After hearing all the great and wonderful reasons for starting a blog, I have started a blog. I go to San Jose State University, and this blog will thus be called “Longboard U,” since SJ State seems to be a skateboarding University. Longboards in particular. Like a Longboard University, to in no way detract from the wonderful acadamia contained therein.
Skateboards are very green, in the environmental sense. People should appreciate them more and stop yelling at the people who ride them. But there are even more important things going on on SJSU’s campus than skateboards.
CHARLES CAUDILL SPEAKS
Charles Caudill. Also pictured: Emmy.
Yes, Charles Caudill, emmy-saturated former CNN executive, spoke on October 2-3 on-campus, and he gave perhaps the most consise and interesting interpretation of the progression of modern media that I have ever heard. Here is my interpretation of what he said, from my notes:
Caudill’s method starts with what he calls “Lapdog Journalism,” largely in the 50’s, in which the media all sat tight, reported what they were supposed to and how, and let the powers that be serve them scotch on the rocks while they patted them on the head and said “go get ‘em, tiger.”
The next progression in Caudill’s description refers to a culmination of social pressures that built up to the late 1960s, when protests were becoming popular amongst the youth of America. Since for the first time we could see our youth having the hell beaten from them by authorities trying to break up rallies, we (as a country) got pissed off, and started with what Caudill calls “Watchdog Journalism,” which means that the media were sort of keeping an eye on what’s going on, and weren’t afraid to report it. The media promptly stopped receiving their scotch on the rocks.
Richard Nixon’s watergate scandal didn’t make very many people happy, and the media not only reflected what was going on but also began to agressively seek out the real story, gnashing teeth and snarling like a Junkyard Dog. The premise became “we don’t trust the government.” Watching for stories was no longer enough. They had to be actively hunted and saught out, aggressively. Like a junkyard dog. As mentioned, Caudill calls this ”Junkyard Dog Journalism.”
Because of Junkyard Dog Journalism, presidents like Reagan(almost universally accepted as more actor than president), found aggressive quesitons from the likes of Sam Donaldson and his peers a tough pill to swallow. So, the administration began to put quite a considerable distance between Reagan, always in a photo-op situation, and the reporters, who would have liked to ask him just what in the hell he was doing exactly, but were separated by about a football field, and can only really film the damn thing. “Guide Dog Journalism,” Caudill calls it.
According to Caudill, journalism now is somewhere between Junkyard Dog and Guide Dog.
I was impressed by this encapsulation of just what the media are doing to us, and why. Here’s his website.
-Angelo Lanham
Tags: charles caudill, longboards, media, politics, skateboards
December 24, 2007 at 3:46 pm |
Someone told me about this blog so I checked it out. You nailed my beliefs in a very creative and entertaining way. You have a future as a writer if you so choose. I liked the guide dog analogy, I had not used that before, but will do so from here on out. Thanks for letting me visit your class and keep up the good work, I love student blogs.
cheers,
charlie
December 24, 2007 at 3:47 pm |
Someone tipped me to this blog and I have to say you hit the nail right on the head and, in a very creative and entertaining way. I loved the guide dog analogy and will use it from here on out. Keep up the great work, I love student blogs.
cheers,
charlie
December 28, 2007 at 7:31 am |
I’m honored that you checked out the blog, and I’m relieved to know that I did justice in describing your media analogies. Thanks a million for the comment, and don’t stop speaking to classes, it’s right inspiring.
Angelo