Television News

Television vs. Radio.

In addition to becoming the primary source of home entertainment in the 1950s, television also became a major source of news and information. Many commentators regarded television as inherently lowbrow and not disposed to serious news gathering and reporting. H. V. Kaltenborn, a distinguished radio news analyst, stated in 1956 that "there are no advantages to TV newscasting.… Pictures are a distraction. Remembering camera angles is a bother. TV news should pay more attention to intelligent discourse."

Distraction of Entertainment.

Television news from the beginning was believed to value pictures, personality, and technology over good writing, competence, and content. The technology was seen as an obstacle to good news reporting. New York Times correspondent A. M. Rosenthal said in 1953 that television "is not interested primarily in news but in entertainment." The technology required...

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