10/17/2006 2:18:00 PM WE'RE MISSING A LOT OF THE REAL NEWS Biker's Diary
By Dr. Jan Meyer
The news media is pretty one-sided, according to Ted Turner (founder and former owner of CNN), being interviewed on National Public Radio this week. I would certainly agree with him, but maybe for reasons that might surprise him. I think the national news media doesn't tell us what we need to know because it's more exciting to report - and read or watch - the gory stuff.
I'm not suggesting that the sensational news shouldn't be reported. I'm just pointing out that a lot of news items pour into an editor's desk and the editor has to play gatekeeper: picking and choosing what gets the time or space allocated for the news. But consistently the choice is to fill the entire time with the bad news, and the good stuff goes on the cutting room floor.
One of those great stories that I haven't seen in the papers is The National Anthem Project. Sponsored by the National Association for Music Educators along with Jeep, the Oak Ridge Boys, the History Channel, and a whole bunch of other backers. It was launched in 2005 because of some pretty poor statistics: a Harris interactive survey of 2,200 American men and women 18 years and older revealed that 61 percent of American adults don't know all of the words to the "Star Spangled Banner." According to the project's Web site, of those who claim to know all the words, only 39 percent know what follows "whose broad stripes and bright stars."
Of those who knew the words, 58 percent had participated in at least five years of music in schools when growing up. In fact, more than 70 percent of Americans reported learning it in school music class.
As a result, this year, Sept. 14 (the date in 1814 on which Francis Scott Key penned the words to the "Star Spangled Banner") was proclaimed National Anthem Project Day for schools across the country.
It was expected that at 9 a.m. on that day, 50 million students around the country would all be singing our National Anthem. But I didn't read about it in the paper or hear it on the news, before or after the event, and I read two big city papers daily, cover to cover!
There also is a National Anthem Project bus which is touring the country; it will visit all 50 states, and at each stop there is a concert with local school vocal groups participating, and interactive events to teach about the historical significance of the national anthem. There is also a singing contest with one winner from each state. The prize is a $1,000 scholarship to go to the music program at the winner's school. The bus was in Bloomington and Minneapolis on June 23 to 25, and it was in Ames, Iowa, on Aug. 31. I didn't read about that either!
This project is actually about more than music. While more than 70 percent of Americans claimed to be patriotic, only a little more than half of Americans feel very aware of U.S. history. An ABC news poll confirmed the Harris results and added other insights: among teens, only 15 percent of American youth can sing the words to the anthem from memory. Some point out that people don't sing it because it is too hard to sing. John J. Mahlmann, executive director of the National Association for Music Education, has a response to that: "Yes, it is difficult to sing, but on the other hand, that's why we have music educators."
The year of the National Anthem Project is not over; we still have chances to "tune in." Coming up this week is an event that is pretty important for those of us in southeast Minnesota. One of our own talented youth groups is singing in New York as part of the project. The Stewartville High School Concert Choir has been selected to perform in a group of 500 students from across the nation, at two New York City events. The group received the special invitation to participate based on their achievements and recommendations from others.
The Stewartville choir is the only choir from Minnesota that will be in attendance at this event; they are leaving on Thursday, Oct. 19, flying to New York City. On Saturday, the 21st, the choir will be singing at the World Trade Center Ground Zero site at 11:40 EST. On Sunday, Oct. 22, at 1:30 p.m. EST the group is performing at Tribecca Performing Arts Center. In order to attend the event, choir members raised the entire $55,000 needed to send the 50-voice group on its way.
The bonus that may happen - it was still being finalized at press deadline time - is that the choir may be appearing on NBC's Today show on Friday, Oct. 20, which airs at 7 a.m. CDT. Tune in, just in case, or call the school at 507-533-1600 to find out for sure. Hey, at least one big news media outlet may give it some time!
This two-year project of "restoring America's voice through supporting youth music in our schools" will finally wind up with all 50 states involved in some way in the finale on June 14 to 17, 2007.
I consider this whole thing a pretty good news story, worthy of coverage. Unfortunately, too many news gatekeepers obviously didn't feel the same way. After all, it isn't sensational, or bloody, and it doesn't make anyone look bad in the public eye. And that seems to be a much higher priority for most of those choosing what we get to hear about.
Reader Comments
Posted: Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Article comment by:
Jamie
I'm part of the SHS choir that went to New York and we didn't get on the Today Show, but we went to it and stood in the crowd. You might have gotten a glipse of our red shirts while the camera was scanning the crowd if anything. We had an extremely fun time while in New York, and made memories that will last a life time. Thank-you for writing about us and caring about good news not just the bad and gossip.
