Television is considered the prime source of information for millions of individuals worldwide. Electronic Television was first displayed in the year 1927 (Stephens). In the year 1939, the RCA, the leading radio corporation in America at that point, showed the New York World’s Fair as well as the speech of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Stephens). President Franklin was the first ever to appear on TV (Stephens). Also, television started broadcasting the important event in the country. For example, Television popularity made impressive progress in World War II when television was broadcasting from war zones. When Television became popular, the United States Constitution devised the First Amendment’s press rights and freedom of speech (Stephens). The United States has different checks and balances related to the press, journalism, and television. These protect the press rights and free speech and hold the government and the president accountable. The press has a special wing in the white house to inform the public so that they can keep the government in the watch.
On the other hand, television introduced the entertainment industry and started showing different programs for entertainment purposes. The world of entertainment has changed since then. Television has been introduced as an entertainment medium since 1949 (Stephens). TV introduced entertainment to the public and made it available to anyone around the world. For example, when I visited China in 2005, I met a family in a small village who hadn’t interacted with people outside their community. They gather every night before they go to bed, to watch a classic movie. However, the entertainment industry attracted many businessmen and women for investment and marketing. In today’s era, television is widely used for marketing purposes. For example, companies such as Coca-Cola, KFC, Bata Shoes, etc. use TV as a platform to promote their products.
Television is also a great platform for political purposes as many people watch television to stay updated about politics, listen to the agendas of politicians and their policies to the public, and convince those against it. For example, the historical debate between John F. Kennedy Democrat nominee, and the republican nominee, Richard Nixon was displayed on television in 1960 (Stephens). JFK prepared for the debate by putting the makeup he needed to appear on TV (Stephens). On the other hand, Nixon refused to put on his makeup, and he was ill days before the debate. People who heard the discussion on the radio thought that Nixon performed better. However, most people who watched the debate live thought JFK appeared confident, professional, and graceful compared to Nixon’s roughly shaven face and poor posture (Stephens). After that election where JFK won the presidency, television has been the road for the White House ever since. A recent example of the use of television in the political environment is the nominations, debates, and campaigning process of recent US elections between Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump.
In conclusion, I believe TV has made progress since its first appearance. TV broadcasts breaking news from around the world 24/7. The use of television for multi-purpose shows the importance of television in this rapidly developing era and how television can play with people’s minds in convincing them. Television also plays a role in the political process from nominations to elections and election speech. The United States Constitution allowed the press to hold the government and the president accountable. Finally, the entertainment industry that T.V. created created many opportunities for investors and entertaining the public.
References:
Stephens, Mitchell. “History of Television.” Education. New York University (NYU). N.p., 2000. Web. 22 Apr. 2017.
