Johnson’s Great Society’s biggest feat was the war on poverty
● Medicare, housing, schools, and infrastructure were also a big part of the war on poverty ○ Aimed at helping poor, rural families ● Public radio and public tv was also a way to keep those poorer families included A Welcome Guest in the House ● National Association of Broadcasters ○ Historically represented owners of local tv stations ● 1957 ○ Made a case for public tv ● Look for themes about citizenship and regulation ○ Being informed un society ○ Challenge to believe in freedom and truth ■ Use tv to distribute hegemonic ideals ○ NAB- the guest in your house ■ Makes it clear that there are forces at large that threaten our free and truthful way of life in US ○ Communism threatens freedom ○ Freedom is THE CORE value ■ Free enterprise ○ TV news must presented fast, accurate and fair ○ Citizenship is required to participate in political scene ○ Broadcasters have a responsibility to provide coverage to produce an informed and enlightened citizenry ■ You need tv and broadcasting to be an informed and enlightened citizen ■ Teachers even use tv as a teaching tool ■ You need tv to become enlightened and a high status member of society--there is no way to achieve this ○ Your tv set will always be a “welcome guest in the house” ○ They promise to regulate themselves justly ■ You can even send in letters because they care about YOU lol Ongoing concern of commercial nature of tv and the impact on citizens Vast Wasteland Speech ● May 9,1961 ● Newton Minow, FCC chairman ○ Idea that the FCC will take an activist role in tv ● National Association of Broadcasters Convention ○ Minow says that if tv regulates themselves responsibly, the FCC won’t have to regulate them. So far, they haven’t been doing so hot. ● “Vast wasteland,” which was originally titled, by Minow, “Television and the Public Interest” (Minow particularly cared about the public interest aspect) ○ Commercials nature of broadcasting, game shows, violence, sitcoms, lack of educational content, unrealistic families, loud commercials ● Anti-elitism erupted in the 1950s when people like Minow were trying to get public interest focused programming ○ “This elitist egghead says that tv is garbage, but you like tv, right?”
Television and governing
● TV as a ‘laboratory for democracy’ ○ Tv is exploring the role of democracy in programming and asking audience to participate in this ■ Documentaries, for ex ● Window versus mirror ○ Window: educational technology that will let you see things that you never would have been able to see before ○ Mirror: the mirror (tv) is the standard, are you up to par with those images/messages? ○ This debate highlighted the collapse in boundary between citizenship and consumerism ■ Being a good citizen is being a good consumer ● Governing through freedom ○ Michael Foucault ■ Society has gotten really big, not everybody is within reach of intense social control. Yet, you need everyone to behave themselves, conform , and get along with centralized gov. ■ Came up with the concept of governance through freedom as a solution ● “I don’t necessarily think that’s a good idea, but I’ll let you make the choice” ● Hopefully, citizens make the right choice, and tv is essential for getting messages out about what a good citizen is McCarthy: Citizen Machine ● 1950s civic education on tv: debates, dramatizations, documentaries ● Segregation (racism) was key area of concern ● Early example of “soft power” ○ Same concept as governing through freedom ○ This type of power was really important, especially in the 1950s, in getting people to do what you want without them feeling like they’re in a totalitarian gov (like Soviet Union) and that they’re still in a democracy TV and Governance ● Not just culture of the image or positive representation ○ More about how we interpret representations and images ○ Cultural effects of tv- tv becomes a soft mode of power ● Bottom up mode of power ○ Not just a few people in power creating content for tv, but now everyone is doing it, individuals included ● Suited to large population with democratic values and rhetoric of freedom ● Individual versus collective idea of civic life ○ More emphasis on individuality, not so much on civic life anymore ○ The choices you make in your own life, make sure they are working toward the standard of citizenry New Modes of Governance through tv ● Neoliberalism ○ Approach to economics; extremely liberal economics; pushing back against any government involvement/intervention whatsoever ● Lifestyle tv and citizenship ○ Shaped the way that people understood themselves as citizens ● Politics culture of lifestyle tv ○ Citizenship is less centered around getting involved with politics, writing legislators, going to demonstrations, joining civic groups, etc., but is now about your lifestyle and relationships ● Current examples of Reality TV shows that aim to demonstrate positive civic virtues ○ These reality tv shows help certain individuals, but not the general population ○ Ex. “Cops”, Courtroom shows, “Dr. Phil”, “Extreme Home Makeover”, “Biggest Loser”