In “The Bias of Language, The Bias of Pictures” Neil Postman and Steve Powers offer an entertaining and veracious claim about the state of today’s television newscasts. Through distinguishing between stationary pictures, moving pictures and language, the authors are able to make the assertion that it is virtually impossible for any television newscasts to be completely objective and the viewing audience needs to be prepared with the proper mindset when watching the news.
Postman and Powers claim that every news show is a “re-presentation” of what actually took place and they are made up of both “language and pictures” (Postman and Powers, 2008, p. 482). The authors explain the differences between language and pictures, and how they also rely on one another. They state, “It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Maybe so. But it is probably equally true that one word is worth a thousand pictures, at least sometimes…” (Postman and Powers, 2008, p. 485). Single, stationary pictures are simply snapshots of an object or person and have no meaning without the words to describe them. “The language makes them comprehensible” (Postman and Powers, 2008, p. 485).
Moving pictures, on the other hand, which include video and sound are what brings emotion and initial impressions to the scenes being viewed. Moving pictures can be very dramatic and can give some answers as to what is taking place. However, it is language that actually gives meaning to the scenario. Postman and Powers successfully prove that all newscasts are carefully orchestrated to give more time to the “exciting” stories because viewers do not want to watch “talking heads,” or “people who simply appear in front of a camera and speak” (Postman and Powers, 2008, p. 486). News shows and stations have ratings and expectations to meet, therefore the more exciting, urgent and entertaining the stories are the more viewers will watch their show. One can not help but notice when viewing a news program, that virtually every new story is “breaking news” so as to grab the viewers’ attention.
The contrasting and supporting principles of language and pictures are crucial to the understanding of the authors’ ultimate point in that even if television news shows could afford to lose viewers by presenting a completely objective newscast – it is utterly impossible to do so. Newspapers are much better equipped to present an objective take on the day’s news because they are able to expand upon every subject, detailing it from inception to its present state. Whereas, on a TV news program, the reporters only have a certain amount of time to grab the viewers’ attention and give a surface explanation of the story. “A television news show reveals the world as a series of unrelated, fragmentary moments. It does not – and cannot be expected to – offer a sense of coherence or meaning” (Postman and Powers, 2008, p. 489). The authors’ cleverly sum up their piece by asserting that if someone witnessing a TV news show is not properly prepared, that show is “…only a kind of rousing light show” (Postman and Powers, 2008, p. 489).
Reference
Postman, N., Powers, S. (2008). The Bias of Language, The Bias of Pictures. In L. Gray-
Rosendale, Pop Perspectives Readings
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