英语演讲Television News Coverage.docx

英语演讲Television News Coverage.docx

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英语演讲TelevisionNewsCoverage

英语演讲：

TelevisionNewsCoverage

　　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.Butthisattackemanatedfromtheprivilegedsanctuaryo