One of the basic troubles with radio and television news is that both instruments have grown up as an incompatible combination of show business, advertising and news. Each of the three is a rather bizarre and demanding profession. And when you get all three under one roof, the dust never settles.
Interpretation
The quote suggests that merging entertainment, advertising, and journalism creates inherent challenges.
Edward R. Murrow highlights the fundamental issues in radio and television news by pointing out that the intertwining of show business, advertising, and journalism leads to conflicts and instability. These three fields, each with their unique demands, when combined, create a chaotic environment where true journalism may suffer in favor of entertainment value and commercial interests.
In practice
In a media literacy workshop, one could use this quote to discuss the importance of discerning news from entertainment.
We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information. Our mass media reflect this. But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse, and insulate us, then television and those who finance it, those who look at it, and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture too late.
Everyone is a prisoner of his own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices - just recognize them.
Speaking of Sir Winston Churchill: He mobilized the English language and sent it into battle.
We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.
The speed of communications is wondrous to behold. It is also true that speed can multiply the distribution of information that we know to be untrue.
The best speakers know enough to be scared…the only difference between the pros and the novices is that the pros have trained the butterflies to fly in formation.
Small miseries, like small debts, hit us in so many places, and meet us at so many turns and corners, that what they want in weight, they make up in number, and render it less hazardous to stand the fire of one cannon ball, than a volley composed of such a shower of bullets.
Hold loosely to the things of this life, so that if God requires them of you, it will be easy to let them go.
It is very hard to say the exact truth, even about your own immediate feelings – much harder than to say something fine about them which is not the exact truth.
The medical argument for animal testing doesn't stand up. Even if it did, I don't think we should kill other species. We think we're so much better; I'm not sure we are. I tell people, We've beaten into submission every animal on the face of the Earth, so we are the clear winners of whatever battle is going on between the species. Couldn't we be generous? I really do think it's time to get nice. No need to keep beating up on them. I think we've got to show that we're kind.
Nothing before, nothing behind; The steps of faith Fall on the seeming void, and find The Rock beneath.
This whole religion revolves around knowing the truth and acting by it, and action must be accompanied by patience.
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