大学英语演讲稿：TelevisionNewsCoverage

第页共页大学英语演讲稿：TelevisionNewsCoverage大学英语演讲稿：TelevisionNewsCoverageMondaynightaweekago,PresidentNixondeliveredthemostimportantaddressofhisAdministration,oneofthemostimportantofourdecade.HissubjectwasVietnam.Myhope,ashisatthattime,wastorallytheAmericanpeopletoseetheconflictthroughtoalastingandjustpeaceinthePacific.For32minutes,hereasonedwithanationthathassufferedalmostathirdofamillioncasualtiesinthelongestwarinitshistory.WhenthePresidentpletedhisaddress--anaddress,incidentally,thathespentweeksinthepreparationof--hiswordsandpoliciesweresubjectedtoinstantanalysisandquerulouscriticism.Theaudienceof70millionAmericansgatheredtohearthePresidentoftheUnitedStateswasinheritedbyasmallbandofworkmentatorsandself-appointedanalysts,themajorityofwhomexpressedinonewayoranothertheirhostilitytowhathehadtosay.Itwasobviousthattheirmindsweremadeupinadvance.ThosewhorecallthefumblingandgropingthatfollowedPresidentJohnson’sdramaticdisclosureofhisintentionnottoseekanothertermhaveseenthesemeninagenuinestateofnonpreparedness.Thiswasnotit.OnementatortwicecontradictedthePresident’sstatementabouttheexchangeofcorrespondencewithHoChiMinh.AnotherchallengedthePresident’sabilitiesasapolitician.AthirdassertedthatthePresidentwasfollowingaPentagonline.Others,bytheexpressionsontheirfaces,thetoneoftheirquestions,andthesarcasmoftheirresponses,madecleartheirsharpdisapproval.ToguaranteeinadvancethatthePresident’spleafornationalunitywouldbechallenged,oneworktrottedoutAverellHarrimanfortheoccasion.ThroughoutthePresident'saddress,hewaitedinthewings.WhenthePresidentconcluded,Mr.Harrimanrecitedperfectly.HeattackedtheThieuGover____entasunrepresentative;hecriticizedthePresident’sspeechforvariousdeficiencies;hetwiceissuedacalltotheSenateForeignRelationsmitteetodebateVietnamonceagain;hestatedhisbeliefthattheVietcongorNorthVietnamesedidnotreallywantmilitarytake-overofSouthVietnam;andhetoldalittleanecdoteabouta“very,veryresponsible”fellowhehadmetintheNorthVietnamesedelegation.Allinall,Mr.HarrisonofferedabroadrangeofgratuitousadvicechallengingandcontradictingthepoliciesoutlinedbythePresidentoftheUnitedStates.WherethePresidenthadissuedacallforunity,Mr.Harrimanwasencouragingthecountrynottolistentohim.AwordaboutMr.Harriman.For10monthshewasAmerica’schiefnegotiatorattheParispeacetalks--aperiodinwhichtheUnitedStatesswappedsomeofthegreatestmilitaryconcessionsinthehistoryofwarfareforanenemyagreementontheshapeofthebargainingtable.LikeColeridge’sAncientMariner,Mr.Harrimanseemstobeundersomeheavypulsiontojustifyhisfailurestoanyonewhowilllisten.Andtheworkshaveshownthemselveswillingtogivehimalltheairtimehedesires.NoweveryAmericanhasarighttodisagreewiththePresidentoftheUnitedStatesandtoexpresspubliclythatdisagreement.ButthePresidentoftheUnitedStateshasarighttomunicatedirectlywiththepeoplewhoelectedhim,andthepeopleofthiscountryhavetherighttomakeuptheirownmindsandformtheirownopinionsaboutaPresidentialaddresswithouthavingaPresident’swordsandthoughtscharacterizedthroughtheprejudicesofhostilecriticsbeforetheycanevenbedigested.ThepurposeofmyremarkstonightistofocusyourattentiononthislittlegroupofmenwhonotonlyenjoyarightofinstantrebuttaltoeveryPresidentialaddress,but,moreimportantly,wieldafreehandinselecting,presenting,andinterpretingthegreatissuesinournation.First,let’sdefinethatpower.Atleast40millionAmericanseverynight,it’sestimated,watchtheworknews.SevenmillionofthemviewA.B.C.,theremainderbeingdividedbetweenN.B.C.andC.B.S.AccordingtoHarrispollsandotherstudies,formillionsofAmericanstheworksarethesolesourceofnationalandworldnews.InWillRoger’sobservation,whatyouknewwaswhatyoureadinthenewspaper.TodayforgrowingmillionsofAmericans,it’swhattheyseeandhearontheirtelevisionsets.Nowhowisthisworknewsdetermined?Asmallgroupofmen,numberingperhapsnomorethanadozenanchormen,mentators,andexecutiveproducers,settleuponthe20minutesorsooffilmandmentarythat’storeachthepublic.Thisselectionismadefromthe90to180minutesthatmaybeavailable.Theirpowersofchoicearebroad.Theydecidewhat40to50millionAmericanswilllearnoftheday’seventsinthenationandintheworld.Wecannotmeasurethispowerandinfluencebythetraditionaldemocraticstandards,forthesemencancreatenationalissuesovernight.Theycanmakeorbreakbytheircoverageandmentaryamoratoriumonthewar.Theycanelevatemenfromobscuritytonationalprominencewithinaweek.Theycanrewardsomepoliticianswithnationalexposureandignoreothers.FormillionsofAmericanstheworkreporterwhocoversacontinuingissue--liketheABMorcivilrights--bees,ineffect,thepresidingjudgeinanationaltrialbyjury.Itmustberecognizedthattheworkshavemadeimportantcontributionstothenationalknowledge--throughnews,documentaries,andspecials.Theyhaveoftenusedtheirpowerconstructivelyandcreativelytoawakenthepublicconsciencetocriticalproblems.Theworksmadehungerandblacklungdiseasenationalissuesovernight.TheTVworkshavedonewhatnoothermediumcouldhavedoneintermsofdramatizingthehorrorsofwar.Theworkshavetackledourmostdifficultsocialproblemswithadirectnessandanimmediacythat’sthegiftoftheirmedium.Theyfocusthenation’sattentiononitsenviro____entalabuses--onpollutionintheGreatLakesandthethreatenedecologyoftheEverglades.ButitwasalsotheworksthatelevatedStokelyCarmichaelandGeorgeLincolnRockwellfromobscuritytonationalprominence.Noristheirpowerconfinedtothesubstantive.Araisedeyebrow,aninflectionofthevoice,acausticremarkdroppedinthemiddleofabroadcastcanraisedoubtsinamillionmindsabouttheveracityofapublicofficialorthewisdomofaGover____entpolicy.OneFederalmunicationsmissionerconsidersthepowersoftheworksequaltothatoflocal,state,andFederalGover____entsallbined.CertainlyitrepresentsaconcentrationofpoweroverAmericanpublicopinionunknowninhistory.NowwhatdoAmericansknowofthemenwhowieldthispower?Ofthemenwhoproduceanddirecttheworknews,thenationknowspracticallynothing.Ofthementators,mostAmericansknowlittleotherthanthattheyreflectanurbaneandassuredpresenceseeminglywell-informedoneveryimportantmatter.WedoknowthattoamanthesementatorsandproducersliveandworkinthegeographicalandintellectualconfinesofWashington,D.C.,orNewYorkCity,thelatterofwhichJamesRestontermsthemostunrepresentativemunityintheentireUnitedStates.Bothmunitiesbaskintheirownprovincialism,theirownparochialism.Wecandeducethatthesemenreadthesamenewspapers.Theydrawtheirpoliticalandsocialviewsfromthesamesources.Worse,theytalkconstantlytooneanother,therebyprovidingartificialreinforcementtotheirsharedviewpoints.Dotheyallowtheirbiasestoinfluencetheselectionandpresentationofthenews?DavidBrinkleystatesobjectivityisimpossibletonormalhumanbehavior.Rather,hesays,weshouldstriveforfairness.Lessthanaweekbeforethe1968election,thissamementatorchargedthatPresidentNixon’scaignmitmentswerenomoredurablethancaignballoons.Heclaimedthat,wereitnotforthefearofhostilereaction,RichardNixonwouldbegivinginto,andIehimexactly,“hisnaturalinstincttosmashtheenemywithacluborgoafterhimwithameataxe.”Hadthisslanderbeenmadebyone