C-Span Bus Stops at Prescott High School
Source: The Daily Courier
According to Prescott High School government teacher Mark Gologoski, it is the responsibility of citizens to “pay attention to what the government is doing.”
For most people, paying attention means watching network news. However, C-SPAN offers an alternative.
On Feb. 19, the C-SPAN bus stopped at Prescott High School on its national tour to talk about civic education. The bus is fully equipped as a news station. At one time, C-SPAN newscasters used it for interviewing and reporting. Today, the company uses it mostly for educational programs.
Senior Aubree Schuenman, a member of Gologoski’s Accelerated Program civics class, has watched C-SPAN but did not know all the channel’s facets.
“I didn’t realize it was non-biased and nonprofit,” she said.
During a presentation to the students, marketing representative Jennifer Curran explained that C-SPAN chairman and CEO Brian Lamb created the cable channel for televising sessions of the U.S. Congress and other public affairs events and policy discussions.
Lamb presented his idea for the new cable network to corporations, but only cable industry pioneer Bob Rosencrans provided $25,000 in seed money to get it going.
According the Curran, C-SPAN has remained true to Lamb’s initial vision. It receives no money from any government source, has no contract with the government and does not sell sponsorships or advertising. It strives for neutrality and a lack of bias in its public affairs programming.
C-SPAN (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) went on the air March 19, 1979, broadcasting a speech by then-congressman Al Gore. Today, C-SPAN2 covers all live sessions of the U.S. Senate.
PHS senior and AP civics student Jordan Vickstein was impressed with C-SPAN’s video library.
“I appreciate how they archive all their footage. That is not cheap,” Vickstein said. “They have this information for people to use.”
Curran said part of the reason of the national tour is “outreach to students, to tell them about our online resources, such as the video library.”
The C-SPAN video library is not copyrighted and is free for educational purposes.
“It is cool that they came to Prescott and that they are trying to get high school students involved in government. Students should be involved in what is going on,” Schuenman said.
C-SPAN marketing representative Steve Devoney said students really seem to be excited about the video library.
“There is a point when talking to students that you can almost see a light bulb go off in the mind. They understand that C-SPAN is a straightforward, primary source for news, with no commentary.” Devoney said. “We have taken the flashy stuff out and removed distractions.”
C-SPAN does not point fingers at other networks, but “we ask people to look at what is being covered and why,” he said.
Unfortunately for students such as Vickstein, C-SPAN broadcasts only on a “federal level. There is nothing statewide. Watching C-SPAN now might not make a difference, but when we get older it will. We will have created a habit.”
Students are excited when the C-SPAN bus pulls in.
“They are impressed. We hope it is because of our resources, but in reality, it’s the bus,” Curran said.
