Day 444 has meaning to many of us who watched television news in 1980. In one of the biggest television news moments as well as historic moments, this was the last day of the Iran Hostage crisis. Reflecting on this moment coincides with the one-year anniversary of the death of the 39th President, Jimmy Carter.
During this period in history, the United States had three television stations with three anchors that most people turned to and watched each evening. We were all tuned into seeing the world in very much the same way. The world was tumultuous. Every day the news reported about the gas prices soaring, the lack of fuel, the talks on energy, and unemployment. The anchors were people like Peter Jennings, Walter Cronkite, and Frank Reynolds. The nightly news show Nightline began four days after this event which was hosted by Ted Koppel. These names resonated with many of us and were part of our family conversations. These newsmen were trusted and even revered.
In some ways, the stories of that time have continued today, but the media has changed significantly including where people chose to get their news and information. News anchors are no longer household names. For most of the younger generation, they are insignificant and instead compete for their attention along with many of the influencers that they can find on their social media accounts. This change has evolved into the questioning of truth and trust. It coincides with how we value information. These points are why media literacy education is important in helping us to understand what is happening around us… especially significant media moments
Media moments are all around us and they come with teachable moments as well. For me, this is part of media literacy education which is the direction of this column and future columns. How do we understand the media and its significance in our lives? What media choices make us less knowledgeable or more knowledgeable in some cases? How does it help us to talk to each other or keep us alone? In some ways, media literacy is looking at the flip side of what we perceive and further giving us perspective…casting the net wider to understand further the how and the why.
Understanding how the media impacts and influences us is important. One year ago, I was in Washington D.C. for the President Carter procession. Standing in line in some very cold weather to see the former president laying in stay at the Capitol was an experience. It was a day after January 6th. The Capitol was surrounded by black fencing. Many of the roads were closed off leading into this historic building. The city had just been hit with a snowstorm and the Artic air was adding a frigid layer to the events. The end result was a lot of walking and waiting to be a witness to this historic moment. It was worth it. It was real and happening in front of me. It was also being captured on camera by news agencies, political influencers and ordinary people with their smartphones. A media moment was happening in real time.
As people rounded the rotunda for the viewing there were CSPAN cameras watching from every angle. This service was a historic moment…and it was also a media moment. In contrast, within the rotunda, the only people who were not allowed to capture the moment was all of us. A surprise to many who had become use to having their smartphones in use to capture everything, but this moment was marked by solemnity as well –despite the use the TV cameras.
Listening to the conversations around me, it was evident that his memory was connected to all of the works he had done in service to other people and less about his difficult presidency. From Habitat for Humanity, as well as other civic contributions, made him a figure which was seen often as a man of the people. As such, his work had a cascade effect. This too was being captured to be shared and stored later in a memory book which was at the exit of the rotunda and also by reporters who were circling and asking people why they were willing to risk the elements and stand for three hours in a line to see this president. These people were about to become a part of the news story reporting about this major event.
In many ways, this was a very straightforward event. Capture the historical moment and present it to the public. However, much like everything else in the media, as the funeral was occurring, I learned from other people their perspective on that presidency, their experience during the late 70’s and 80’s. For others, it was just about the humanitarian significance of this president which had a connection to the youth in line. All of these ideas connect to point of view and perspective. Elements which are important to remember as well when processing the media.
Media literacy asks us to think more deeply about issues, images and stories presented by the media. Understanding the media is important and valuable as each day brings us more and more events –some that are deeply concerning to our present and future. Moreover, media moments exist all the time and they provide opportunities for engagement, dialogue, and connection. All three are of those elements are becoming more important and yet at the same time more elusive too with the way in which people chose to disengage. Jimmy Carter once said, “We are, of course, a nation of differences. Those differences don’t make us weak. They’re the source of our strength” (1976). His legacy serves as a reminder that we must continue to work through differences in order to move beyond and forward. Media literacy education likewise provides a powerful framework for cultivating these opportunities, and in doing so, serves as gateway to deeper learning.
References:
Carter, J. Al Smith Dinner, New York, October 21, 1976
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