Press & War

 Press & War

The press plays a huge part in our lives regarding the way information and news are spread. Social Media, along with the evolution of technology, also plays a large role in our society and how information and news are spread. Most recently, we can turn to the situation between Russia and Ukraine which is horrific. 

Vietnam War

Vietnam is a prime example of the United States conducting large-scale news coverage regarding a war. It was only after a substantial amount of combat troops in the United States had been committed to said war back in 1965. Before this large-scale event, the number of American newspersons was small in Vietnam, but by 1968, there were over 500 professional journalists in Vietnam. Due to the advancements in technology, they were able to report for radio, different networks, wire services, and papers/magazines. The United States made sure that transportation for newspeople was always readily available so that they could be out there in the field quickly to report anything first-hand. The Vietnam War is often referred to as, "the first television war" because the film was readily available for people to watch the battle within their own homes. The media's role in the war was seen as controversial because many felt as if the media was a big reason for defeat. Many felt that the focus on negative reporting helped in undermining support for the United States while also showing uncensored coverage providing valuable information to Vietnam. Whether positive or negative, the media created tension and a sense of danger. 

EOTO 4 Reflection

 Barbara Walters

Barbara Jill Walters is a former American broadcast television personality, author, and journalist. Walters became very popular with her viewers due to her strong presence and interviewing abilities. She previously hosted The View, 20/20, Today, and the ABC Evening News. Walters was active in the field of journalism from 1951 until 2016 when she retired. 

Walters began as a writer and segment producer for The Today Show back in the 1960s where she became quite popular. Her popularity helped her gain more screentime, and in 1974, she became the co-host of the program. According to Britannica, "The following year she won an Emmy for her work on the show."

In 1976 Walters signed a 5-year contract with ABC which made headlines since she then became the first woman to co-anchor a news network program. Barbara Walters also was receiving a heft salary of $1 million per year which made her the top paid journalist at that time.

She joined 20/20 after she left the program and soon became a co-host in 1984, and she remained all the way up until 2004. Walters had the opportunity to meet with/interview notable figures and has gone down in the Television Academy's Hall of Fame.

EOTO 3 Reflection (Cable News)

 Cable News...  

The evolution of news is quite jarring, as is any evolution regarding how news is gathered and spread. As we learned about wire services/news agencies and how technology eventually changed a lot of how that was spread, cable tv/news has become one of the most popular ways for one to receive news.

CNN was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner along with 300 other original employees. It is owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of WarnerMedia, and it was the first cable news service to provide broadcast news for a full 24 hours. Due to this being so new, people were reluctant at first to believe what reporters from CNN were stating due to their previous reliance on newspapers. Once CNN was able to do in-depth coverage regarding the bombing within the First Gulf Waar, they grew and garnered a lot more attention. 

Moving on into the mid to late 90s, a new service came on the scene titled Fox News. Fox News is set up differently than CNN as it appeals more to the conservative crowd while CNN leans more toward the liberal side. Fox needed to compete and wanted to be different, so they operated more on the level of political commentary.

CNN and Fox news to this day are some of the most prominent services in which news is spread. CNN needs to be more liberal and focused more on being straightforward with the news while Fox focuses more on almost a sense of entertainment and keeping situations light as they are conservative. 

While these forms of news are very popular still to this day, social media has brought in a whole new wave of people. Twitter has become a space for a lot of political figures and is where a lot of people receive their daily news.

EOTO 4 (Connie Chung)

 Connie Chung

Background & Upbringing

Connie Chung is a popular American journalist that has been an anchor as well as a reporter for U.S. news networks such as NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, AND MSNBC. Chung was born on August 20, 1946, as Constance Yu-Hwa Chung. She was born and raised in Washington D.C. to William Ling Chung and Margaret Ma. William Ling Chung was an Intelligence Officer in the Chinese Nationalist Government. Connie was the youngest of 10 siblings, however, 5 of them sadly died during wartime. Chung later went on to study journalism and received her bachelor's degree at the University of Maryland. Her inspiration for becoming a Broadcaster actually came from her interning with a congressman who at one point was a journalist himself.

Journalism Career

In 1969 Chung received her degree in journalism from the University of Maryland, and not long after that, she officially launched her career in journalism. She worked at Washington's WTTG-TV and soon worked her way up to reporter. In 1972 she was hired by CBS News to work as a Washington-based correspondent where she scored her first large-scale interview with President Nixon during the Watergate Scandal. From 1976 to 1983, Chung lived and worked in Los Angeles as the lead news anchor for KCBS. In 1983 Chung moved to NBC and became one of the most popular journalists in tv news at that time.

Chung launched a program titled Face to Face with Connie Chung which was popular but often criticized for being more entertaining than informative. In June of 1993, CBS announced that Chung was to become the co-anchor of the nightly news broadcast while at the same time launching a magazine titled Eye to Eye with Connie Chung. In May of 1995, Chung was informed by CBS that she was being removed from the co-anchor chair and she declined and asked to be let out of her contract. Chung unsuccessfully attempted to launch her own news program before moving to ABC in December of 1997 in which she anchored the Friday night newsmagazine 20/20. Later in 2002, Chung moved to CNN but they dropped her in 2003 which prompted her to take a break. She came back in 2006 with her husband on a show titled Weekends with Maury & Connie which was canceled after six months.

Accomplishments

Connie Chung was one of the first female reporters on national television in the United States. This aided in breaking down the gender barriers of the late 20th century. Her marks on American journalism did not end there as she was also the first Asian American anchor of a major network newscast. Chung has gone on to win multiple different awards including, the George Foster Peabody award, The Amnesty international Human rights award, and three emmy awards. She won two for Best interview/interviewer. Although her tv career ended in 2006 she is still known for making huge strides in American Journalism.

EOTO 3 (Wire Services)

 Wire Services

Wire services also known as news agencies, news cooperatives, and news services were established in the United States sometime during the mid-nineteenth century to gather and distribute news for the local newspaper. They tend to mainly provide different news reports to media outlets as well as requiring little to no editing or cutting.

Established in the earlier ages of electronic communication, this was mostly done through the telegraph which helped with aiding in their expansion. They were originally organized to have a greater efficiency with gathering different types of news. Throughout the 1860s to the 1880s, regional wire services were quite strong, but after the 1880s, it then cemented itself into a national system.

Evolution

Technology is constantly changing and evolving as it always has, and it always will. The late 1940s brought the introduction of Teletypesetter machines which would allow stories from agencies to be put in the form of perforated paper tape, which would then be fed into machines without human operators. As agencies began to grow and expand, there needed to be fresh/new innovative ways to transmit accurate data and news to communities. While using these Typesetters to save labor, publishers ceded to the agencies some of their editing prerogative, thereby standardizing usage and writing style in newspaper stories. As technology changed, we shifted away from telegraphs and later moved to newspapers and magazines. Newspapers moved from linotype to photo composition in the late 1960s to 1970s. Information is now transmitted by satellite service or the internet of course. There was a global shift that occurred as well as advertising and public relations being a factor. Most news agencies also offer their clients photographs, news analyses, and special features; for radio and television stations they transmit news-broadcast scripts, video, and programming. Since the advent of computer technology, many news services have become available online, and their products are also available for mobile phones and other devices.

Notable People

Throughout the course of the 19th century, Charles Louis Havas, Paul Reuter, and Bernhard Wolff all aided in revolutionizing mass communication by creating wire services that would utilize the telegraph to transmit information. Havas was actually the first to use the telegraph when it arrived in France back in 1845. Reuter and Wolff were Havas employees that founded two major telegraphic agencies. Havas was the founder of the first news agency (Agence France-Presse) along with being the founder of the advertising firm “Havas.” Paul Reuter went on to found the “Reuters News Agency." Bernhard Wolff was the editor of the Vossische Zeitung and the founder of the National Zeitung, and Wolffs Telegraphisches Bureau.

    

Wire Service in The Associated Press

The Associated Press is the oldest and largest 24 hour service which began in 1820. The main purpose at the time was to report news to New York from Europe. Shifting to 1848, the press really took off after the telegraph was incorporated into their spread of news. They continued to stay up to date with the times as they changed and technology evolved, and in 1935 they created wirephoto which was the first wire service for photographers.

More Information

During the 20th century, news became available to the public through a variety of different ways. We were able to receive news through, newspapers and magazines, radio, tv, and through the internet. When the same news topic is on all of these different services the story remains pretty much exact. This is due to the wire service distributing the stories to each platform. Newswire services, the associated press and united press international are trying to step up with game and are now offering customised services to meet individual stations needs. Because of this, the wireservices have been receiving backlash due to increasing their rates. This is what happens as new advances are made, more money is needed. These agencies are not stopping anytime soon and The United Press International is looking to get into the video news service . It will be interesting to see how much more the wire service will evolve.

Collateral Murder

 Collateral Murder!

Before watching the events shown in Collateral Murder, I had no idea how disturbing and violent it would be. The events showcased in the video reminded me how history continues to repeat itself even as we move forwards in time. Whenever politics are presented, lies are used to justify callous and horrific actions conducted by people in power. Often times when exposed, we see that people will do almost anything to justify said actions and/or put the blame on anyone else.

Throughout history, the press and media are quick to report anything the government says or does about almost anything, but in this case, specifically, war. This is a slippery slope due to the press having to be in support of the government, so they are not really looked down upon. Then you look at journalists who share the full truth usually for the right reasons but are looked down upon and often times punished for doing so. There's another category to consider which is "whistleblower" which means "a person who informs on a person or organization engaged in an illicit activity." Essentially you have a person or people who release information without permission, and the consequences regarding that can be quite extreme.

The government lying to try and cover up awful acts that they have committed is nothing new as we look in today's time as well as the past. This ultimately causes more harm and leads to more lies and issues down the line. In this case, we have a site called Wikileaks which was founded by Julian Assange, an Australian editor, publisher, and activist in 2006. In 2010, WikiLeaks published a series of shocking leaks which were provided by a U.S. Army intelligence analyst named, Chelsea Manning.

   

The footage that leaked showed a U.S. Apache helicopter shooting and ultimately killing innocent men who they claimed had weapons and were dangerous along with severely two innocent children. After seeing the video for myself, the men do not showcase any threatening behavior, nor does it even seem like they have any form of weapons whatsoever. This footage being released was of course a huge deal and large repercussions soon followed not only for Assange but the government as well since the truth was out. 

The dialogue shared between the men aiming at the poor innocent people was just really sad to hear as the audience can tell that the men on the ground are doing nothing wrong. One horrific line that stood out to me was, "Light 'em all up." because it was so easy for them to just do it and there was absolutely no hesitation which was scary to witness. There was simply no regret, remorse, or care in the world for not only hurting and killing men but children.

The video being released helped many people see the truth which then led to people being split on their views regarding the government. Once again to cover their tracks, the government panicked and blamed Assange, and had him put in prison. 

EOTO 2 Reflection (Mary Margaret McBride)

 Mary Margaret McBride

Mary Margaret McBride was an American radio host, interviewer, and writer whose career spanned around 40 years. The 1940s was a strong point for her and her career due to her daily audience for her program targeted at housewives had a strong audience of listeners ranging from six to eight million. McBride was often referred to as "The First Lady of Radio" which is quite an achievement.

Mcbride was born in Paris, Missouri, on November 16, 1899. Her family consisted of farmers, and her mother was the daughter of a Baptist minister. A quote that was often referenced by McBride was, "Missouri is not just a state to me, it's my childhood." I like this quote because I feel that it's very general and simplistic, but it's something that almost anyone could relate to. Throughout her childhood, McBride attended public schools in her hometown up until 1910 due to her great aunt paying for her to further her studies at William Woods, which was in Fulton, Missouri.

Once McBride expressed that she wanted to be a writer, her great aunt then stopped paying for her tuition, so she was on her own and then had to forge her own path. To pay for her tuition throughout school, McBride got a part-time job at the local newspaper, "The Paris Mercury." This was very beneficial to her because she was able to gain practical experience while having the responsibilities of social events, courthouse proceedings, baby contests, etc. The paper's editor Tom Bodine encouraged her to pursue a college education, so she left town soon after that and enrolled at the University of Missouri.

McBride worked extremely hard throughout school while also working during the day. She was living on a mere $10 per week in 1916, and 2 years later in 1918, she graduated with a degree in journalism. Until 1934, McBride was in and out of work writing novels under different aliases. She then found her true calling when auditioning for a women's radio show. This really helped her become quite popular as she had weekly radio shows as well as interviews with celebrities within the political world, entertainment world, and any other form of the arts. The remarkable factor is the fact that it was all unscripted which I'm sure audiences really enjoyed as it makes everything more authentic. 

Throughout her career, McBride conducted over 30,000 interviews in total which was extremely impressive. Her audience really appreciated the fact that she did not speak down to them, but instead took them seriously and treated them as equals. Her audience was also split well between men and women which showcases the mass appeal she was able to generate and then retain throughout her career. McBride brought in people of color to showcase diversity in her show which helped her in taking advantage of the current state of radio, which made her an important player in that world. Although she retired in 1954, she still continued to broadcast, but out of the comfort of her own home. McBride passed in her home in New York, on April 7, 1976, due to complications of an illness she was struggling with. McBride was an important player in the world of journalism not only for women, but just in general, and she will not be forgotten.

EOTO 2: William Lloyd Garrison

 

Brief Overview

William Lloyd Garrison was quite the influential figure within the world of journalism. He was a prominent American Christian, abolitionist, suffragist, social reformer, and last but not least a journalist. Garrison is most notably known for founding the "The Liberator" back in 1831, which became the most radical Anti-Slavery journal of them all at that point and time. Garrison was born December 10, 1805, in Newburyport, Massachusetts, to Frances Maria Lloyd and Abijah Garrison. His mother was a devoted Baptist that had to single-handedly raise Garrison and his siblings in poverty due to their father, a merchant sailor, abandoning them when Garrison was 3 years old. Garrison actually lived with a Baptists deacon for a short amount of time in which he was educated. At the age of 9, Garrison moved back in with his mother and worked as a shoemaker which turned out to be extremely straining for him physically. The area that surrounded him at a young age was centered around Christianity along with the abolitionist movement which Garrison himself joined at the age of 25. 

Career in Journalism

In 1828, Garrison's career officially began as he was an editor for not only the National Philanthropist Newspaper in Boston but also the Journal of the times in Bennington, Vermont. These papers were also both interestingly enough based on moral reform. Not long after that, he began to edit the Genius of Universal Emancipation with Benjamin Lundy in 1829. In 1831, Garrison founded "The Liberator" which he is most famous for. It focused on being targeted towards African Americans as he was an abolitionist which helped it become the most radical Anti-Slavery journal at that very time. Garrison was actually accused in 1831 by Southern newspapers of being involved with Nat Turner's rebellion, which he simply had nothing to do with. This goes to show how one's support for others can negatively impact them and their career, and a grand jury in North Carolina issued a warrant for Garrison's arrest. In 1835 Garrison continued to spark controversy due to his works and writings being so provocative which made him a target and not exactly safe in either the North or the South. 

Interestingly enough, Garrison had some conflicts with Frederick Douglass due to their opposing views/positions. Douglass paid his former enslaver for his freedom so that he could avoid the possibility of being arrested and brought back to Maryland as a slave. Garrison felt that buying your freedom was wrong, and Douglass did not like that due to him feeling that Garrison has no idea what his experience was like in bondage. 

Throughout the 1850s, Garrison continued to speak out against enslavement which some other people felt as if he only did so for politics just as others had. He still felt the same about one buying their own freedom, and he continued to go against the federal government for then accepting enslavement to be legal. When the Civil War began, Garrison was on the side of the Union and by the end, once the 13th Amendment was legally established to tend slavery, Garrison decided to stop the publication of "The Liberator" as he felt that it was all over. Garrison retired in 1866, but he still pressed on for women's suffrage, free trade, and African Americans.

Radical Works

In 1837, almost 4 years after "The Liberators" creation, he renounced church and state and embraced the doctrines of Christian perfectionism through his writing. this combined abolition, and women’s rights. Between 1840 and the American Civil War his strides against slavery increased and his influence in society decreased but this only made his radicalism increase. Because of "The Liberator", he was able to denounce the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas Nebraska Act, and the Dred Scott decision. He supported Abraham Lincoln and welcomed the emancipation proclamation.

Death & Legacy

William Lloyd Garrison died May 24, 1879, due to complications regarding kidney disease. Throughout his life, he was seen sometimes as a radical and controversial figure, but he still managed to inspire others and pave the way for many upcoming journalists. Russian author Leo Tolstoy was inspired by Garrison’s writing along with that of Adin Ballou due to their focus on Christianity which aligned with Tolstoy’s ideology. Tolstoy actually went on to publish a short biography of Garrison back in 1904 and often referred to Garrison within his own work. In Boston, there is an honorary memorial statue of Garrison. Back in December of 2005, Garrison’s descendants gathered in Boston to honor his 200th birthday.