THE CHANGING IMAGES OF TELEVISION NEWSCASTERS.
Item
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Title
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THE CHANGING IMAGES OF TELEVISION NEWSCASTERS.
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Identifier
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AAI8222930
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identifier
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8222930
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Creator
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BLUHM, VIRGINIA.
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Date
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1982
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Sociology, General
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Abstract
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This study examines a social movement that sought to integrate the images of television newscasters. It focuses on how television broadcasters acquiesced to the demands of activists and pressure groups.;The depiction of minority group members on television became an issue in the early 1960's when protestors charged that broadcasters projected stereotyped images or excluded minority group members from the important on-camera roles of television. It was widely believed that employing more minorities in the on-camera roles of television and depicting them in a manner comparable to that of whites would hasten integration in other areas of the society. News programming became a special target of criticism. As racial issues intensified during the sixties, many of the deficiencies of television news were attributed to the lack of integration in newscasting. As the women's movement developed, criticism was directed towards broadcasters about the images of women.;This study focused on a reconstruction of the historical sequence of events, which included the growth and development of television news and the efforts of activists seeking to reform television images. Legislation and government policy concerning equal employment were important, because newscaster images reflected the employment practices of broadcasters. Two variables crucial to this analysis were the force of the social movement and the perceptions of broadcasters of how the demands for change would affect their businesses.;Broadcasters cautiously introduced minorities into television news. These changes were likely to follow events that subjected broadcasters to public criticism or created new needs. Broadcasters, as implementors of social change sought by activists, accepted change that favored their business interests and resisted or manipulated undesired changes. Ethnic, racial, and sex statuses were factors that affected the hiring of newscasters and their work before the camera, and consequently their images. In addition, the employment of outstanding individuals as professional personalities reduced the impact of integrated images. The broadcasters achieved an uneasy balance between overall integration and optimal competitive advantages.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Sociology
