Public Affairs Television and the Growth of Political Malaise: The Case of “The Selling of the Pentagon”

TLDR

Television journalism can alter opinions about core American institutions and foster political malaise. The study aimed to examine whether exposure to television news correlates with lower political efficacy. The CBS documentary convinced viewers of greater military political involvement and misinformation about Vietnam, lowered political efficacy, and heightened cynicism, distrust, instability, and frustration—effects that persisted regardless of education or income and indicating television news fosters political malaise.

Abstract

Television journalism can produce significant changes in opinions about basic American institutions and may also foster political malaise. Laboratory investigation revealed that the CBS documentary, “The Selling of the Pentagon,” convinced viewers that the military participated more in national politics and misled the public more about Vietnam than these viewers had previously believed. The program also caused a significant decrease in political efficacy among all our groups. This finding led to correlational research to determine if exposure to television news is also associated with lower levels of efficacy. SRC survey data suggest that reliance upon television news programs is associated with feelings of inefficacy and political self-doubt. These data also indicate that reliance upon television news fosters political cynicism and distrust, political instability, and frustration with civil rights. Holding constant the level of education or income of these respondents does not appreciably alter these relationships. In short, the two sets of data imply that the networks helped to create Scammon's Social Issue and that video journalism fostered public support for George Wallace.