|
Chapter Five: A Distorted Mirror News departments expanded as stations began to realize the audience-building value of their local news. The first hour-long local newscast debuted on KNXT with an all-white, all-male anchor team that would be unthinkable today. Coverage consisted mostly of long interviews with elected officials. "Real people" had virtually no voice. Coverage of the 1965 Watts riots would demonstrate the shortcomings of this distorted mirror of society. Another relevant example can be found in coverage of the 1965 blackout in New York City. We are also interested in hearing about how local television newsrooms reacted to stories about the women's movement, the anti-war movement and the civil rights movement, especially in the South. Visit our contribution area if you have any information. |