EOTO: The Television

 The creation of the television was by far one of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve ever looked into; and ironically enough, the miscommunications during the inventing process is the sole reason why the invention of the television was so necessary! While the origins of the television can be traced back to Samuel F.B. Morse’s telegraph and Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone, the true inventors of the television can be traced back to four men: Charles Francis Jenkins, John Logie Baird, Kenjiro Takayanagi, and Philo Farnsworth. These four men, being from all over the world, discovered different parts and pieces of what the television is today. 

Starting in 1925, Charles Francis Jenkins created the transmission of synchronized images. Although not exactly a piece of the television, this invention essentially paved the way for motion pictures and video feeds. The following year in 1926, we saw the entrance of John Logie Baird and Kenjiro Takayanagi into the television hemisphere. Slightly earlier in the year, John Logie Baird invented the very first mechanical television in London, which we know today as the first ever blueprint of a television. In later months, Japan’s own Kenjiro Takayanagi created the first all-electronic television receiver, which paved the way for Philo Farnsworth. The following year in 1927 we saw the emergence of Farnsworth with the television we all have in our homes now; the electronic television, which for obvious reasons busted down the door for future video technologies. 

Although it was initially made as a newfound form of interpersonal communication, television affected every part of our lives; from broadcasting and entertainment, to politics. This new sphere of communication brought a sense of reality and realness to world events. It altered small things like purchasing choices through advertisements, to more broad things such as how we believe and perceive the world around us. More specifically in the sphere of entertainment, it brought a new level of seriousness for jobs such as acting and athletics, as the televisation of shows and live sporting events allowed for people to be paid for what was once a hobby or a side job! However the biggest impact of the invention of the television is located in the realm of politics.

The best examples of how much politics was impacted through the invention of the television can be seen through Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Fireside Chats,” the Nixon v. JFK debate, and the coverage of the Vietnam War. Former President FDR was the first president to ever be televised, using his “Fireside Chats,” in which he would address the nation with their concerns, and/or discuss any new policies or steps that have been taken by the government. This was quintessential for the transparency process between the government and it’s governing body, and it additionally helped make the executive office a tad more personable. Then followed the biggest television controversy in history: the coverage of the Vietnam War.

The Vietnam War was the first ever televised war, in which they showed through video and photo footage the true cruelties of the war, and just how bloody it had gotten. Consequently, this led to the public being able to strongly empathize with the soldiers, and therefore began to protest both the war and the draft. Whether it was the idea that they didn’t understand why we were involved in the war, or that it was the first time we had seen real footage of the war, is not important. What is important is the outcry this caused, leading to one of the biggest anti-war protests in history.

Finally, we meet in 1960 with the Presidential debate between Richard Nixon and John F Kennedy. Similar to the others, this was another TV first. This was the first Presidential Debate on live television, which introduced us to the idea of influence by sight. With the invention of the television, politicians were becoming increasingly judged by how well they looked/carried themselves on television. Leading up to the debate, it was said that Nixon felt under the weather, and additionally refused to wear make-up. While Kennedy, looking sharp as ever, was caked up in full health and ready to go. Another key factor in this debate was the predisposed opinion that JFK was the “conventionally more attractive” candidate, which is still something people argue over to this day as it pertains to his eventual “victory” in the debate. However, ultimately here is when we saw just how influential carrying yourself physically is when choosing between presidential candidates, as you cannot hide behind a radio microphone, and “image” is more than just a simple reputation. These three isolated monumental moments in history paved the way for many more image-based decisions and opinions to be had with our citizens, all thanks to the invention of the television. 

Despite this drastic increase in frequency of communication, the new job industries created, and the transparency offered, the invention of the television has had its negative effects as well. As the saying goes, “too much of one thing is never good,” and so it is in the current day and age that we start to see some of these effects television has had on us over the years. This is including, but not limited to: Harm physical health (ie. sight), cognitive health, and reinforce stereotypes. Even still, we proceed with letting television corrupt us not because of the enjoyment of these negative effects, but because of the even greater positives it possesses us with. Education, communication, and innovation would never be the same without the invention of the television.