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美国经典英文演讲100篇:TelevisionNewsCoverageIthinkit'sobviousfromthecamerasherethatIdidn'tcometodiscussthebanoncyclamatesorDDT.IhaveasubjectwhichIthinkifofgreatimportancetotheAmericanpeople.TonightIwanttodiscusstheimportanceofthetelevisionnewsmediumtotheAmericanpeople.Nonationdependsmoreontheintelligentjudgmentofitscitizens.Nomediumhasamoreprofoundinfluenceoverpublicopinion.Nowhereinoursystemaretherefewerchecksonvastpower.So,nowhereshouldtherebemoreconscientiousresponsibilityexercisedthanbythenewsmedia.Thequestionis,Arewedemandingenoughofourtelevisionnewspresentations?Andarethemenofthismediumdemandingenoughofthemselves?Mondaynightaweekago,PresidentNixondeliveredthemostimportantaddressofhisAdministration,oneofthemostimportantofourdecade.HissubjectwasVietnam.Myhope,ashisatthattime,wastorallytheAmericanpeopletoseetheconflictthroughtoalastingandjustpeaceinthePacific.For32minutes,hereasonedwithanationthathassufferedalmostathirdofamillioncasualtiesinthelongestwarinitshistory.WhenthePresidentcompletedhisaddress--anaddress,incidentally,thathespentweeksinthepreparationof--hiswordsandpoliciesweresubjectedtoinstantanalysisandquerulouscriticism.Theaudienceof70millionAmericansgatheredtohearthePresidentoftheUnitedStateswasinheritedbyasmallbandofnetworkcommentatorsandself-appointedanalysts,themajorityofwhomexpressedinonewayoranothertheirhostilitytowhathehadtosay.Itwasobviousthattheirmindsweremadeupinadvance.ThosewhorecallthefumblingandgropingthatfollowedPresidentJohnson’sdramaticdisclosureofhisintentionnottoseekanothertermhaveseenthesemeninagenuinestateofnonpreparedness.Thiswasnotit.OnecommentatortwicecontradictedthePresident’sstatementabouttheexchangeofcorrespondencewithHoChiMinh.AnotherchallengedthePresident’sabilitiesasapolitician.AthirdassertedthatthePresidentwasfollowingaPentagonline.Others,bytheexpressionsontheirfaces,thetoneoftheirquestions,andthesarcasmoftheirresponses,madecleartheirsharpdisapproval.ToguaranteeinadvancethatthePresident’spleafornationalunitywouldbechallenged,onenetworktrottedoutAverellHarrimanfortheoccasion.ThroughoutthePresident'saddress,hewaitedinthewings.WhenthePresidentconcluded,Mr.Harrimanrecitedperfectly.HeattackedtheThieuGovernmentasunrepresentative;hecriticizedthePresident’sspeechforvariousdeficiencies;hetwiceissuedacalltotheSenateForeignRelationsCommitteetodebateVietnamonceagain;hestatedhisbeliefthattheVietcongorNorthVietnamesedidnotreallywantmilitarytake-overofSouthVietnam;andhetoldalittleanecdoteabouta“very,veryresponsible”fellowhehadmetintheNorthVietnamesedelegation.Allinall,Mr.HarrisonofferedabroadrangeofgratuitousadvicechallengingandcontradictingthepoliciesoutlinedbythePresidentoftheUnitedStates.WherethePresidenthadissuedacallforunity,Mr.Harrimanwasencouragingthecountrynottolistentohim.AwordaboutMr.Harriman.For10monthshewasAmerica’schiefnegotiatorattheParispeacetalks--aperiodinwhichtheUnitedStatesswappedsomeofthegreatestmilitaryconcessionsinthehistoryofwarfareforanenemyagreementontheshapeofthebargainingtable.LikeColeridge’sAncientMariner,Mr.Harrimanseemstobeundersomeheavycompulsiontojustifyhisfailurestoanyonewhowilllisten.Andthenetworkshaveshownthemselveswillingtogivehimalltheairtimehedesires.NoweveryAmericanhasarighttodisagreewiththePresidentoftheUnitedStatesandtoexpresspubliclythatdisagreement.ButthePresidentoftheUnitedStateshasarighttocommunicatedirectlywiththepeoplewhoelectedhim,andthepeopleofthiscountryhavetherighttomakeuptheirownmindsandformtheirownopinionsaboutaPresidentialaddresswithouthavingaPresident’swordsandthoughtscharacterizedthroughtheprejudicesofhostilecriticsbeforetheycanevenbedigested.WhenWinstonChurchillralliedpublicopiniontostaythecourseagainstHitler’sGermany,hedidn’thavetocontendwithagaggleofcommentatorsraisingdoubtsaboutwhetherhewasreadingpublicopinionright,orwhetherBritainhadthestaminatoseethewarthrough.WhenPresidentKennedyralliedthenationintheCubanmissilecrisis,hisaddresstothepeoplewasnotchewedoverbyaroundtableofcriticswhodisparagedthecourseofactionhe’daskedAmericatofollow.ThepurposeofmyremarkstonightistofocusyourattentiononthislittlegroupofmenwhonotonlyenjoyarightofinstantrebuttaltoeveryPresidentialaddress,but,moreimportantly,wieldafreehandinselecting,presenting,andinterpretingthegreatissuesinournation.First,let’sdefinethatpower.Atleast40millionAmericanseverynight,it’sestimated,watchthenetworknews.SevenmillionofthemviewA.B.C.,theremainderbeingdividedbetweenN.B.C.andC.B.S.AccordingtoHarrispollsandotherstudies,formillionsofAmericansthenetworksarethesolesourceofnationalandworldnews.InWillRoger’sobservation,whatyouknewwaswhatyoureadinthenewspaper.TodayforgrowingmillionsofAmericans,it’swhattheyseeandhearontheirtelevisionsets.Nowhowisthisnetworknewsdetermined?Asmallgroupofmen,numberingperhapsnomorethanadozenanchormen,commentators,andexecutiveproducers,settleuponthe20minutesorsooffilmandcommentarythat’storeachthepublic.Thisselectionismadefromthe90to180minutesthatmaybeavailable.Theirpowersofchoicearebroad.Theydecidewhat40to50millionAmericanswilllearnoftheday’seventsinthenation