大學(xué)英語(yǔ)演講稿：TelevisionNewsCoverage

大學(xué)英語(yǔ)演講稿：TelevisionNewsCoverage

Mondaynightaweekago,PresidentNixondeliveredthemostimportantaddressofhisAdministration,oneofthemostimportantofourdecade.HissubjectwasVietnam.Myhope,ashisatthattime,wastorallytheAmericanpeopletoseetheconflictthroughtoalastingandjustpeaceinthePacific.For32minutes,hereasonedwithanationthathassufferedalmostathirdofamillioncasualtiesinthelongestwarinitshistory.

WhenthePresidentcompletedhisaddress--anaddress,incidentally,thathespentweeksinthepreparationof--hiswordsandpoliciesweresubjectedtoinstantanalysisandquerulouscriticism.Theaudienceof70millionAmericansgatheredtohearthePresidentoftheUnitedStateswasinheritedbyasmallbandofnetworkcommentatorsandself-appointedanalysts,themajorityofwhomexpressedinonewayoranothertheirhostilitytowhathehadtosay.

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;hestatedhisbeliefthattheVietcongorNorthVietnamesedidnotreallywantmilitarytake-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,orwhetherBritainhadthestaminatoseethewarthrough.WhenPresidentKennedyralliedthenationintheCubanmissilecrisis,hisaddresstothepeoplewasnotchewedoverbyaroundtableofcriticswhodisparagedthecourseofactionhe’daskedAmericatofollow.

ThepurposeofmyremarkstonightistofocusyourattentiononthislittlegroupofmenwhonotonlyenjoyarightofinstantrebuttaltoeveryPresidentialaddress,but,moreimportantly,wieldafreehandinselecting,presenting,andinterpretingthegreatissuesinournation.First,let’sdefinethatpower.

Atleast40millionAmericanseverynight,it’sestimated,watchthenetworknews.SevenmillionofthemviewA.B.C.,theremainderbeingdividedbetweenN.B.C.andC.B.S.AccordingtoHarrispollsandotherstudies,formillionsofAmericansthenetworksarethesolesourceofnationalandworldnews.InWillRoger’sobservation,whatyouknewwaswhatyoureadinthenewspaper.TodayforgrowingmillionsofAmericans,it’swhattheyseeandhearontheirtelevisionsets.

Nowhowisthisnetworknewsdetermined?Asmallgroupofmen,numberingperhapsnomorethanadozenanchormen,commentators,andexecutiveproducers,settleuponthe20minutesorsooffilmandcommentarythat’storeachthepublic.Thisselectionismadefromthe90to180minutesthatmaybeavailable.Theirpowersofchoicearebroad.

Theydecidewhat40to50millionAmericanswilllearnoftheday’seventsinthenationandintheworld.Wecannotmeasurethispowerandinfluencebythetraditionaldemocraticstandards,forthesemencancreatenationalissuesovernight.Theycanmakeorbreakbytheircoverageandcommentaryamoratoriumonthewar.Theycanelevatemenfromobscuritytonationalprominencewithinaweek.Theycanrewardsomepoliticianswithnationalexposureandignoreothers.

FormillionsofAmericansthenetworkreporterwhocoversacontinuingissue--liketheABMorcivilrights--becomes,ineffect,thepresidingjudgeinanationaltrialbyjury.

Itmustberecognizedthatthenetworkshavemadeimportantcontributionstothenationalknowledge--throughnews,documentaries,andspecials.Theyhaveoftenusedtheirpowerconstructivelyandcreativelytoawakenthepublicconsciencetocriticalproblems.Thenetworksmadehungerandblacklungdiseasenationalissuesovernight.TheTVnetworkshavedonewhatnoothermediumcouldhavedoneintermsofdramatizingthehorrorsofwar.Thenetworkshavetackledourmostdifficultsocialproblemswithadirectnessandanimmediacythat’sthegiftoftheirmedium.Theyfocusthenation’sattentiononitsenvironmentalabuses--onpollutionintheGreatLakesandthethreatenedecologyoftheEverglades.ButitwasalsothenetworksthatelevatedStokelyCarmichaelandGeorgeLincolnRockwellfromobscuritytonationalprominence.

Noristheirpowerconfinedtothesubstantive.Araisedeyebrow,aninflectionofthevoice,acausticremarkdroppedinthemiddleofabroadcastcanraisedoubtsinamillionmindsabouttheveracityofapublicofficialorthewisdomofaGovernmentpolicy.OneFederalCommunicationsCommissionerconsidersthepowersofthenetworksequaltothatoflocal,state,andFederalGovernmentsallcombined.CertainlyitrepresentsaconcentrationofpoweroverAmericanpublicopinionunknowninhistory.

NowwhatdoAmericansknowofthemenwhowieldthispower?Ofthemenwhoproduceanddirectthenetworknews,thenationknowspracticallynothing.Ofthecommentators,mostAmericansknowlittleotherthanthattheyreflectanurbaneandassuredpresenceseeminglywell-informedoneveryimportantmatter.WedoknowthattoamanthesecommentatorsandproducersliveandworkinthegeographicalandintellectualconfinesofWashington,D.C.,orNewYorkCity,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,“hisnaturalinstincttosmashtheenemywithacluborgoafterhimwithameataxe.”

Hadthisslanderbeenmadebyonepoliticalcandidateaboutanother,itwouldhavebeendismissedbymostcommentatorsasapartisanattack.Butthisattackemanatedfromtheprivilegedsanctuaryofanetworkstudioandthereforehadtheapparentdignityofanobjec