Page 21 - All About History - Issue 18-14

Mass Media

Breaking news
ALIEN UNITED STATES 1948
Shown every weeknight at
INVASION? 7.30pm, the CBS Television News
UNITED STATES 30 OCTOBER
1938 anchored by Douglas Edwards
was the first regularly scheduled
Aired as a special Halloween television news programme
episode on the CBS radio featuring an anchor, setting up
network, an audio play a trend that would continue
of HG Wells’s War Of The to this day. The show only
Worlds was reported to cause lasted 15 minutes, but by 1950
mass panic when several it was being shown on both
listeners believed the alien coasts of the USA. However,
invasion tale to be true. There the weekly news show See It
was also outrage from the Now, presented by Edward R
traditional media source of the Murrow, was perhaps the most
newspapers, which already pioneering early television
had a grudge against radio for news show of all. With a
causing it to lose advertising special focus on controversial
revenue. Although the level issues, its 1954 investigative
of actual panic caused has programme A Report On Senator
been disputed, it led all radio Joseph McCarthy contributed to
networks to agree to never use McCarthy’s political downfall
staged newscasts in fictional and set a new standard for
dramas again. Murrow’s signature opening “This is London”
news broadcasts. became a famous catchphrase during WWII

The living-room war O Going for gold O Scandal in the press Become your own Citizen journalists
The horrors of war The Olympic US President Richard Nixon reporter Students witnessing
become real for viewers GamesinTokyo, resigns, largely as a result of The age of internet a shooting massacre
around the world due to Japan, are telecast the media coverage of the blogging begins as Open at Virginia Tech send
themassmediadevice to the United Watergate scandal. Journalists Diary, Livejournal and photos and videos
thatisthetelevision, States.Thisis Bob Woodward and Carl Blogger.com are launched. across the world before
as the Vietnam War the first-ever Bernstein play a key role in this Consumers can now get TV crews can even get
becomesthefirstwar live broadcast to and the event proves the media their news and comment to the university, further
reported from primarily travelacrossthe After the Nixon scandal can play a large role in bringing pieces from the traditional demonstrating that
through television. Pacific Ocean. journalism became a popular down a president. media or these new people are now getting
1960s 1964 career path for students 9 August 1974 sources. their news from means
1999 other than the traditional
media. 2007

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2014
O Enter the box O Aglobalbroadcast O 1st txt msg O #socialmedia
John Logie Baird FootageofNeil The first SMS text Social networking site
demonstrates moving Armstrong walking on messageissent.By Twitter is launched
images in 1926, but it isn’t theMoonisbroadcast 1994 it is available in 2006 and quickly
until the 1950s that the to TV sets across the for commercial use becomes popular.
average American and The TV was a culture- world.Itattractsa93 on the Radiolinja With over 100 million
western European homes altering invention per cent share of the US phone network. This members by 2012, it
havetheirownblackand audience and is watched invention will ultimately is used increasingly
white television. by over 125 million The Moon landing was a change the way people The first text to get instant news
1950s people. 20 July 1969 global media event communicate. 1992 message simply read updates. 2006
‘Happy Christmas’
A coronation to Alleyesonthe Logging on
remember president UNITED KINGDOM 1991
GREAT BRITAIN 2 JUNE 1953 UNITED STATES 1961 The first-ever World Wide
When Queen Elizabeth II was After reaping the benefits Web site went live on 6
crowned over a year after the death of his televised presidential August 1991, developed by
of her father, King George VI, it was debate with Richard Nixon Sir Timothy John Berners-
the first-ever televised coronation in 1960, the media-savvy Lee. This would change
ceremony. Over 200 microphones Kennedy held the first the face of mass media
lined the path and 750 commentators live TV news conference and that of the world at
detailed the events in 39 different on 25 January. Ever since large. Although the internet
languages. It became the first major then, politicians’ conduct in already existed, Berners-Lee’s
international event broadcast on TV press conferences has invention made it accessible
television with more than 20 million helped to make or break to people all over the planet
people watching worldwide, truly their images in the eyes of as a way of sharing news
Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation
© Thinkstock
ushering in the television age. was an international media event the media and their voters. and information.

21