Barbara Walters

    Barbara Walters is one of the most recognizable television hosts, if not the most recognizable. She has been on tv for 65 years and retired at the top with countless awards, and according to biography.com she was earning the highest out of any television host at the time of her retirement with a whopping 12 million dollars. Ms. Walters wears many hats as she is a television host, acclaimed author, and journalist. She published her first article in the 60s giving tips to those who often found themselves tongue-tied in social settings. This was eventually turned into a book. Barbara Walters paved the way for all female journalists throughout the years. She has interviewed every president and first lady since Nixon. And made journalism history by interviewing Fidel Castro, and giving the people the first inside look at a Whitehouse Christmas. The list goes on and on about how many great people she spoke with and how many great stories she told. But her legacy is not only about getting to sit down with the world’s most famous people or being paid the most, her legacy is all about firsts. Barbara Walters was the first female co-host of a major evening news program, she was the first female morning co-host, she was the first female to make a million dollars, and so on. Walters revolutionized journalism by making her interviews not only about the guests and what they are like, the stories they share, and an insight into their lives, anyone can ask questions to bring that out of people. But what brought people back to listening to Barbara Walters was Barbara Walters. Her personality and her brand showed in her interviews with massively famous people as much as theirs would. Barbara Walters is by far the most influential person in her field and a true trailblazer at the core of the definition.  

Anonymous. “Barbara Walters.” The Quill, vol. 109, no. 3, 2021, pp. 22–27.

Final EOTO: Erma Bombeck

    Erma Bombeck was born on February 21, 1927, in Dayton, Ohio. When she was young she fell in love with reading and books fairly quick. When she was just 13 years old she began her life in journalism. She first started writing for her High School newspaper when she was thirteen and was very good at it. At the age of 15, she got a job at the Dayton Herald where she was a copy girl. After she graduated High School, she began working for the Journal Herald where she wrote obituaries. She used the money she made from this job to pay for her college tuition at Ohio University. She soon however transferred to the University of Dayton to be closer to her family. She was upset about moving to the new school and was nervous about paying for her tuition. An advisor later came up to her and recommended that she started writing again. Erma began writing again for the University newspaper. Erma graduated in 1949 and she became the first to graduate from her family. 

Working to Housewife to Working Housewife

Erma started working at the Dayton Journal-Herald for the women’s sections. She loved to write and work, but she soon began to feel like she was not doing enough. While Erma was starting work, she was writing letters to Bill Bombeck while he was fighting in the Korean War. When Bill came back, they soon got married at the age of 22. After Erma and Bill got married, Erma stopped working to be a full-time stay-at-home mom and housewife. However, after her first child, she began to write again about her life as a housewife. She wrote specifically for other housewives in the Dayton area. Her columns became so famous that she got her job at the Journal Herald again where she continued to write columns. The Journal Herald then sold her column to the Syndicate, which was sent all over the United States. Her column "At Wit's End" was in 38 papers across the United States. Five years later, over 500 papers had her column featured in it.

From Paper to the Screen

    After Erma rose to fame in the newspapers, she began writing books. She published 13 books in total. Erma’s Book The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank became a bestseller which made her become even more popular. A producer named Bob Shanks reached out to Erma about a new television morning show called, Good Morning America. At first, Erma was not interested in joining the show at all, however, she said yes and was on the show for 11 years. Later a movie adaptation of The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank was made and it was a failure and critics did not like the movie at all. However, Erma got licensed for situation comedy and pitched a show to the producers of the Cosby Show. The producers loved the idea and they made it happen. The show was based on her own family life and she wrote 5 of the 8 scripts. The show was later canceled and she was asked to make another show but she turned it down. 

Why Erma was so Adored and her Legacy

    Erma was so adored because of her comedy and because she found her niche with housewives. She understood how lonely and boring it was to be a housewife so she wanted to bring joy and laughter to other women who were housewives. Erma was also tired of the stereotypes given to women and housewives and used her writing as a platform to make light of the situation. The women reading also had the same beliefs and were really related to Erma. Erma was also a voice for the Equal Rights Amendment. She did not want anything to do with politics but found herself appointed to the President’s National Advisory Committee for Women. This confused many because she loved being a housewife but advocated for equal rights. She debuted this with the fact that she wanted to be a voice for her children. Today, Erma is recognized in a workshop under her name at the University of Dayton to honor her legacy. 

Ohio reading road trip: Erma Louise Bombeck Biography. Ohio Reading Road Trip | Erma Louise Bombeck Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2022, from https://www.orrt.org/bombeck/ 

Camera's In the Courtroom

   

    According to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53,  "...the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom." This rule was first adopted in 1946 and has made changes based on the technology that was evolving over the years. Cameras in the courtroom have gone in and out of style. First, in 1946, there was no photography permitted, then in 1972 the courts prohibited the broadcasting of all types, and in 1990 a judge may authorize based on their own discretion, and then quickly again in 1994 cameras in the courtroom were prohibited again. And as of 2016 cameras are allowed in courtrooms again but only for the presentation of evidence, for the perpetuation of the record of the proceedings, for security purposes, for other purposes of judicial administration, for the photographing, recording, or broadcasting of appellate arguments, or in accordance with pilot programs approved by the Judicial Conference. I believe that cameras in the courtroom can be both very powerful and also very misleading. For starters, it can be powerful because it gives people an insight of what is going on inside the courtroom. This can lead to a greater belief in our court system, or if many people are upset with a certain ruling they can go back, watch it for themselves, and create their own opinion. Cameras in the courtroom could also be very misleading, much like our media sources today. Certain comments or testimonies could be taken out of context and the media can portray people however they would like. So in summary, cameras, and broadcasting in the courtroom is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it would make sense for the people to see what court rulings are shaping their country's future, and on the other hand, any politically motivated media outlet can manipulate the story and tell it how they want their viewers to see it. 

Anonymous. “Cameras in the Courtroom?” American Bar Association Journal, vol. 68, 1982, pp. 416–417.

Goodnight and Good Luck and McCarthy Era Journalism

 

McCarthyism & The Red Scare

    Hysteria is defined as a behavior exhibiting overwhelming or unmanageable fear or emotional excess. We have seen hysteria throughout history from uncontrollable laughter to political hysteria. One of the most famous examples of hysteria that has gone through the United States was the Red Scare or McCarthyism. The red scare was the fear that communism was taking over the United States and people in the government who were communists were taking over the government. It was the fear that our enemy at the time, communism, was taking over the United States. McCarthy added to the fear in the country by adding the idea to out who is communists and to make sure they are punished. This led to even more hysteria in the country because the people feared not only communism but public scrutiny.

Edward R. Murrow

    Edward R. Murrow is a famous CBS reporter that was best known for his reporting in World War II and during the McCarthy era. He has been remembered as being the main downfall of McCarthy. Edward R. Murrow reported on the Ford 50th Anniversary Show about many political topics, including criticism toward McCarthy that was seen by 60 million viewers. Later he created a segment that criticized McCarthy and pointed out his hypocrisy. The reviews he received were far different than what he and CBS expected which was very positive. Once McCarthy got the chance to respond to Murrow he accused Murrow of being a communist. McCarthy’s lack of response to everything Murrow pointed out made the public grow more of a dislike for the senator. 

    In the movie, we see the anxiety that McCarthy has instilled in the United States public. We see coworkers with Murrow being anxious about having to say they are not communist because it seemed like no one was safe from McCarthy even if you are not communist. Then the movie shows how no one wants to cover the story about McCarthy because they do not want to be profiled next. However, Murrow hears the story about the airman being discharged for his family potentially being communist. Murrow from the beginning shows his worry for democracy in the United States and that there is no fair trial for being accused of being communist and there’s no availability of freedom of speech because you may be profiled. My favorite quote of Murrow’s was in his speech, “We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable, and complacent. We have a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information.” I think this was extremely relevant to the red-scare and the era they were in. The people were too comfortable to see the truth and they were stuck in this hysteria and being too complacent. 

McCarthy and Journalism 

    As shown in the movie, you can see that journalism was far different during the McCarthy era. During the McCarthy era, journalism was almost censored because of the fear of being flagged as a communist sympathizer and losing your job. The journalists did not have any restrictions on reporting on McCarthyism, but the fear of losing their job and the fear of the mob made journalists unable to report on what was going on. In the movie, you could see that no one wanted to report on McCarthy but Murrow wanted to. Murrow is portrayed as strong and being the one to break the barriers for journalists, but even before his segment on McCarthy, you see his foot tapping which shows his internal anxiety. The movie emphasizes the responsibility of the media and how the media helps the public and the people. But it also shows how much these journalists put on the line to show the people what is truly going on. 

Common Sense and How it Shaped Journalism

 

    Thomas Paine was one of the first to use the media as a tool for gaining political support in the United States. Thomas Paine used the media to go against the British monarch and to discuss controversial opinions. He created the idea in America to have an uncensored press and to be able to speak freely about anything, including radical politics. One of his most famous pieces was Common Sense. This piece was a monumental moment in journalism and the revolution. Common Sense sparked the revolution when Thomas Paine wrote about democracy and called out the corrupt monarch and how they lack human rights. Common Sense was the first bestseller in America and it reached everyone, even the common people. Common Sense was huge and it shaped the minds of the people in the country. Thomas Paine set a new standard as well in journalism because he was no politician and had very low education. Since he was not an upper-class politician he saw the effects of the monarch far different and opened the term “the people” to the lower class and even slaves. His message and motive were very clear he wanted to help everyone oppressed by the monarch and believed that the revolution and democracy would help the lower class and others oppressed. Since Common Sense was so accessible, easy to understand and so relatable to many by most of the country it gained the support of most of the country and it was the reason that upped the morale of the country for the revolution. Thomas Paine risked his life by speaking out and could have been charged with sedition by the British government or by revolting by the American government. His courage and motivation to help the oppressed by using his writing and setting a new standard in journalism to have open debates about the government were monumental. 

Paine, Thomas. Rights of Man: Common Sense ; and Other Political Writings. Edited by Mark Philp, Oxford University Press, 1998. INSERT-MISSING-DATABASE-NAME, INSERT-MISSING-URL. Accessed 26 Apr. 2022.

Press and the War

 

    The Press, the government, and the military are far more closely tied than we may believe. The press has the responsibility to report on the wars and provide that information to the people and sometimes help gain support for the war. The government and the military are responsible for the wars and for making sure the troops and country are safe. The relationships between the three change through time and change with wars. 

WWII 

    During this time the relations between the press and the government were far different than what we see today. Journalists and reporters were seen as helping the war effort and a part of the war effort which made the relations between the press and the government very close. Journalists at this time almost tiptoed around the government and military to make sure what they were releasing was helping the war effort and not putting the United States in a bad light. The government and the military trusted the media and almost expected them to sort out anything that made the United States look bad. There was far more lying in the press at this time but it was accepted and seen as beneficial because it was a time of crisis. 

Vietnam War 

    The Vietnam war is what actually ruined the strong trust and relationship between the press and the government. At this time, the press was against the war and the government was actively trying to silence the press so they could gain more support for the war. However, the press still reported the casualties and the length of the war and this made the public grow a stronger dislike for the war in Vietnam. The reporters were also facing issues with even getting the news over to the United States. Reporters would have to record the content and ship the recording over and it would take days to get back to the United States. This made reporters have to make sure that the content they were getting would be able to be used days later. On top of the issues they were facing with time, the reporters were being lied to by the military. One reporter saw United States helicopters in Vietnam when the United States claimed there were none over there yet. When the reporter asked the military why the helicopters are there they claimed to have never seen them. Since the military and the press were telling different stories this caused issues with the public and the public had a hard time choosing who to trust. The government claimed that it was not censorship since there were no restrictions on the press.

Iraqi War/Persian Gulf War 

    The Iraqi government was lying to their own press similarly to what the United States did during the Vietnam war and this made the United States government upset because the United States was being shined in a bad light and it was false information. The reporters reacted by going to Iraq to report the war and report all of it so the people can choose what they want to believe. The constant reporting led to the CNN effect. 

CNN Effect 

    The CNN effect was the constant filming of the war in the middle east. The constant filming made the world open to instant coverage and allowed the world to see everything going on in the war. This affected public opinion around the world. The CNN effect also changed how diplomats and politicians reacted to issues in the world. The CNN effect left politicians and leaders to have accountability for events going on in the world. For example, George W. Bush saw starving kids in Somalia all over the news and he reacted by sending troops and food for help. The CNN effect showed what was really going on in the world and also was used as a tool by politicians and countries to make them look better.  

The Media and the War on Terrorism, edited by Stephen Hess, and Marvin Kalb, Brookings Institution Press, 2003. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/highpoint-ebooks/detail.action?docID=268832.

Journo Hero Reaction: William Lloyd Garrison

    William Lloyd Garrison was a journalist in the early 1800s that played a vital role in the abolitionist movement. When he was just 25 he started to become more involved in the movement. He started out by joining the American Colonization Society that wanted to send free blacks back to Africa. At the time, this was what they believed would help the freed slaves they could completely escape slavery in the United States. Later William Lloyd Garrison left the American Colonization Society after realizing that the organization wanted to preserve slavery still and get rid of freed slaves. After leaving the organization, William Lloyd Garrison became an editor for an anti-slavery newspaper called, The Genius of Universal Emancipation. 

    After being there for a couple years, William Lloyd Garrison began his very own anti-slavery newspaper called the Liberator. William Lloyd Garrison used the paper to talk about the immediate emancipation of slaves. At this time talking about having immediate emancipation of slaves was huge and not something that many people agreed with. Adding on, he also believed that once the slaves were free that they would have complete freedoms as the whites in the country had. Before he wrote about those views, people only believed that they should be free and not be completely immersed with the white people so him stating those views publicly and to a huge audience was revolutionary at the time. William Lloyd Garrison’s views were extremely liberal at the time but him publishing his views raised the conversation on emancipation in the country. William Lloyd Garrison was extremely radical at the time, but he made sure that he was not inciting violence. He made it clear he wanted peace, nonviolence, and passive resistance. Later, he created the American Anti-Slavery Society which focused on immediate emancipation. William Lloyd Garrison was a vital part of the emancipation of slaves. He used his strengths of writing to get the word and his views out to raise discussions and help convince people to join his side in helping get the immediate emancipation of slaves. 

Nye, Russel B. William Lloyd Garrison and the Humanitarian Reformers. [First edition] ed., Little, Brown, 1955.