Contested ground : The tunnel and the struggle over television news in Cold War America / Mike Conway.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Conway, Mike, 1961- author.

Series:

Culture and politics in the Cold War and beyond

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

National Broadcasting Company.

Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany, 1961-1989.

Escapes--Germany--Berlin--History--20th century.

Escapes.

Escapes--Germany (East)--History.

Tunnel (Television program).

Documentary television programs--United States--History--20th century.

Documentary television programs.

Television broadcasting of news--Political aspects--United States.

Television broadcasting of news.

National Broadcasting Company--History--20th century.

Television broadcasting of news--Political aspects.

History.

Germany.

Germany--Berlin.

Germany (East).

United States.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

x, 268 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Amherst : University of Massachusetts Press, 2019.

Summary:

"In 1962, an innovative documentary on a Berlin Wall tunnel escape brought condemnation from both sides of the Iron Curtain during one of the most volatile periods of the Cold War. The Tunnel, produced by NBC's Reuven Frank, clocked in at ninety minutes and prompted a range of strong reactions. While the television industry ultimately awarded the program three Emmys, the U.S. Department of State pressured NBC to cancel the program, and print journalists criticized the network for what they considered to be a blatant disregard of journalistic ethics. It was not just The Tunnel's subject matter that sparked controversy, but the medium itself. The surprisingly fast ascendance of television news as the country's top choice for information threatened the self-defined supremacy of print journalism and the de facto cooperation of government officials and reporters on Cold War issues. In Contested Ground, Mike Conway argues that the production and reception of television news and documentaries during this period reveals a major upheaval in American news communications"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Captured on Film: A Daring Escape from a Divided Berlin

Two Parallel Paths: Television, the Cold War, and Reuven Frank

The Transmission of Experience

Journalist vs. Filmmaker: The Tunnel and the Elusive Definition of Documentary Films

Adventurous Laymen: Print vs. Broadcast in Journalism Boundary Work

"The Necessary Restraints of National Security"

Epilogue.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781625344502

1625344503

9781625344519

1625344511

OCLC:

1101027504