Civil Rights and the Press
Question
HIST
1302 Research Paper: Civil Rights and the Press
“The Press, Watson, is a most valuable institution, if you
only know how to use it.”
- Sherlock
Holmes, in “The Adventures of the Six Napoleons” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
PROMPT: Many historians consider the media to be of
vital importance to the African American Civil Rights Movement. How did the media impact the African American
Civil Rights Movement? How did the press influence American opinion in the
movement? How did this influence lead to
changes in law and society?
Use the sources below and your knowledge of the
Civil Rights Movement to take a position, form a thesis, and write a well-organized
paper explaining the impact of the media on the African American Civil Rights
Movement. You may also address (in a
LIMITED form) how the media still affects the United States today, BUT KEEP
THIS LIMITED!!! You MUST choose from
the sources provided below. You may NOT
use any outside sources. You must cite
your sources in MLA format – in your text, and in a works cited page. Divide
your sources in your works cited page as Primary and Secondary. You must use at least one primary
source in your paper and at least one secondary source. You must use at least 5 sources and your
paper should be at least 3 pages long, double-spaced. DO NOT USE OTHER SOURCES. A minimum of sixty points will be deducted
for using sources outside of these listed and provided below. Ninety percent of this paper should be your
words and your analysis. Do not quote a
source for more than one sentence.
Your grade will be based on the following:
Historical Accuracy (60%), Construction of Thesis & Argument (20%), Use and
citation of Sources (20%). Grammatical
errors will result in points being deducted from your paper.
Sources:
1. Letter from
a citizen to a Congressman concerning Selma and Voting Rights Act:
https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/mrs-e-jackson-in-favor-of-voting-rights/
2. Media
Coverage of Birmingham Children’s March, Comparing news from Birmingham to
others in the nation and the impact: http://apr.org/post/how-media-covered-civil-rights-movement-childrens-march
3. Media
Coverage of Birmingham, comparing Birmingham news to New York Times – oral
history interview:
https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/06/18/193128475/how-the-civil-rights-movement-was-covered-i
n-birmingham
4. Journalists
discuss coverage of the Civil Rights Movement:
http://articles.latimes.com/1987-04-05/news/mn-380_1_civil-rights-movement
5. Letter from
a student involved in Freedom Summer of 1964 to his parents about the movement
and the media coverage: http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15932coll2/id/17966/rec/2
6. YouTube: NBC
News “Hope and Fury: MLK, the Movement and the Media” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pll_5s10ils
7. Political
Cartoon about Selma: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/00652223/
8. Book with
essay by Julian Bond of SNCC describing the media attention at Selma – should
be cited as an anthology of essays. He
participated in some events of the movement.
https://www.granburyisd.org/cms/lib/TX01000552/Centricity/Domain/278/Julian%20Bond%20The%20
Media%20and%20the%20Movement%20with%20Source.pdf
9. Influence
and history of the Civil Rights Act of 1964:
https://www.npr.org/2015/02/16/385756875/the-politics-of-passing-1964s-civil-rights-act
10. Article from
The Atlantic, describing television
coverage of the Civil Rights Movement https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/04/televisions-civil-rights-revolution/554639/
12. Excerpt from
The Race Beat on Till Trial:
https://www.granburyisd.org/cms/lib/TX01000552/Centricity/Domain/278/Till%20Trial%20from%20The%20R
ace%20Beat%20with%20Source.pdf
13. Excerpt from
The Race Beat on Ole Miss:
https://www.granburyisd.org/cms/lib/TX01000552/Centricity/Domain/278/Ole%20Miss%20Race%20Beat%20
Excerpt.pdf
14. Any
case information from www.oyez.org


Solution
Civil
Rights and the Press
The media played a vital role in
the African American Civil Rights Movement. The press was instrumental in
shaping public opinion and, as a result, helped bring about changes in law and
society. The media helped raise awareness of the issue of civil rights and
galvanize support for the movement. Through news coverage, editorials, and
opinion pieces, the media helped bring the issue of civil rights to the
forefront of public discourse. The press was not always supportive of the civil
rights movement, however. In the early days of the movement, many newspapers
and other news outlets were dismissive of its goals and leaders. This began to
change as the movement gained momentum and achieved some success. As the
movement continued to grow, the media began to take it more seriously and give
it more coverage. This increased coverage helped bring even more attention to
the issue of civil rights and build support for the movement. The media played
a critical role in the African American Civil Rights Movement by raising
awareness of the issue, shaping public opinion, and helping to bring about
changes in law and society.
According to Hill 311, many
historians consider the media vital to the African American Civil Rights
Movement. The media played a critical role in raising support for the movement
throughout the 1960s by promoting civil rights events (Hill 311). The press
influenced American opinion in the movement, leading to changes in law and
society. This influence was largely due to the commercial success of soul
music, which the culturalists deemed too white and the Panthers too alienating.
As a result, the media profoundly impacted the African American Civil Rights
Movement. The media played a critical role in raising support for the movement
throughout the 1960s by promoting civil rights events. The press often reported
on civil rights events as they happened, which helped to raise awareness and
support for the movement. The media also played a role in shaping public
opinion about the movement. In particular, the media helped to paint a picture
of African Americans as victims of discrimination and violence. This portrayal
helped to garner sympathy and support for the civil rights cause. The press
also played a significant role in influencing American opinion in the civil
rights movement. The media often took sides in the debate, and this had a
profound impact on public opinion. For example, when the media reported on the
violent suppression of civil rights protesters, this often led to increased
support for the movement (Hill 312). Similarly, when the media highlighted the
civil rights movement’s successes, this often led to increased support. The
media also had a significant impact on the civil rights movement by helping to
change laws and society. The media also helped to change public opinion about
civil rights, which led to changes in society. For example, the media helped to
desegregate public schools and workplaces.
Many historians consider the media
to be vital to the African American Civil Rights Movement. The media was able
to help bring many of the significant events of the civil rights movement to
light, which helped the nation to progress towards more equality (Alabama
Public Radio). However, some believe that things may have progressed much more
slowly if the media had responded differently. One of the turning points for
how the media covered the civil rights movement was when Harrison Salisbury of
the New York Times came down to Birmingham. He covered the hatred, segregation,
and problems in the city. Many people in the city were shocked because that
wasn’t the image they got of Birmingham reading the local papers (Alabama
Public Radio).
The media played a paramount role
in the African American Civil Rights Movement by influencing public opinion.
The press helped to bring attention to the issue and urged Americans to support
the cause (Fresh Air). The estrangement between the two men grew as the ’60s
went on, culminating in King’s assassination in 1968 (Fresh Air). The passage
of the Act also had lasting implications for voting patterns in the American
South. The Republican Party gained strength due to white backlash to the law.
Over time, the Party became almost entirely white. The media’s coverage of the
Civil Rights Movement was thus instrumental in shaping the course of history.
The press was influential in
shaping public opinion and helping to create pressure on the government to
change the laws that discriminated against African Americans (All Things
Considered). The media also provided a platform for African American activists
and leaders to share their stories and rally support for the cause. The
coverage of the Civil Rights Movement by the media helped bring about changes
in law and society (All Things Considered). African American newspapers were
also an important part of the Civil Rights Movement. These papers provided a
source of information and news for African Americans who were often excluded
from mainstream media outlets. The papers also helped to build a sense of
community and solidarity among African Americans across the country.
The media played a vital role in
the African American Civil Rights Movement by influencing public opinion and
helping to bring about changes in law and society. Television created an
idealized figure of the “civil-rights subject” who was an exemplar of
citizenship and responsibility (Alexis C. Madrigal). The media was on the
lookout for “moderate” white southerners to associate with images of furious
and maltreated black people. The perception of these events led to a false
break in the larger perspective on black freedom struggles. In reality, the
early civil-rights leaders and the later ones were fighting for many of the
same goals.
In conclusion, the media played a
major role in the African American Civil Rights Movement by influencing public
opinion and helping to bring about changes in law and society. The coverage of
the movement by the press was instrumental in shaping the course of history.
The media provided a platform for African American activists and leaders to
share their stories and rally support for the cause. The media’s coverage of
the Civil Rights Movement helped bring about changes in law and society that
improved the lives of African Americans.
Works Cited
Alabama Public
Radio. How The Media Covered The Civil Rights Movement: The Children's March.
25 April 2013. 13 April 2022 https://www.apr.org/arts-life/2013-04-25/how-the-media-covered-the-civil-rights-movement-the-childrens-march.
Alexis C.
Madrigal. When the Revolution Was Televised. 1 APRIL 2018. 13 April 2022 https://app.jasper.ai/docs/edit/4723bf81-c159-4300-8f9f-a266b1ad1866
All Things
Considered. How The Civil Rights Movement Was Covered In Birmingham. 18 June
2013. 13 April 2022 https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/06/18/193128475/how-the-civil-rights-movement-was-covered-in-birmingham.
Fresh Air. The
Politics Of Passing 1964's Civil Rights Act. 16 February 2015. 13 April 2022 https://www.npr.org/2015/02/16/385756875/the-politics-of-passing-1964s-civil-rights-act.
Hill, Patricia S.
"Media, Culture, and the Modern African American Freedom Struggle." Journalism
History 28.1 (2002): 51.




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