Popular Culture Review Vol. 8, No. 2, August 1997 | Page 136

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Popular Culture Review

After the producer made her mother understand the purpose of the
call, she listened as her mother dropped the phone and awakened
the rest of the family. The mother returned to the phone and assured
her daughter that they were on their way to the safe room. It was
only later that the family heard the blare of the Tel Aviv air raid
sirens.
Such stories and such coverage can lock us into an exciting part
of our culture in a way adults frequently forget. Kids believe
everything is happening as they see it and they are totally
captivated and caught up in the events. Live reporting creates this
same excitement in grownups, as in the CNN syndrome. Anything
might happen and the element of live coverage increases the tension
and drama of the moment and the anticipation of what might
happen next. It is a unique part of our culture and it is a threshold we
have irreversibly crossed.
Southern Illinois University

Riley Maynard

Works Cited

Avis, Ed. "Cash in the Sun." The Quill 19 April 1991:19.
Beatty, I. Frank."Broadcastine's Role in World War U"Broadcasting 20 August
1945: 17.
Fang, Irving. Those Radio Commentators. Ames, Iowa, University of
Iowa P, 1977.
Greenfield, Jeff. "America Rallies 'Round the TV Set." TV Guide 16
February 1991: 4.
Haworth, Steve. Letter to the author. 2 March 1992.
"How the Coverage Was." Broadcasting 21 Januaiy 1991: 25.
Jaco. Charles. Personal interview. 5 April 1994.
Kendrick, Alexander. Prime Time. Boston, Little, Brown & Company,
1969.
"Real Time War." Editorial. The Christian Science Monitor. 1 February
1991: 20.
Sperber, A. M. Murrow: His Life and Times. Toronto, Bantam, 1986.

Selected Bibliography

Alter, Jonathan. "Clippings from the Media War," Newsweek, 11
March 1991.
Bliss, Edward, Jr. In Search of Light: The Broadcasts of Edward R.
Murrow. New York, Alnrea A. Knopf, 1%7.
Cole, Barry, ed. Television Today: A Close-up View. New York,
Oxford UP, 1981.
Emery, Glenn. "A Little Network Plays Giant Role in Gulf Coverage." Insight