more important than commercial interests. Distributed by the Video Data Bank, 312-345-3550;
http://www.vbd.org.
LEGAL ISSUES AND FREE SPEECH: HISTORY
The First Amendment (1998, 20 minutes). The history and text of the First Amendment, with a series of
experts discussing and interpreting the amendment’s freedoms and boundaries. Distributed by Films for
the Humanities and Sciences, 800-322-8755; http://films.com.
The Theories of the Press (1991, 25 minutes). This video explores five social models for speech and
journalism: authoritarian, totalitarian, libertarian, socially responsible, and developmental. It explores
who owns, controls, and uses the media under each system. Distributed by Insight Media, 800-233-9910;
http://www.insight-media.com.
Legal Considerations of Broadcast News (1989, 23 minutes). This video takes a look at several precedent-
setting cases and analyzes laws relating to libel, privacy, freedom of information, equal time for political
candidates, the Fairness Doctrine, and obscenity. It also evaluates how broadcast stations must comply
with these laws. Distributed by Insight Media, 800-233-9910; http://www.insight-media.com.
LEGAL ISSUES AND FREE SPEECH: REGULATIONS
Freedom of Expression (2007, 61 minutes). This documentary explores the battles being waged in courts,
classrooms, museums, film studios, and the Internet over control of our cultural commons. Distributed by
the Media Education Foundation, 800-897-0089; http://www.mediaed.org.
This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2005, 97 minutes). Academy Award–nominated director Kirby Dick takes an
incisive look at the Motion Picture Association of America, finds out who is on the secretive rating board,
and documents the movie-rating process. Ironically, the MPAA slapped the documentary with an NC–17
rating for explicit scenes. This Film Is Not Yet Rated was then “rating surrendered” and was recut for an R
rating.
McLibel: Two Worlds Collide (1997, 53 minutes). This film tells the story of how two social activists
protested McDonald’s business practices, were suppressed by the hamburger chain through Britain’s
infamous libel laws, and ended up starring in one of the most visible trials in British legal history.
Available at http://www.spannerfilms.net/films/mclibel.
Media Ethics (1997, 30 minutes). In this program, news professionals and network and music-industry
executives speak about the ethical dilemmas their industries face and how they strive to balance freedom
of expression and commercial interests (part of the eight-part series Media Power). Distributed by Films
for the Humanities and Sciences, 800-322-8755, http://ffh.films.com; and by Insight Media, 800-233-
9910, https://www.academicvideostore.com/video/media-ethics.
MAGAZINES: HISTORY
Magazine Industry (1997, 28 minutes). This program examines the evolution of the magazine industry during
the twentieth century (part of the Film, TV, and Media Today ten-part series). Distributed by Films for the
Humanities and Sciences, 800-322-8755; http://films.com.
Theodore Roosevelt (1996, 240 minutes). Part of the Presidents’ Collection by American Experience
documentary producer David Grubin, this film tells the story of TR. The film is particularly useful for its
description of TR on the “bully pulpit” in the age of muckraking magazine journalism. We recommend
the six-minute excerpt titled “The Bully Pulpit.”
MASS MEDIA AND SOCIETY: HISTORY
The History of Mass Media (1997, 30 minutes). This video illustrates how today’s media environment is an
accumulation of all forms of communication. Distributed by Insight Media, 800-233-9910;
http://www.insight-media.com.
Mass Communication in Society (1997, 30 minutes). This program considers mass communication’s changing
role in society and explores media use by individuals and by society as a whole. Distributed by Insight
Media, 800-233-9910; http://www.insight-media.com.
MASS MEDIA AND SOCIETY: CULTURE
What a Girl Wants (2001, 33 minutes). During the spring of 2000, eleven girls ages eight to sixteen from a
variety of socioeconomic backgrounds and two classrooms of middle and high school students were
interviewed about their views on media culture and its impact on their lives. Distributed by the Media
Education Foundation, 800-897-0089; http://www.mediaed.org.
Game Over: Gender, Race and Violence in Video Games (2000, 41 minutes). This video offers a dialogue
about the complex and controversial topic of video game violence and is designed to encourage students
to think critically about the video games they play. Distributed by the Media Education Foundation, 800-
897-0089; http://www.mediaed.org.
Modern Times (1936, 87 minutes). Charlie Chaplin is a factory worker who is driven crazy by his repetitious
job in this critique of efficiency measures enforced during the height of the Industrial Revolution and
modernism. Distributed by Facets Multimedia, 800-331-6197; http://www.facetsmovies.com.
MEDIA ECONOMICS: HISTORY
Harold Innis: Patterns in Communication (1993, 52 minutes). This video profiles economic and media
historian Harold Innis, who critiques media monopolies and traces such tactics back to early civilizations.
Distributed by Insight Media, 800-233-9910; http://www.insight-media.com.
On Television: Public Trust or Private Property (1988, 57 minutes). This video examines television
broadcasting as a medium that is publicly owned but privately controlled. It discusses government
regulation, public interest, and profit making as they relate to television history and addresses questions
about equal access to the airwaves. Distributed by Instructional Support Services at Indiana University,
800-552-8620; http://www.iub.edu/faculty/support.shtml.
MEDIA ECONOMICS: CULTURE
Rich Media, Poor Democracy (2003, 30 minutes). Adapted from Robert McChesney’s book of the same title,
this video demonstrates how journalism has been compromised by the corporate bosses of conglomerates
such as Disney, Sony, Viacom, News Corp., and AOL Time Warner. Distributed by the Media Education
Foundation, 800-897-0089; http://www.mediaed.org.
Mickey Mouse Monopoly: Disney, Childhood, and Corporate Power (2001, 52 minutes). This video/DVD
insightfully analyzes Disney’s cultural pedagogy, examines its corporate power, and explores its vast
influence on our global culture. Distributed by the Media Education Foundation, 800-897-0089;
http://www.mediaed.org.
Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1993, 167 minutes). World-renowned linguist,
intellectual, and political activist Noam Chomsky offers a probing and accessible critique of the mass
media. Distributed by Zeitgeist Films, http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com.
MEDIA EFFECTS: HISTORY
The Electronic Storyteller: Television and the Cultivation of Values (1997, 30 minutes). George Gerbner
outlines his forty-year study of television. Distributed by the Media Education Foundation, 800-897-
0089; http://www.mediaed.org.
MEDIA EFFECTS: RESEARCH METHODS
Audience and Feedback (1997, 28 minutes). This program explores the characteristics that define a desirable
audience, the history of audience ratings, and the ways in which audiences are addressed (part of the
eight-part series Media Power). Distributed by Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 800-322-8755;
http://films.com.
TV Violence and You (1995, 30 minutes). Media-violence expert George Gerbner analyzes one week’s worth
of television content and discusses the effects of violence on viewers. Distributed by Films for the
Humanities and Sciences, 800-322-8755; http://films.com.
Research Methods for the Social Sciences (1995, 33 minutes). This program illustrates various types of
experimental design and data interpretation, including the use of control and experimental groups,
dependent and independent variables, and clinical, correlational, and field methods. The video also
considers ethical issues in experimentation. Distributed by Insight Media, 800-233-9910;
http://www.insight-media.com.
MEDIA EFFECTS: CULTURE
Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class (2005, 62 minutes). This film navigates the steady
stream of narrow working-class representations from American television’s beginnings to today’s
sitcoms, reality shows, police dramas, and daytime talk shows. Distributed by the Media Education
Foundation, 800-897-0089; http://www.mediaed.org.
Further off the Straight and Narrow: New Gay Visibility on Television, 1998–2006 (2006, 61 minutes). This
documentary picks up where Off the Straight and Narrow: Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, and Television
(1998) left off. Since that video’s release in the late 1990s, which coincided with the last episode of the
popular program Ellen, there has been a marked increase in the presence of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgendered characters on television. Distributed by the Media Education Foundation, 800-897-0089;
http://www.mediaed.org.
Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People (2006, 50 minutes). This documentary dissects an aspect
of cinematic history that has run virtually unchallenged from the earliest days of silent film to today’s
biggest Hollywood blockbusters: the representation of Arab characters. Distributed by the Media
Education Foundation, 800-897-0089; http://www.mediaed.org.
Images in Media (1997, 28 minutes). A behind-the-scenes look at the media’s image makers, who often rely
on stereotypes to communicate messages quickly (part of The Story of Film, TV, and Media, an eight-part
series). Distributed by Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 800-322-8755; http://films.com.
The Killing Screens: Media and the Culture of Violence (1997, 46 minutes). Media analyst George Gerbner
discusses the far-reaching effects of violence in the media and considers the way an individual’s core of
security and relationship to the community has been impacted by these images in American culture.
Distributed by the Media Education Foundation, 800-897-0089; http://www.mediaed.org.
Slim Hopes: Advertising and the Obsession with Thinness by Jean Kilbourne (1995, 30 minutes). An in-depth
illustration of how female bodies are depicted in advertising imagery and the devastating effects of that
imagery on women’s health. Distributed by the Media Education Foundation, 800-897-0089;
http://www.mediaed.org.
Color Adjustment, directed by Marlon Riggs (1991, 88 minutes). This film traces the networks’ reluctant and
selective integration of African Americans into network television and prime-time family representations.
Distributed by California Newsreel, 877-811-7495, http://newsreel.org/video/COLOR-ADJUSTMENT.
Dream Deceivers: The Story Behind James Vance vs. Judas Priest (1991, 60 minutes). The documentary’s
producers interviewed members of Judas Priest; the parents of the teenagers who shot themselves after
listening to Judas Priest music; and James Vance, one of the teens disfigured from a self-inflicted gunshot
wound to the face. Distributed by Icarus Films; available on iTunes.
MOVIES: HISTORY
American Experience: Mary Pickford (2005, 55 minutes). A biography about the golden age of silent film and
the world’s most celebrated actress. Distributed by PBS Home Video, 800-531-4727; available to rent on
Netflix.
The History of Film (1997, 30 minutes). This program explores the evolution of film content and the changing
demographics of audiences. It also investigates the impact of McCarthyism on the film industry and the
influences of television on film.
Hollywood Chronicles: Women with Clout/Hollywood’s Children (1991, 50 minutes). This tape follows the
careers of some of the most powerful women in Hollywood, including Mary Pickford. Distributed by
Facets Multimedia, 800-331-6197; http://www.facetsmovies.com.
Origins of the Motion Picture (1948, 19 minutes). This video looks at early inventions in film, such as
Leonardo da Vinci’s “camera obscura,” the zoopraxiscope, and the kinetograph. It also considers later
movie-camera designs. Distributed by Insight Media, 800-233-9910; http://www.insight-media.com.
Black Hollywood: The Way It Was (1983, 104 minutes). This video traces the history of African American
cinema from the 1900s to the present. It features rare archival film clips. Distributed by Insight Media,
800-233-9910; http://www.insight-media.com.
The Jazz Singer (1927, 89 minutes). The first feature-length film with spoken dialogue. Distributed by Facets
Multimedia, 800-331-6197; available on Amazon.
Edison Film Company and Edwin S. Porter (date not available, 105 minutes). This compilation features more
than twenty early examples of Edison Company–produced film narratives from 1898 to 1905. Distributed
by Facets Multimedia, 800-331-6197; http://www.facetsmovies.com.
Hollywood on Trial (1979, 90 minutes). The story of the Hollywood Ten and the accusations, by the House
Committee on Un-American Activities, of their supposed communist activities. Distributed by Facets
Multimedia, 800-331-6197; http://www.facetsmovies.com.
MOVIES: PRODUCTION
Behind the Screens: Hollywood Goes Hypercommercial (2000, 37 minutes). Tracking the phenomenal rise in
product placements, tie-ins with fast-food chains, and mammoth toy merchandising deals, this video
argues that mainstream, big-budget movies have become largely a vehicle for advertising and marketing.
MOVIES: DEMOCRACY
Roger & Me (1989, 91 minutes). Directed by journalist and cultural critic Michael Moore, the film documents
the devastation of Moore’s hometown of Flint, Michigan, after GM closed down a number of plants there
and Moore’s attempts to confront GM president Roger Smith about the company’s corporate indifference.
Distributed by Facets Multimedia, 800-331-6197; http://www.facetsmovies.com.
NEWSPAPERS: HISTORY
Tell the Truth and Run: George Seldes and the American Press (1996, 111 minutes). This video illustrates the
career of foreign correspondent and media critic George Seldes and raises important questions about the
nature of American news media. Includes interviews with Ralph Nader, Victor Navasky, and Ben
Bagdikian. Distributed by New Day Films, 888-367-9154; http://www.newday.com.
Hold the Front Page! (1991, 57 minutes). A historical look at Britain’s highly competitive newspaper
industry throughout the twentieth century. Distributed by Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 800-
322-8755; http://films.com.
NEWSPAPERS: PRODUCTION
Free Newspapers Change Media Landscape (2006, 8 minutes). With circulation dwindling for major paid
newspapers in the United States, publications distributed for free, or “freebies,” are changing the
landscape of the media business in cities across the country. This report comes from the Online
NewsHour and is available for streaming at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/media-jan-june06-
freemedia_5-29/.
Newspaper Industry (1997, 28 minutes). This program spotlights the cross-town rivalry between the Denver
Post and the Rocky Mountain News and analyzes the benefits and drawbacks of competition for the same
readership. It also provides an engaging overview of the entire industry (part of the Film, TV, and Media
Today series). Distributed by Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 800-322-8755; http://films.com.
PUBLIC RELATIONS: HISTORY
Public Relations (1997, 28 minutes). Industry professionals discuss Bernays, the role of public relations in
World Wars I and II, the Lucky Cigarettes campaign, the Tylenol scare, and the Exxon Valdez disaster
(part of the eight-part series Media Power). Distributed by Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 800-
322-8755; http://films.com.
The Image Makers (1984, 60 minutes). Part of the A Walk through the Twentieth Century with Bill Moyers
series. We recommend the first twenty minutes. It is the best history of PR available and an essential
video resource for understanding the role of Ivy Lee, the Ludlow massacre, and Bernays. The video is out
of print and available only in VHS, but check your university or college library. The entire series was
popular in the 1980s, and it’s likely that your library still has it. Despite its age (1984), the video is a
classic and is completely timeless in many ways.
PUBLIC RELATIONS: PRODUCTION
Public Relations (1996, 24 minutes). This program examines PR’s three broad functions: promotion, image
building, and image protection. The video also features a number of case-study examples from a PR
agency, a nonprofit organization, and a small business. Distributed by Insight Media, 800-233-9910;
http://www.insight-media.com.
PUBLIC RELATIONS: DEMOCRACY
Hijacking Catastrophe: 9/11, Fear, and the Selling of American Empire (2006, 76 minutes). This video places
the George W. Bush administration’s original justifications for war in Iraq within the larger context of a
two-decade struggle by neoconservatives to dramatically increase military spending while projecting
American power and influence globally by means of force. Distributed by the Media Education
Foundation, 800-897-0089; http://www.mediaed.org.
RADIO: HISTORY
KPFA On the Air (2000, 56 minutes). Novelist Alice Walker narrates this acclaimed documentary on KPFA,
the first nonprofit community station in the United States, launched in Berkeley, California, in the late
1940s. Distributed by California Newsreel, 877-811-7495; http://newsreel.org/video/KPFA-ON-THE-
AIR.
Lifeline: The History of International Radio (1997, 48 minutes). This documentary traces the seventy-year
history of world broadcasting and its importance to world communication. Distributed by Films for the
Humanities and Sciences, 800-322-8755; http://films.com.
Invasion from Mars (1988, 25 minutes). This program illustrates how the increased reliance on radio as an
information and news medium set the stage for the panicked reaction to the War of the Worlds radio
broadcast. The video includes interviews with Orson Welles as well as with people who remember
listening to the broadcast. In discussing the dominance of radio during that period, the video also includes
elements of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats and Edward R. Murrow’s and H. V.
Kaltenborn’s newscasts from Europe right before World War II.
RADIO: CULTURE
Radio Industry (1997, 28 minutes). Hosted by NPR’s Ray Suarez, this program explores the business side of
public and commercial radio broadcasting (part of the Film, TV, and Media Today series). Distributed by
Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 800-322-8755; http://films.com.
RADIO: DEMOCRACY
Low-Power Empowerment: Neighborhood Radio in Ireland and the U.S. (1994, 30 minutes). An irreverent
and funny video that illustrates radio democracy in action. Distributed by Civic Media Center, 352-373-
0010, http://www.civicmediacenter.org; and Paper Tiger Television, 212-420-9045, http://papertiger.org.
SOUND RECORDING: HISTORY
The History of Audio Recordings (1997, 30 minutes). A history of the sound recording industry and a look at
the connections among technology, business, artistry, and social dynamics when producing an audio
recording. Distributed by RMI Media, 847-297-8680; http://www.rmimedia.com.
La Bamba (1987, 108 minutes). A romantic biography of Ritchie Valens, including his tragic death in an
airplane crash that also took the lives of Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper. Distributed by Facets
Multimedia, 800-331-6197; http://www.facetsmovies.com.
SOUND RECORDING: PRODUCTION
Recording Industry (1997, 28 minutes). Top industry executives and other experts discuss such issues as how
a new artist attracts the attention of a recording company and how MTV has raised the bar for performer
talent (part of the Film, TV, and Media Today ten-part series). Distributed by Films for the Humanities
and Sciences, 800-322-8755; http://films.com.
SOUND RECORDING: CULTURE
Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes (2006, 60 minutes). This video examines manhood, sexism, and
homophobia in hip-hop culture. The documentary pays tribute to hip-hop while challenging the rap music
industry to take responsibility for glamorizing destructive, deeply conservative stereotypes of manhood.
An abridged version is available. Distributed by the Media Education Foundation, 800-897-0089;
http://www.mediaed.org.
TELEVISION AND CABLE: HISTORY
Big Dream Small Screen: The Story behind the Television (1997, 60 minutes). This story of Philo Farnsworth
begins in 1921 when he is fourteen and tracks the inventor’s life as an optimistic and creative man who is
ultimately undermined by RCA president David Sarnoff and his “pet” inventor, Vladimir Zworykin.
Distributed by PBS Home Video, 800-531-4727; http://www.shoppbs.org.
The History and Future of Television (1996, 50 minutes). This BBC program recaptures the spirit of the early
days of television and asks where the medium will be in the twenty-first century. Distributed by Films for
the Humanities and Sciences, 800-322-8755; http://films.com.
The Development of Television (1992, 15 minutes). This program begins with the pioneering inventions of
Nipkov, Baird, and Zworykin and ends with a discussion of satellite transmission and HDTV. Distributed
by Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 800-322-8755; http://films.com.
Game Show Program V (1956–1963, 90 minutes). A game-show compilation including Beat the Clock
(1956); The $64,000 Question (1956), one of the highest-rated game shows, complete with the nervous
contestants, isolation booth, and famous “think” music; and Queen for a Day (1963), a rare kinescope of
this classic daytime show. Distributed by Shokus Video, 800-SHOKUS-1; http://www.shokus.com.
The Beulah Show (1951–1952, 120 minutes). This network series was the first to feature a black actress in the
title role. Beulah, the Hendersons’ helpful housekeeper, was played by Louise Beavers and Hattie
McDaniel. Included in this tape are a few “black exploitation” cartoons that have been removed from
television distribution: “Jasper’s in a Jam,” “Rasslin’ Match,” “Lion Tamer,” “Scrub Me Momma with a
Boogie Beat,” and “Jungle Jitters.” Distributed by Shokus Video, 800-SHOKUS-1;
http://www.shokus.com.
Comedy and Kid Stuff IV (1950–1958, 115 minutes). A video compilation that features The Goldbergs (1952)
in an episode with original RCA appliance commercials; Howdy Doody (1958), with Wonder Bread and
Hostess ads; Saturday Night Revue (1950), a comedy variety show; and The Farmer Alfalfa Show (1955),
a selection of classic early cartoons that aired on Saturday mornings. Distributed by Shokus Video, 800-
SHOKUS-1; http://www.shokus.com.
Comedy and Kid Stuff VI (1948–1956, 110 minutes). Features Howdy Doody (1948), one of the earliest
episodes; Mama (I Remember Mama) (1956), a popular series starring Peggy Wood; Super Circus (1954),
a half-hour show shot live in Chicago that shows clowns, acrobats, and animals, and some Kellogg’s
cereal ads; and Al Haddon’s Lamp, a pilot that was the original concept for I Dream of Jeannie.
Distributed by Shokus Video, 800-SHOKUS-1; http://www.shokus.com.
TELEVISION AND CABLE: PRODUCTION
The Production Process, Part 2 (1993, 23 minutes). Follows the “show-runner” of a sitcom, the person who
sees the project through from the first pitch to the final production. Distributed by First Light Video
Publishing, 800-777-1576; http://www.tmwmedia.com/newfirstlightvideo.
Sitcom Series Part 3. http://www.tmwmedia.com/productlisting/details/sitcom-series-production-process–
survival-guide-for-sitcom-writers.
Sitcom Series Part 2: Sitcom Rules and Forms Structure and Comic Development (1993, 30 minutes). Covers
eight basic types of sitcoms. Distributed by First Light Video Publishing, 800-777-1576;
http://www.tmwmedia.com/productlisting/details/sitcom-series-sitcom-rulesforms-structurecomic–
development.
Sitcom Series Part 1: What Is a Sitcom? (1993, 19 minutes). An introduction to the genre. Distributed by First
Light Video Publishing, 800-777-1576; http://www.tmwmedia.com/productlisting/details/sitcom-series-
what-is-a-sitcom-comic-toolbox-writers-craft.
TELEVISION AND CABLE: CULTURE
Dreamworlds III (2007, 60 minutes). An update to Sut Jhally’s Dreamworlds II, this video examines the
stories contemporary music videos tell about girls and women. Distributed by the Media Education
Foundation, 800-897-0089; http://www.mediaed.org.
Free Speech for Sale: A Bill Moyers Special (1999, 57 minutes). Bill Moyers and other public interest
advocates study how large corporations with the most money use their influence and access to various
forms of media to control public debate. It is a must-have DVD. Part 1 (19 minutes) shows how the
burgeoning hog industry used unregulated money (corporate donations) to destroy a political candidate
opposed to industry practices. Part 2 (15 minutes) investigates how the tobacco lobby intimidated
senators, used “free speech” to advance and protect its interests, and distorted the national debate about a
1999 tobacco bill. Part 3 (23 minutes) discusses the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the
telecommunication and computer industry’s strategy to control the digital spectrum. Part 4 (7 minutes)
investigates media ownership and media conglomeration. Distributed by Films for the Humanities and
Sciences, 800-322-8755; http://films.com. Also available at Amazon.com.
