Interview • C-SPAN
marketing representative Scott Peterson
chats with Political Science Department
Chairman Charles Noble, about his book
that explores American Liberalism. Tracey
Roman / Online Forty-Niner
C-SPAN book tour bus
rolls into The Beach
By
Katie Plourd
Online Forty-Niner
Managing Editor
C-SPAN2’s Book TV Bus rolled into campus Wednesday as part of its nationwide
library, bookstore and college campus tour seeking to give students an opportunity
to learn about C-SPAN’s programming and encourage student to learn about
history, politics and reading.
The bus, manned by a team of four C-SPAN employees, was parked at the East
Campus turn around from 10 a.m. to 1p.m. where students toured the bus and
learned about Book TV. CSULB professors and students were also interviewed
on camera for segments to be aired on C-SPAN. The concept for the bus tour
began in 1993 from an idea Doug Brinkely had to take his high school students
across the country to teach them history, according to Scott Peterson, C-SPAN
marketing representative.
C-SPAN is a small 260-staffed, non-profit, company. It consists of two televisions
stations and a radio station that is cable funded and doesn’t accumulate
ratings or have commercials as other stations do.
The bus came to campus after a weekend-long stint at the UCLA Book festival,
where Book TV broadcast live for the entire weekend. After they leave CSULB
the crew will head to Arizona and then back to their home base in Washington
D.C.
A number of students, mostly political science, journalism and history majors
showed up to catch a glimpse of the studio on wheels.
Peterson, and crew, also interviewed two CSULB professors on books they have
written. Charles Noble, department chair of the political science department
and author of “The Collapse of liberalism: Why America needs a new left,” and
Craig Smith, professor of communications, director of the center for First
Amendment studies and author of “The Four Freedoms of the
First Amendment.” Their interviews will air on CSPAN2 as part of Book
TV which runs every weekend Saturdays at 8 a.m. to Monday 8 a.m. eastern time.
Senior political science major Scott Claus stopped by the bus because he enjoys
watching C-SPAN to get up to date information on what is going on in politics.
“
You get to hear people talk,” He said. “Not someone else talk about
what others are saying.”
Clauss and the other students who trickled in to take a look throughout the
stop are not in the majority of C-SPAN viewers, according to Peterson.
C-SPAN is not a medium many students take advantage of because it is often
seen as boring. Not being interested is probably the biggest complaint from
young people, Peterson said. The straightforward, non-exciting news angle is
also what turns viewers off.
“
People are very used to TV being so visually stimulating that when they get
to us it’s hard to just sit there and listen,” Peterson said.
According to Peterson it may be easier for students to watch mainstream news
stations to get their information, but the information you get on C-SPAN is
a primary resource to what goes on in politics and government. Instead of watching
news stations like CNN or Fox, where people talk about the people making decisions,
you are watching the people who actually have the power and make the decisions.
This is valuable information for any student interested in politics, history,
journalism or current events.
Kevin Malinowski, senior journalism student thinks students should partake
in watching C-SPAN type programming because it promotes political discourse
and participation and shows how government works from the inside, which allows
people to make decisions for theselves on issues.
“
After I’m done with my reading and stuff at night I watch C-SPAN til
I pass out,” Malinowski said. “I’m a big fan of C-SPAN.”
Malinowski agrees that the information on C-SPAN is straightforward and doesn’t
spin things like regular media often does, which is what attracts him to watch.
“
I get sick of cable news because these people bitch about things but they don’t
have the power to do anything about, other than influence what people think,” he
said.
C-SPAN also archives everything they air according to Peterson, including senate
hearings, supreme court hearings and presidential addresses.
“
You can go back to Bush’s 2003 State of the Union address, watch it and
decide for yourself if you think he intentionally misled the public on Iraq,” he
said.
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