Television Broadcasting - Political Aspects, Television Programs - General & Miscellaneous, Television News Programs, Broadcasting & Media Industries - News Media, Media Policy

Investigated Reporting: Muckrakers, Regulators, and the Struggle over Television Documentary

Name: Investigated Reporting: Muckrakers, Regulators, and the Struggle over Television Documentary
Author: Chad Raphael
ISBN: 9780252092206

by Chad Raphael

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Overview

Investigated Reporting is Chad Raphael's ambitious exploration of the relationship between journalism and regulation during American television's first sustained period of muckraking, between 1960 and 1975. Offering new and important insights into the economic, political, and industrial forces that shaped documentaries such as Harvest of Shame, Hunger in America, and Banks and the Poor, Raphael puts investigative television documentary into its institutional, regulatory, and cultural context. _x000B_Those who see investigative reporting as a watchdog on government will be surprised to find that these controversial reports relied heavily on official sources for inspiration, information, and regulatory protection from muckraking's critics. Based on superb historical research using primary sources, including recently opened papers from the Nixon White House, Raphael exposes the complex play of influence through which investigative documentaries were both shaped and attacked by government officials, and highlights the troubling legacy for contemporary regulation of television news. _x000B__x000B__x000B__x000B_

Synopsis

Triple Award Winner: 2006 History Division Book Award of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, 2006 Frank Luther Mott/Kappa Tau Alpha Communications Award, and 2005 Donald McGannon Award for Social and Ethical Relevance in Communications Policy Research The public often views television investigative reporting as a watchdog on the government. In fact, some of the centerpiece moments of TV muckraking relied heavily on official sources for inspiration, information, and regulatory protection from critics. At the same time, criticism by government officials and overt threats to regulate the television industry influenced the decision-making and content that went into some of broadcast news's iconic moments. Chad Raphael's looks at the relationship between journalism and regulation during the celebrated period of muckraking that took place on American television between 1960 and 1975. Raphael offers new insights into the economic, political, and industrial forces that shaped documentaries like Harvest of Shame, Hunger in America, and Banks and the Poor while placing the investigative television documentary into its institutional, regulatory, and cultural context. Throughout, Raphael exposes the complex strands of influence used by government officials to shape--and attack--investigative reporting, and highlights how these tactics created a troubling legacy for the regulation of television news today.