The Role of Television in Politics
Edward R. Murrow
Reading Tasks: Students will closely read what the text is saying and make inferences when necessary.
Students will determine central ideas and analyze how they are developed. Students will analyze the
how and why this document was written, and how the ideas are developed in writing. Students will
analyze the structure of the text, and assess the point of view of the writer. Students will evaluate the
arguments and claims within the text.
Vocabulary Tasks: While meaning of the words will initially be derived with help from the teacher, the
meaning within the context of the passage will be discerned by students as they read the excerpt.
Discussion Tasks: Students will evaluate the arguments and claims within the text. Students will analyze
how and why the document was written, and how the ideas are developed in writing.
Writing Tasks: Students will write an argument with claims supported by using valid reasoning and
evidence from the text. Students will produce clear writing, which is developed with an essential
question in mind. Students will gather evidence from their reading to write in response to the anchor
questions. Students will clarify their writings over the course of the lesson. Students will draw evidence
from the primary source in all their writings within the unit.
Essential Question(s): 1. According to Murrow, what is the duty of television in politics? What tone did
he use in presenting his argument? 2. How much influence do you think television has today in politics?
Do you think this influence has a positive or negative effect on the political process? Why?
Text Selection (Background): “The Role of Television in Politics” written by Edward R. Murrow, which
can be located at website: http://athena7.com/role_of_television_in_politics.htm.
Target Span: High School (9th-12th grades)
Reading Standards hit: R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, and R8
Writing Standards hit: W1, W4, and W9
Civics High School Expectations: 3.5.1, 3.5.4, and 3.5.7
Directions/Introduction
As written, this lesson will guide students through multiple days of looking at a historical document. It is
meant to be a teachable model, but is freely available to be changed based on your students own
unique needs.
What should be understood however, is that with the Common Core State Standards covering literacy in
Social Studies, we need to give our students rich, complex texts in order to deepen their understanding
of our important content, as well as give them opportunities to practice literacy across the content
areas. If this is their first time, it may be rough, but students will get better at it the more practice they
have.
We chose to follow the advice of Mike Schmoker, who, in his book Focus: Elevating the Essentials to
Radically Improve Student Learning, recommends that any vocabulary which could hinder a student’s
understanding be taught in advance (Schmoker, 2011). The Core standards call for students to be able
to identify the meaning of words by the context in which they are used (National Governors Association,
2011), and by pre-teaching the vocabulary here, students still have to do this important step, even
though the vocabulary was taught in advance.
In trying to provide a research based model, for vocabulary we’re following Marzano. Marzano
identifies six steps to teaching vocabulary. We will be combining two steps (provide and restate) and
eliminating step 6 which is practicing with games (Marzano & Pickering, 2005). You may adapt the
lesson to include this step if you choose.
The recommended model for teaching each day is as follows:
Day 1: Provide Student Handout to students. Their document is complete and should be referred to
every day of the lesson. You would then do vocabulary instruction as a group (just the words for the day
from the teacher handout) and then follow the teacher directions within the document itself.
Day 2: Begin with vocabulary instructions, then follow the directions in the teacher Stage 2 handouts.
Day 3: Begin with vocabulary instruction, then follow the directions in the teacher Stage 3 handouts.
How you choose to assess this beyond what is provided here is up to you, but a discussion and activity
based around the focus question is included in Day 3.
Section/Stage 1 Teacher Page
Text Under Discussion
Edward R. Murrow joined the Columbia Broadcasting
System (CBS) in 1935, and served as a reporter, news
analyst, and television producer. Television technology was
developed in the 1920’s, but did not become a popular source
of information and entertainment until the 1950s. The
excerpt below is taken from a speech given by Murrow in
1959, in which he discusses television’s mission in politics.
In a free society, politics essentially involve the resolution of
conflict. It is part of television’s duty to define, illuminate and
illustrate the nature of the conflict - to supply the voter with the
raw material upon which informed opinion may be based…The
true function of television in politics is to operate a market place
in which ideas may compete on an equal footing. It is true that
the voter may elect to purchase the second-rate, shopworn or
shoddy idea. He may mistake a mobile countenance for an agile
mind. He may vote for Profile rather than for Principle. An
unruly lock of hair may be more effective than a disciplined
mind. There is no way to guarantee that television will prevent
the voter from being as wrong as he has been so often in the past.
Television offers no guarantee that demagogues can be kept
from political power. It merely provides them with wider and
more intimate, more immediate circulation. I would suggest that
the evidence so far indicates that television can retard or
accelerate a trend in public opinion, but it cannot reverse it. The
hope so fondly held by enthusiasts a few years ago, the hope that
television would make certain that the voter would sort out the
phony from the statesman, is not proved. I would doubt that
Vocabulary
Directions for Teachers
ASK STUDENTS: What can you infer about this
reading just from the first two sentences?
What is the author’s tone?
Paraphrase what Murrow says about the true
function of television in politics.
Put the following two sentences into your own
words: “He may mistake a mobile
countenance for an agile mind. He may vote
for Profile rather than for Principle.”
What does Murrow say that television can and
cannot do?
under today’s system of communication a Lincoln or a Jefferson
could be nominated or elected. According to all reports,
Jefferson had a most abrasive voice, and did not suffer fools
gladly…Mr. Lincoln did not move gracefully, was not a
handsome man, had a wife who was not political asset, and he
was a solitary man…On the other hand, it is conceivable that
Woodrow Wilson might have won his fight for the League of
Nations, and thereby changed world history, had he been able to
use the tools of television and radio…
It may be that television magnifies all of the facets of
personality, the defects along with the merits…A man’s
weaknesses may be brought to light, which is all to the good.
But that is not all that happens, because a public leader in the age
of television must be popular as well as sincere. He must have a
quality not considered essential in the past, that is, simplicity. A
politician to be popular must not be too complicated…
Do you agree with Murrow that Lincoln
probably would not have been elected
President if there had been television at the
time? Why or why not?
In summation, what does Murrow say that a
politician must do to get elected in this day
and age?
CLOSING ACTIVITY:
1. According to Murrow, what is the
duty of television in politics? What
tone does he use to present his
arguments?
2. How much influence do you think
television has in politics today? Do
you think this influence has a positive
or a negative effect on the political
process? Why?
Stage 1 – Additional Information/Instructions/Performance Tasks
Section/Stage 2 Teacher Page
Text Under Discussion
Vocabulary
Directions for Teachers
Stage 2 – Additional Information/Instructions/Performance Tasks
Section/Stage 3 Teacher Page
Text Under Discussion
Vocabulary
Directions for Teachers
Stage 3 – Additional Information/Instructions/Performance Tasks
Student Page
Text Under Discussion
Vocabulary
My Thoughts/Notes