From the 1900s to the 1960s, new forms of media were emerging to shape the base of the technology we have today. The radio, television, and advertisements became more widely known and used for everything from news to selling a product, to simply entertainment. Many thought that new mediums would revolutionize the country with new programs as well as having the ability to spread news quickly and efficiently to a large portion of the population. However, with the new media forms came controversy and debate about policy. Some feared the radio would decrease social interactions, others were more concerned about advertisements between programs. The conversation about the media in the early 20th century had multiple viewpoints, but ultimately built the foundation of what we have today.
Radio
"This is KDKA of the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We shall now broadcast the election returns. We are receiving these returns through the cooperation and by special arrangement wit the Pittsburgh Post and Sun. We'd appreciate it if anyone hearing this broadcast would communicate with us as we are very anxious to know how far the broadcast is reaching and how it is being received..."
-First words spoken on a radio, August 31, 1920
-First words spoken on a radio, August 31, 1920
The first licensed radio station in the United States was KDKA in Pittsburgh in 1920. At the time, very little of the population owned a radio. However, by popular demand, the number of stations grew from five to 500 in four years. By 1930, over 40 percent of households in America owned a radio. The initial influence on society predicted the radio to be a powerful means of spreading information to a large population, previously separated by geography or pay. Much like the start of the internet, many worried about the subjects of the programs as well as lessen the amount of social gatherings and interactions. Many disagreed. Some believed it would bring Americans closer together to create an ideal, unified nation.
Battle for Radio Freedom
In the 1940s, when 83 percent of American households had radios, there were many battles over policy, resulting in outside voices to speak their opinions. With the programs being drowned out by commercials, many Americans felt that the revolutionary radio was being misused. The anger was mostly among African Americans, labor unions, and intellectuals who felt excluded as the media misrepresented or mistreated their voices and views. A media-reform union of activists and everyday listeners started policy debates and targeted the Federal Communications Commission with letters and petitions.
"Labor and capital [must] both be heard equally"
"The radio shouldn't be utilized so exclusively for sheer advertising and propaganda purposes."
-Quotes from letters written to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
"The radio shouldn't be utilized so exclusively for sheer advertising and propaganda purposes."
-Quotes from letters written to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Pickard, Victor. "Before Net Neutrality: The Surprising 1940s Battle for Radio Freedom." The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2015, www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/01/before-net-neutrality-the-surprising-1940s-battle-for-radio-freedom/384924/. Accessed 17 Nov. 2016.
Sexism in the Media
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While the 1960s are presumed to be the start of sexual revolution, however it began in the 1940s and 50s with the "silent generation." After World War II, marketers in mass media discovered new ways to guarantee more consumers: sex appeal. 1940s advertisements portrayed women gaining weight and staying young; not growing old. This is one of the many offensive advertisements for women. For men, it stressed on being successful and making sure everyone knew. Unlike today, women didn't overtly object to sexism and stereotyping in advertisements.
Moffatt, Kevin. "Sex Appeal in Advertising 40s-50s." 40s-50s
Advertising, sex-appeals-in advertising.wikispaces.com/Sex+Appeal+in+Advertising+40s 50s. Accessed 20 Nov. 2016. |
Civil Rights
![Picture](/uploads/9/3/2/0/93202712/8444954920-7dc05c9d5b-1_orig.jpg)
On March 7, 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. organized a march to bring attention to the segregation of black voters in the south. Millions of Americans watch in horror, on television, as police brutally attacked a nonviolent march in Selma, Alabama, later known as Bloody Sunday. When the people saw the police violence and the abuse to the peaceful marchers, they were appalled by the injustice and discrimination in the country. Almost exactly five months later, the events in Selma helped to pass the Voting Rights Act. Through television, the march in Selma helped to reveal to the country of the violence and racism in the South.
Selma to Montgomery Marches. Photo file, 7 Mar. 1965.
"The civil rights movement would have been like a bird without wings if it hadn't been for the news media."
-Congressman John Lewis, marched with Dr. King and sustained a broken skull on Bloody Sunday
On February 18, 1965, an Alabama state trooper shooting Jimmie Lee Jackson, a 26-year old church deacon from Marion, Alabama, who eight days later, died in a hospital. In response, John Lewis, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee leader, along with Dr. King, led the march from Selma across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to the state capital, Montgomery. When they came across the bridge to attack by state troopers, Lewis was severely beaten and suffered a fractured skull.
-Congressman John Lewis, marched with Dr. King and sustained a broken skull on Bloody Sunday
On February 18, 1965, an Alabama state trooper shooting Jimmie Lee Jackson, a 26-year old church deacon from Marion, Alabama, who eight days later, died in a hospital. In response, John Lewis, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee leader, along with Dr. King, led the march from Selma across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to the state capital, Montgomery. When they came across the bridge to attack by state troopers, Lewis was severely beaten and suffered a fractured skull.
Haltiwanger, John. "How the Media Helped Civil Rights in the 60s, but Are
Hurting It Now." Elite Daily, 29 Apr. 2015, elitedaily.com/news/politics/ media-helped-civil-rights-60s-hurting-now/1017417/. Accessed 20 Nov. 2016. |