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Narrated by Rosemary Benson
Heather HendershotUnabridged — 14 hours, 56 minutes
Narrated by Rosemary Benson
Heather HendershotUnabridged — 14 hours, 56 minutes
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[Hendershot] presents a vivid account of the events in Chicago. . . . Interspersed with Hendershot’s detailed description of what happened in the convention amphitheater and the streets of Chicago is a careful analysis of network coverage of the convention. . . . Riveting.
In this entertaining, original, and compellingly narrated book, Hendershot illustrates the origins of allegations of ‘liberal media bias’ in television network coverage of the 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention. A must-read for anyone interested in the current dialogue around ‘fake news.’
"For roughly three decades three TV networks - CBS, NBC and ABC - competed for audience, ads and acceptance. . . . [they] came to Chicago knowing that 1968 was not an ordinary year, but not knowing what to expect. That’s why the title is a double entendre. Breaking news is what the networks reported. The network system broke in 1968."
In When the News Broke, Hendershot marshals a deeply researched argument for how four turbulent days planted the seeds of public distrust in media that are still bearing bitter fruit. It is a fascinating look back at a dramatic American summer on which the sun has still not set.
When the News Broke provides a complete and beautifully rendered picture of the 1968 Democratic convention in an utterly new way. Through her gripping storytelling, Hendershot shows how one harrowing week in Chicago cemented the idea of ‘liberal media bias’ in the minds of so many Americans for decades to come.
When the News Broke convincingly pinpoints the genesis of our lack of trust in the mainstream media as Hendershot walks us through a most consequential, if tragic, sequence in American political life. The book proceeds with clarity, insight, and even a touch of suspense. Readers ranging from citizens and scholars to journalists will all benefit from Hendershot’s approachable account.
Gracefully written, exhaustively researched, and chock-full of memorable quotations, When the News Broke takes the reader from the news desk to the convention hall to Michigan Avenue. Exploring that tumultuous year marked by assassinations, rioting, and division, Hendershot shows what the anchorman was saying and what television viewers were hearing were central to any understanding of the sixties and our own time.
This carefully detailed historical account presents the 1968 Democratic National Convention, in Chicago, as a critical juncture for the American press.
It’s all here: the dreams and the drama, the conflict and the violence, the ruin and the repercussions. Hendershot’s account of the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago is thoroughly researched and elegantly written. But When the News Broke is so much more than a retelling—Hendershot’s powerful insights reframe the well-worn narratives, foregrounding white supremacy as central, not peripheral, to the convention. Beyond the bigoted commentary and racist asides of many journalists, Black disenfranchisement and Black subjugation are the heartbeat of the entire affair. And there’s a bright line that runs from those turbulent times to this precise moment.
"When the News Broke is a captivating immersion into the chaos that was the 1968 Democratic National Convention, both on screen and on camera. This text is an incredible resource for scholars and teachers of U.S. history, especially those interested in the intersection of media and politics."
"An invaluable perspective on an ongoing threat to the free press and democracy."
11/01/2022
Hendershot (film and media studies, MIT; Open to Debate: How William F. Buckley Put Liberal America on the Firing Line) paints a dissonant picture through storytelling and black-and-white photos of the August 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention, which upset the political and broadcasting landscape for a lack of freedom of the press, police brutality, and the crony tactics of Mayor Richard Daley. These accusations feel familiar and unsurprising, but in an era when the three major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) presented political coverage as evenhanded, this was a watershed moment. The eventual explosive confrontation between police and demonstrators is remembered as "The Battle of Michigan Avenue." The violence leaked onto the convention floor with reporters Dan Rather and Mike Wallace assaulted by security forces, seemingly just for reporting. The entire debacle triggered convention reform, ending brokered conventions in favor of the current primaries. Sadly, the case is made for a lack of societal progress and an utter devolvement of news coverage from a respected community institution to a fractured, deceitful vehicle. This is a scathing indictment of Daley's narrative manipulation, which will feel contemporaneous to readers. VERDICT A disturbing clarity into the current biased news coverage is revealed through analysis of past industry reporting standards.—Jessica A. Bushore
| BN ID: | 2940160022185 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Tantor Audio |
| Publication date: | 06/06/2023 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
