The Magnifying Effect of Television News: Civil Rights Coverage and Eyes on the Prize

Abstract

Henry Hampton’s award-winning documentary Eyes on the Prize was notable for its reliance on news footage and interviews with civil rights activists. Undergirding the approach was his reliance on a pre-production process called Scholar School where he hosted academics, civil rights activists, and members of the media for intense discussions regarding the civil rights movement. Audio tapes of the media session demonstrate a connection between the development of broadcast news as a credible source of information about the civil rights movement and the movement’s use of the media to obtain national attention for its goals. The narrative uses a constructivist approach to place the details heard on the tapes within the context of civil rights scholarship through the use of interviews and archival materials resulting in a nuanced understanding about the perceptions and role of the media in civil rights coverage.