Viewers Influenced by Impres- Why American Values Aren't What They Sions from TV? a Study by Dr
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What is TV doing to us? .- - - - Themythof- - - the crooked businessman Television, more than anything else, businessmen are bad, evil people, and shapes how Americans see the world- that big businessmen are the worst of all!' and themselves. Which helps explain Are viewers influenced by impres- why American values aren't what they sions from TV? A study by Dr. George used to be. Gerbner, dean of theAnnenberg School Take, for example, how TV depicts of Communications at the University of businessmen and businesswomen. Pennsylvania, found that the more peo- . J.R., of course, is a slimy caricature of ple watch television, the more insecure the unscrupulous entrepreneur. and mistrustful they tend to become. But what about the wealthy realtor on So, we say, TVS myth of the business- another show, who learns that a private 'ma% as a crook and a villain =color the investigator is on to his scheme to rob his way viewers look at their workplaces, . clients to pay gambling debts? He tries to their bosses, the products they buy, and murder the sleuth. Then there's the-not- the companies they buy them from. And so-wealthy storekeeper who reneges on that, insidiously, could threaten our free- her promise to pay some neighborhood inarket system. children for the honey they sold'her. Sure, businessmen make mistakes. Why are business people so often por- But in the real world business is the trayed as villains? Lawyer-journalist Ben source of livelihood for millions of Stein, in his book, The Viewfrom Sunset Americans, and the producer and sup- Boulevard, found that most of Holly- plier of most of the things we need and wood's TV writers and producers have a want. And if the strong, free business deep-seated dislike for those who suc- sector is damaged or destroyed, all of us ceed in business. Wrote Stein: I',. .one of will suffer. the clearest messages of television is that 'Including the TV networks. Penn rejected gift of Field's Ch. 48 By Ron Wolf diary acting on behalf of Field Enter- Inquirer Sraff Wrller prises who asked if the university .. The University of Pennsylvania's would accept such a gift. Annenberg School of Communica- After briefly considering the offer. tions declined the proposed gift of Gerbner turned down the donation. I'hiladelphia television :tation He said that the idea was discussed WKBS (Channel 48) several months first with several people knowledge. before the owner of the property, able about the operation of TV sta- Field Enterprises lnc., made the deci- tions and with certain university fac- sion to take it off the air. ulty members and administrators. After failing to find a buyer for the "They were unanimously against Station, Field announced on July 15 it," he said, because they felt that that it would cease operation of running a TV station did not fit the WKBS by Sept. 1 and sell its assets goals of the university. "We needed a piecemeal. Before making the deci- money-losing television station like sion to dismantle the station, howev- we needed a hole in the head," er, Field executives examined the Gerbner said. feasibility of donating it to the University officials did not exam- school and claiming a tax deduction ine the WKBS frnancial records or for its value. perform a thorough analysis of its Virginiq Butts, vice president of operations, but Gerbner said that "it public relations for Chicago-based didn't require too much evaluation." Field Enterprises, confirmed yester- Besides, he added, "we wanted no day that the company held "prelimi- part of a tax dodge." nary talks" with the university. She Several sources have indicated said Field had envisioned an ar- ' ' that Field Enterprises might realize $10 million from the sale of the sta- George Gerbner rangement in which the school Dean of Annenberg School would run WKBS as a nonprofit sta- tion's programming rights, building. tion. equipment and transmitter. Howev- George Gerbner, professor of com- er, Gerbner said that tax regulations not a real estate dealer," Gerbner munications at Penn and dean of the would have prevented the university said. Annenberg School, said yesterday from accepting the station, then Butts said that Field did not offer that the talks never got very far. He quickly disposing of its assets. the station to any other schools in said he was contacted by an interme- "We're an academic organization, the area. -- f I Viewpoints- We are what we see - on-N i While there has been a great deal of For example, because persons over of their television counterparts do. And more than hialf of all prime time TV comment and criticism recently about age 65 are greatly under-represented on fewer than 10 percent of the characters characters are involved in violent the impact of things like video games television, heavy TV viewers believe in W's workplace hold blue-collar or confrontations once a week, while the and the professional football strike on that the elderly make up a smaller service jobs, while about 60 percent reatlife figure is one percent. This people's Lives, a noted researcher has proportion of the population than they hold such jobs in the real world. attitude may be particularly prevalent reached a much more ominous con- did 20 years ago, even though quite the among older persons, who are among clusion about the impact prime time opposite is true. They also believe in- What deeply concerns Gerbner and both the most frequent television television may be having upon our correctly that older persons are less others is the impact which such inac- watchers and the most common victims perceptions of reality. healthy today than they were two curate portrayals appear to have on the of TV-portrayed crime. George Gerbner argues that heavy decades ago. beliefs and opinions of habitual TV While Gerbner does not expect watchers of prime time television - viewers. For instance, the Annenberg television to conform completely to the those who watch more than four hours In general, according to Gerbner, survey found that the more a person truth and reflect total reality, he argues per day - tend to accept TV's distorted portrayals of old people on television watched television, the more likely it that TV has a special responsibility picture of the real world more readily transmit negative impressions. They was that he or she would respond "yes" because of its unique power. "No other than reality itself. are generally cast as feeble, silly, to questions such as: "Should there be medium reaches into every home or Dr. Gerbner, dean of the University has a comparabie, cradle-to-grave of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School of influence over what a society learns Communications and one of the nation's about itself." experts on the social impact of television, bases his conclusions upon He also believes that viewers need to an exhaustive 15year research project be given a more active role in deter- in which he and his assistants video- mining the content of television, rather taped and analyzed more than 1,600 than being forced to merely accept ~rirnetime Dronrams involvine an whatever the networks offer. Television - content should be part of the public ! estimated 15,060 crharacters. Using multiple choice questionnaires stubborn, sexually inactive and ec- laws against marriages between blacks agenda, he says. "Candidates talk i that offered both correct answers about centric. He finds it particularly un- and whjtes?" or "Should whte people about schools, they talk about jobs, they the world's realities and answers that fortunate that Young people, who have have the right to keep blacks out of talk about social welfare. They're going ' reflected what Gerbner perceived to be the greatest o~~rtunit~"to learn their neighborhoods?" And heavy TV to have to start dscussing this all- the distorted view of the world about growing old with decency and watchers agreed much more often than pervasive force." projected on TV, the Annenberg grace ... are the most susceptible to light viewers that "women should take TV's messages." Although he may not be able to single- researchers questioned large samples care of running their homes and leave handedly alter for the better of citizens from all socioeconomic and Among others cited by Gerbner as running the cointry to men." television's almost total preoccupation age groups. "TV's hidden victims" are blacks, Another disturbing finding of the with ratings and demographically TV 'I women and blue-collar workers. Most study is that heavy viewers - "desirable" audiences, Gerbner is Inevery survey, Gerbner found that regardless of age, income or neighbor- heavy TV watchers (an estimated 30 blacks on television are cast in "sup doing a commendable job in warning porting, subservient roles," he says. hood - are more likely to seriously the American people of W's potentially percent of the population) almost overestimate the chance of e-n- always selected the TV-influenced Women are generally portrayed as harmful side effects. His research 1 countering violence in their own lives answers while light TV viewers (who either mothers or Lovers, while men .findings are truly "a public service have a far wider variety of roles; and to harbor an exaggerated mistrust message." I watch less than two hours per day) of strangers. Such behavior, described usually chose the answers that although more than 50 petcent of (Cyril F. "Cy" BrfckfieldIs the executive dlredw American mothers actually work by Gerbner as the "mean-world syn- of the Amerlmn ~ssoclofbnof Refked Perruns corresponded more closely to actual drome," may stem from the fact that Life. outside the home, fewer than 20 percent In Woshlngton.