Reformers saw television as a neutral tool redeemable for higher purposes

Evidence

While there had always been those who viewed broadcast television as irredeemable, more moderate elements believed that the medium was essentially neutral; if it had become nothing but an attention harvester, it might yet be reimagined and reprogrammed to serve somewhat loftier goals. Essentially they believed in the potential ascribed to TV early on by those like Murrow, who had said, “This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and even it can inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends.” — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 570

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the ‘technology is neutral’ debate in media theory — McLuhan, the medium-as-message challenge to this exact position. — connects to: Content reform could not escape television’s foundational attention-resale model — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 583; Public television in the late 1960s openly produced anti-establishment, anti-consumerist programming — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 577

Broader Connections

• Content reform could not escape television’s foundational attention-resale model #contradicts (0.85) — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 583