英语演讲Television News Coverage.docx
- 文档编号:30557557
- 上传时间:2023-08-16
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:4
- 大小:17.95KB
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.
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- 英语演讲Television News Coverage 英语演讲 Television