Jeff Greenfield

In the following viewpoint, Jeff Greenfield argues that cultural forces, rather than television, are the source of much of what critics call “cultural decline.” According to Greenfield, social and economic changes following World War II, including the advent of the birth control pill and increased prosperity and mobility, have brought about significant cultural changes. At the same time, television’s declining standards and television producers’ increasing willingness to air vulgar programs made television an easy scapegoat. Greenfield, a former speechwriter for Robert Kennedy, covers politics and the media for ABC News.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Greenfield, why did television come under attack in the early 1950s?
2. In what way is television an “incredibly subversive medium,” according to the author?
3. According to Greenfield, what was significant...