Our speaker, Susy Schultz, is the Executive Director of the Museum of Broadcast Communications. Susy also teaches both graduate and undergraduate journalism at Columbia College Chicago. As Executive Director, Susy continues to promote the mission of the museum - to archive and tell the story of the broadcast industry's evolution and our history. As a seasoned political and investigative reporter for the Sun-Times, storytelling is in her blood. Like so many organizations we have heard from, the pandemic created the opportunity to review, revise and respond. Susy and her team finished two audits and reorganized staff as well as updating and rewriting job descriptions. Many of their programs and online exhibits have curriculum modules for 8th through 12th graders. The online exhibit called "Great Debates" was her focus today. Susy said it was important to step back from the rancor of the last two election cycles and educate students on the process, give them insight into civics and then, hopefully become engaged. What she shared with us made me realize that there is much adults don't know about the great debates! For instance, the first televised debate was the 1960 debate between John Kennedy and Richard Nixon. Many of us know that Kennedy looked healthy (thanks to makeup), but you probably don't know that not only had Nixon been recently released from the hospital, he also hit his knee against something and was in great pain. Also revealed to us was that Walter Cronkite offered advise and coaching for the event, Kennedy took up the offer, Nixon did not. If you listened to the debate on the radio, you would might say Nixon won that debate. Those who watched it on television felt Kennedy won. It took 16 years before presidential candidates were comfortable enough with having another televised debate. That time it was Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford. It was also at that time that late night shows and in particular "Saturday Night Live" took the opportunity to speak about politics and in the case of SNL, skewered the candidates. Then came along "The Daily Show" and 24 hour news cycles. With the emerging technologies like social media and more skewed reporting without the benefit of opposing views, little things become huge ones. The exhibit covers 8 presidential debates including the gap years. The exhibit has a downloadable guide, an outline of the content and a detailed lesson plan. The museum is planning to re-open to the public in mid July. There is much to see like the Radio Hall of Fame, the Chicago Television Gallery and for those Svengoolie fans, his 40th anniversary celebration. Susy proved she is a storyteller extraordinaire! -mb |