When the News Broke: Chicago 1968 and the Polarizing of America

The network broadcasts of the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago shattered faith in American media, leading to a distorted notion of "liberal media bias" and a turning point in the public's trust in national news sources. Heather Hendershot's book "When the News Broke" revisits TV coverage of the convention, highlighting the values of network news professionals but also the violence and turmoil that occurred.

Format: Hardback
Length: 400 pages
Publication date: 15 February 2023
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

The 1968 Democratic convention was a watershed moment in American media history, marked by a series of events that shook faith in the network broadcasts. The protestors in Chicago, who were fighting for civil rights and against the Vietnam War, were met with violence by the police, which was then broadcast on network television. The response from viewers was mixed, with some being stunned and outraged by the footage, while others believed that the protestors deserved what they got.

Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley was not pleased with the way the networks handled the situation, and he took steps to prevent future protests. The convention itself was a tumultuous event, with Black citizens and others challenging southern delegations that had excluded them, anti-Vietnam delegates seeking to change the party's policy on the war, and journalists and delegates alike being bullied by both Daley's security forces and party leaders.

In her book "When the News Broke," Heather Hendershot revisits TV coverage of those four chaotic days in 1968, examining not only the violence in the streets but also the tumultuous convention itself. She reveals the convention as a pivotal moment in American political history, when a distorted notion of "liberal media bias" became mainstreamed and nationalized.

Despite the efforts of network news professionals to strive for fairness and accuracy, Chicago proved to be a turning point in the public's trust in national news sources. Since those critical days, the political Right in the United States has amplified distrust of TV news, to the point where even the truest and most clearly documented stories can be deemed "fake."

Hendershot demonstrates that it doesn't matter whether the "whole world is watching" if people don't believe what they see. The 1968 Democratic convention was a moment of great tension and change, and its legacy continues to be felt today.

Dimension: 229 x 152 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226768526