Television transformed the news in a way that is hard to understand. Reading this article I realized that I hadn't even thought about how the news cast that I watch came to be. From "talking heads" to HDTV graphics it has been quite a journey.
With the rise of TV it seems odd to me that many of the things that seem common place to us now a days had not even been thought up yet. For example, on site reporting. They used to just use footage and then have the in-studio reporter talk over it. Another thing that seemed interesting is the way that the TV news had to decide which subjects to cover and how to cover them. They straddle the line between the tabloids and the more intense print based platform.
How famous must the newsmen have been back then? Imagine if there were only three channels, and content on TV had not been expanded like it has been today. The newsman would have been the most popular man in town.
The story about how President Johnson had three TV's to watch everything that was on the media. Our president today seems to take pride on the fact that he does not care about how the media perceives him whatsoever. President Johnson called the media when they made him look bad. I don't think that there is enough hours in the day for George W. Bush to do that.
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The Kennedy-Nixon debate continues to be a prime example of the effect that television has on the average household. Visuals continue to be the greatest supplement to having name-recognition and the most powerful at influencing ideas. Reading print news and listening to the radio requires a certain amount of concentration for the person to appropriately "absorb." With television, one could simply walk by, and in passing could have the general idea of the broadcast imprinted in their mind.
While probably slightly off topic, watching Good Night and Good Luck reminded me of the movie "Anchorman." Just watching the movie I had no idea that tv at the time could make a person, a news reporter nonetheless, wildly popular. But after seeing the type of broadcasting television started out with, namely the "talking head" format, it's slightly easier to understand.
I also wanted to comment on the green or blue screen I forget which one. This effect has made it possible for reporters to go almost anywhere in the world just from their own studies. This is amazing technology that has advanced reporting as we know it. They can cover topics from the studio about any topic. Its just a matter of a few smart computer engineering graphics designers. They make is possib
Your comment on how the newsman must have been the most popular man around reminded me the movie Anchorman and how much of superstars they were. But there is still heavy hitting newsman out there but they are overshadowed by the glamour and sensationalism of celebrities and pop culture. Forgive me I just read the other comment about Anchorman which is relevant.
I forget where I heard it, probably in class, but it was interesting how they improvised when the early definition of the television was so bad that they painted themselves like clowns in order to show through. They really had to overcome obstacles that we would have not that twice about.
Your comment on how the newsman must have been the most popular man around reminded me the movie Anchorman and how much of superstars they were. But there is still heavy hitting newsman out there but they are overshadowed by the glamour and sensationalism of celebrities and pop culture. Forgive me I just read the other comment about Anchorman which is relevant.
I forget where I heard it, probably in class, but it was interesting how they improvised when the early definition of the television was so bad that they painted themselves like clowns in order to show through. They really had to overcome obstacles that we would have not that twice about.
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