MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO SEMINAR SERIES, THE: THE NEWS OF MTV {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in this series of seminars conducted by The Museum of Television & Radio. This seminar, moderated by the Museum's television curator Ron Simon, looks at the growth of MTV News from its early days as a source for concert dates and music news to its coverage of the 1992 presidential campaign and beyond.
Simon begins with a screening of an MTV-prepared tape which highlights MTV News coverage of various issues and events in recent years, including the following: the riots in South Central Los Angeles; unrest in Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall; "Sex in the 90's"; Gulf War coverage; and "Choose or Lose" coverage of the 1992 presidential campaign. Next, Simon introduces the following panelists: Judy McGrath, executive vice president and creative director for MTV; Tabitha Soren, MTV News reporter; David Anderson, television services coordinator at the White House; and J. Max Robbins, television editor for the trade paper "Variety." The panelists discuss the following topics: the birth of MTV News as a reflection of music culture; the importance, according to McGrath, of Kurt Loder and Tabitha Soren to what MTV News has become today; "Choose or Lose" as a way of telling politicians to pay attention to youth; Soren's work on the campaign trail; MTV as a major force in the 1992 election (according to Anderson); a comparison of network news, which has an older target audience, to the approach of MTV; MTV's responsiveness to its viewers' needs; the way in which Soren develops a point of view for each story, often tying issues together with music; the responses of other media to MTV News; the highly positive response of teens to issue-oriented coverage; and MTV as good business, as the 1992 campaign coverage brought in blue-chip sponsors. Audience questions lead to comment on the following topics, among others: the possibility of an all-news MTV channel in the future; Pres. Bill Clinton's relationship with the channel; whether MTV would cover the presidency with such interest if George Bush had been re-elected; the misconception that all of MTV's young staff are liberal; whether they attempt to balance their news coverage; reduced Clinton coverage since the election, as MTV feared becoming the youth arm of his administration; MTV News as advocacy journalism; and upcoming special projects.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: October 20, 1993
- RUNNING TIME: 1:34:16
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:30308
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: She Made It Collection (Judith McGrath)
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ron Simon … Moderator
- Judy McGrath … Guest
- Tabitha Soren … Guest
- David Anderson … Guest
- J. Max Robbins … Guest
- Bill Clinton
- Kurt Loder