Public Affairs Video Archive: The C-SPAN Persian Gulf Collection

FUm & History, Vol. XXII, Nos. 1&2, February/May 1992 Public Affairs Video Archive: The C-SPAN Persian Gulf Collection Robert X. Browning If the Vietnam conflict was the first television war, then the Persian Gulf Operations constitute our first videotaped war. Briefings, bombings, and burnings dominated television coverage during the first three months of 1991. In fact, no other war has ever been so fully televised. As the images of bomb damage, military briefings, SCUD missile interceptions and burning oil wells came into millions of American homes, they impressed an indelible portrait upon our memories. Most importantly for historians and other scholars, the fragments ofthis portrait were recorded, indexed, and archived. The Public Affairs Video Archives (the education and research archives of C-Span programming) records all programming from both C-Span networks 24 hours per day. As a result, the Archives contain over 1,700 hours of primary source videotaped programming for all aspects on the Persian Gulf War. Because of its "unedited, long form, no commentary" format some have asserted that C-SPAN was the network of record for the Persian Gulf War. The table number one outlines the hours of programs by category. Table 1 Public Affairs Video Archives Persian Gulf Programming 8/2/90-2/28/91 ProgramsMinutesHours Booknotes5 3005.0 Call-Ins41718067301.1 ("Call-Ins" programs that register listener/viewer reactions). Congress News 65117019.5 Conference RobertX. Browning isAssociate Professor ofPolitical Science at Purdue University where he also serves as Director ofthe Purdue Public Affairs VideoArchive (Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907; 800-423-9630). 58 Robert X. Browning ProgramsMinutesHours Close-Up8 2634.4 Forums867984133.1 ("Forums" include other items not otherwise classified). House8 361460.2 House Highlight8 116519.4 ("House Highlight" are re-airs of House sessions). Interviews71164727.5 International Telecast58145624.3 ("International Telecast" include foreign legislatures). Joint Committee2 3535.9 Journalist Roubdtable19175429.2 Joint Session1 490.8 News Briefings2668053134.2 News Conference46119720.0 National Press Club1375312.6 Political Events3 2744.6 ("Political Events" include rallies). Senate6 99416.6 Senate Committee24479579.9 Senate Highlight10164827.5 Speeches52295749.3 Short Subject2 200.3 C-Span Archives as a Source 59 ProgramsMinutesHours United Nations43319953.3 ("United Nations" include some background programs). Vignettes262694.5 ("Vignettes" includes short pool video). White House64111918.7 (White House events are only those with the president). This coverage includes the complete record of Congressional hearings and floor debates prior to the air and ground war. In addition, every presidential statement or speech on the war was recorded or archived. Of special interest to historians, every military briefing by the U.S., Joint Arab, and British officers from Riyadh and Washington, D.C. was recorded for the collection. With this extensive video record available, teachers and students — now and in the future - will be able to study, view, and review the events leading to, during, and following the Persian Gulf War. Any scholar or historian who wants a sampling of reactions will find hours of tapes to review. Congressional reaction can be observed in floor speeches, news conferences, and 300 hours of call-ins. (The call-ins are especially valuable because they reflect the reactions of parents and spouses, supporters and opponents.) Rallies for and against the war were also recorded, adding additional information on homefront developments. The archives also hold videotapes of international coverage of the war, to include BBC shortwave reports and debates from the British and Canadian House of Commons. In addition to its extensive videotape collection, the Archives contain a full text record of many videotapes. Transcripts created by the Federal News Service, an independent transcription company, have been cataloged and are available. Every presidential speech is transcribed as is every briefing. There is a total of 3,000 texts in the collection. (About 2,000 of these are of events not created or recorded by C-SPAN.) All are indexed, creating an unparalleled research resource for study of the Persian Gulf War. A sampling ofour programs is included. However, with 1,700 hours ofprogramming, these listings are a mere sample of the hours of programs and documents that we have indexed and archived. Making this extensive record accessible to educators is of prime importance to the Archives. All of the...