenedecologyoftheeverglades.butitwasalsothenetworksthatelevatedstokelycarmichaelandgeorgelincolnrockwellfromobscuritytonationalprominence.

noristheirpowerconfinedtothesubstantive.araisedeyebrow,aninflectionofthevoice,acausticremarkdroppedinthemiddleofabroadcastcanraisedoubtsinamillionmindsabouttheveracityofapublicofficialorthewisdomofagovernmentpolicy.onefederalcommunicationscommissionerconsidersthepowersofthenetworksequaltothatoflocal,state,andfederalgovernmentsallcombined.certainlyitrepresentsaconcentrationofpoweroveramericanpublicopinionunknowninhistory.

nowwhatdoamericansknowofthemenwhowieldthispower?

ofthemenwhoproduceanddirectthenetworknews,thenationknowspracticallynothing.ofthecommentators,mostamericansknowlittleotherthanthattheyreflectanurbaneandassuredpresenceseeminglywell-informedoneveryimportantmatter.wedoknowthattoamanthesecommentatorsandproducersliveandworkinthegeographicalandintellectualconfinesofwashington,d.c.,ornewyorkcity,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,¡°hisnaturalinstincttosmashtheenemywithacluborgoafterhimwithameataxe.¡±

hadthisslanderbeenmadebyonepoliticalcandidateaboutanother,itwouldhavebeendismissedbymostcommentatorsasapartisanattack.butthisattackemanatedf