(I'll try not to think about the cheesy pun there. Remember the old Navy song, "Anchors Aweigh?" I recommend you do too.)
Network TV news has been accused of hyping coverage of the war, both "for" and "against" U.S. policy in Iraq. But the reality is more complex than that. Here's what Kurtz said about it in a live discussion forum at noon (Eastern time) today on the Post's website:
It's crucial, because they are far more than newsreaders. As "Reality Show" demonstrates, Brian, Charlie and Katie -- like Dan, Tom and Peter before them -- play a crucial role in shaping their broadcasts. How do they decide when to lead with Iraq and when the news is too incremental? How do they balance the continuing violence with other kinds of reporting from Baghdad? How do they deal with criticism from the administration? How do they press Bush about the war when they have a chance to interview the president? Plus, both Williams and Couric have reported from Iraq this year. So what they think matters big time.Note (if you're interested in media convergence, or even if you're not and want to know all about it before it appears, as is likely, on the final exam in COMM 150): Kurtz will be blogging about the book at http://anchorwars.blogspot.com/. So here's a newspaper guy (one medium) using a blog (another medium) to plug a book (a third medium). That's what we call convergence.
3 comments:
Network television shapes the way we see the war. I have yet to hear about the good things that have come of this war. The lives we have saved and the people who are enjoying freedom as they never could before. The war is bad, wars usually are. But all wars are fought for a cause. Whether you believe in that cause is a different story. The point is that TV anchors are getting tired of reporting the same material every night about the war in Iraq. There are different opinions for each anchor. One can watch MSNBC and then change to FOX NEWS and see the same news being reported, but framed differently. The words used to report the news, and the coverage shown on the television changes with each station.
Reporters are unequivocally gatekeepers, and the term gatekeeper indicates an opinionated source. Objectivity is impossible. I think the only solution is for media professionals to be honest and clear about their personal views. By knowing at least that much, the audience is able to get a better idea of how they framed the story— which direction it’s skewed.
Another area of concern is the apparent lack of critical thinking displayed by our society. We come home, flip on the news, and passively absorb the information… without considering the phrasing, the source or looking for obvious holes.
I was watching a story about Philadelphia’s gun-control laws on the evening news a couple nights ago. At one point the reporter, ensconced in a room with walls covered in handgun displays, gingerly reached over and practically cringed as she awkwardly picked up a handgun (for emphasis?). Her actions clearly will influence how the public interprets her story.
Then, a booming male voiceover called Philadelphia a “blood soaked” scene and other equally inflammatory things. Um? Let’s be a little realistic here. Auschwitz was blood soaked. Darfur is blood soaked. Philadelphia may be the most horrific and dangerous place in the US (and I’m not saying that’s good), but please, be a little more circumspect with our descriptive phrases.
I have a very mixed opinion on the war, and the coverage you see on the war.
One of the biggest problems to me is, if news reporters are giving reports on the war, why is it that 90% of America has no idea what we are fighting for? Sure... we know that people are dying and supposedly lives are concurrently being saved, but for what?
And if lives are being saved,it sure isnt American soldiers lives that they are sparring. Why should American soldiers keep dying to save a country for people who (the majority) dont want to be saved or helped?
I dont see alot of news coverage on any of these topics. All they talk about is statistics, death, and numbers. Which is important, but most people would also like to know why
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