TV Revolutionizes South in the 1950s: Enlightenment for All - Essay Sample

Enlightenment

In the mid-1950s, Televisions made a significant impact across the South of the US. Both civil rights advocates and segregation activists run to the television to express their views as it was the new medium that most people had found to be valuable. These leaders used this medium as it was easy to pass clear information, unlike it the older sources of information that were segregated in terms of audience reached by the news and those represented. In Virginia, television presenters broadcasted a broader perspective of events that occurred between 1950 and 1960. They reflected both black and white personalities, and this brought more clarity of how information was interpreted and understood.

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A program is known as "Virginia's Dilemma" was a weekly schedule in Roanoke, run by Virginia WDBJ to showcase the "massive resistance" state's policy. The series of the show was designed to showcase a few issues that were a concern for the country, including giving an understanding of the Gray Commission's proposal on public education. The project explored recommendations for anti-integration of schooling. These discussions involved reporters and both persons who either opposed or proposed the recommendations. This program accepted a range of interviews and opinions which enlightened Virginians about their state and the situation they were going through. Between the 1950s and 1960s, both forces of desegregation and segregation pushed against each other to clarify their issues through the media (Karson). From this, people learned and adapted to what they felt was right; as a result, more people thought it right to engage themselves in the civil rights movement leading to a higher force (Karson).

Adding Pressure to the Battle

Television coverage revealed the actual struggles that those seeking change went through as well as the dramatic events that accompanied their efforts. Besides, it added pressure and spread news exposing events which threatened business leaders in all towns. In June 1963, after the violence and tension, television broadcasted stories of abuse in Danville, home to Dan River Mills, a company which had employed over 6000 people at the moment (Thomas). Due to that reason, the president of Dan River Mills was forced to send its company coordinator to act as a press officer for the Danville mayor who had a lot of pressure from embattlements (Thomas). The New York times was running questions that demanded expressions and views of Dan River Mills in line with the violence that had taken place in the company's hometown ("American Civil Rights Movement | Definition, Events ...").

Breaking Down Segregation

The media has always been involved in political conventions since the 1950s. Some of which are Kefauver's crime hearings, the 1952 convention involving the republicans, as commonly known, the 'checkers' speech by Richard M. Nixon and 1954's hearings of Army McCarthy just to mention but a few, featured dramatic coverage with thousands if not millions of United States citizens tuned in (Albrecht and Pulos 552). With such experience, by 1955 to late 1950s, the media had taken giant strides as long as political news was concerned where local and national media houses were now looking for more exciting stories to feature in their newspapers, magazines and television channels. However, with the Democratic National Conventions of 1956, tedious preceding led to critics who panned the coverage. There have been significant controversies over news making both good politics and good television coverage (Anderson 160-161).

To some extent, many media houses can not differentiate between the two. At least not in this convention. A report of one news anchor about a picture of Sam Rayburn made this clear. The reporter announced that the image of Sam pushing through with exhaustive equipment made for good politics and not television. There has been an antagonistic battle between both video and politicians, where the politicians are trying to reconcile with the television while the television is trying to reconcile their medium in the political platform.

Television critics grew on the 1956 convention, one being from Jack Gould, branding the conference as a regular show. He brought out the weakness the television has as a reporting medium. Although he also argued that it also offered the viewers a front seat position in the preceding though the former carried more weight than the latter as per his argument. He said that the media and the television at large had increased the public's curiosity on political issues. He even pointed out that the convention didn't deserve the treatment it received a vivid description basis. Gould argued that the narcissistic behaviour of most television producers makes them stand between the general public viewers and the event in question, begging the question, are their views independent? A problem may never be figured out with increasing interest of most of the television producers with the issues at hand. With many of them wanting their pictures at the front pages of articles and newspapers instead of reporting the items as they are to the viewers ("Lutherans And The Southern Civil Rights Movement - ELCA").

There were numerous connections between the people who fought for civil rights and the television platform that made ideas irresistible. For example first, televised debate was on October 20, 1956, in New York between attorney general Jacob Javits and Jacob Wagner, who was the city mayor. This debate mainly focused on issues involving civil rights. It revealed a wide variety of perspectives and resulted in opening discussions where problems of segregation and other civil rights concerns got vividly expressed. These proceedings led to civil rights Bill passed in 1957 (Albrecht and Pulos 552). Some congress urged that "southern view" be equally considered by big television and radio channels. Pressure grew against the conservative white opinion that favoured segregation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, media platform offered opportune moments to leaders and the general population in the United States of America as the platforms were used distinctively to pass news and create public awareness to the locals and the whole world. Print media did a great job, especially by expressing a story in a black and white format which enlightened a vast population. Televised press, on the other hand, passed visualized information which created even more significant impact especially to the black community who were going through segregation and discrimination besides other adverse effects that made them put all the energy they had in fighting for civil rights. As leaders and other iconic people expressed their views through media, many people got reached by the news, enlightened and got engaged in fighting for civil rights. These series of impacts made by the media played a very significant role in ushering in the civil rights movement.

Works Cited

Anderson, Heather. "Book Review: Equal Time: Television And The Civil Rights Movement." Media International Australia 145.1 (2012): 160-161. Web.

Buzzfeednews.com. N.p., 2019. Web. 25 Nov. 2019. Goodwin, Sage. "The Civil Rights Movement and the Media." Communication, 2019, DOI:10.1093/obo/9780199756841-0231.

Kirk, John...