SUMMARY<\/b><\/h3>\n
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, his wife and their children filmed a reality show that is set to be released in the lead-up to the nation\u2019s 250th anniversary. It is a return to form for the Duffys, who first met filming for MTV in the 1990s. Now, a new batch of reality TV stars are hoping to transition into elected office. Ali Rogin reports on how their campaigns could change politics.<\/p>\n
View the transcript<\/b><\/a> of the story.<\/p>\n NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete<\/i><\/b> this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?<\/i><\/p>\n News alternative<\/i>: Check out recent segments<\/b><\/a> from the News Hour, and choose the story you\u2019re most interested in watching.\u00a0You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions<\/b><\/a> that work for any of the stories here.<\/p>\n WARM-UP QUESTIONS<\/b><\/p>\n Media literacy<\/i>: In this segment, Roxane Gay says that, “There’s not a lot of reality to be found yet in reality television. And, quite frankly, there’s not a lot of reality to be found in politics….” What do you think she means by this? What comparison is she making between reality TV and politics?<\/p>\n The News: Then & Now<\/b> section of the Daily News Lessons allows students to see connections between current and past news events. The activity provides historical context using primary sources from the Library of Congress.<\/p>\n See PBS News Hour Classroom’s Journalism in Action website<\/b><\/a> for interactive examples of how journalists covered key events in U.S. history while honing your primary source, civics and digital news literacy skills.<\/p>\n THEN<\/b><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n As noted by the infographic at the end of this segment, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the first president to appear on television in 1939. Since then, television has been a critical medium for presidents, politicians and candidates to communicate with the public.<\/p>\n Appealing to potential voters and winning the confidence of the public through the media of television called upon different skills and talents than the speeches and rhetoric candidates had used before television.<\/p>\n One famous example is the 1960 televised debates between candidates Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy.<\/p>\n View of presidential candidates Vice President Richard M. Nixon and Senator John F. Kennedy on a split television screen during the third 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debate; Richard Nixon was located in Los Angeles, California, and John F. Kennedy in New York City. Courtesy of the Library of Congress<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Though Nixon came into the debate leading in the polls, he did not prepare well for appearing on television screens on countless homes throughout the U.S. He famously refused to wear makeup, and he appeared to be sweating and uncomfortable compared to the more composed Kennedy. Many historians see the debate as a turning point in the election, leading to Kennedy’s win<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
FOCUS QUESTIONS<\/b><\/h3>\n
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NEWS: THEN & NOW<\/b><\/h3>\n
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