William Shanley: The Made-For-TV Election- Starring Martin Sheen

Source:William Shanley- An 1980 ABC documentary about American political elections.

Source:The New Democrat 

"A William Brandon Shanley film available at Amazon.com.

"Pertinent, powerful, persuasive. Handsomely produced... Brilliant." -- Los Angeles Times. 

"Profoundly enlightening. A devastating look at television's impact on the presidency." -- Helen Thomas, "Dean" of the White House Press Corps.

"This film should be seen by every American in every city and town." -- Norman Lear, TV Creator.

Hollywood star and activist Martin Sheen shows how broadcast TV networks create winners and losers in US presidential elections by typecasting the candidates in a drama of their own making in this long-suppressed and sabotaged documentary about the 1980 Presidential Election Campaign when former Governor Ronald Reagan defeated President Jimmy Carter. 

Watch how network news shows use polls, gaffes, flip-flops, stereotypes, and show business values to pump the ratings and misdirect you from what you need to know to be an informed citizen and understand what's really happening in America. The program dissects network coverage and reveals TV's "hidden hand" in changing the outcome of the most important election since 1968, exposing the myth of the Reagan Revolution and the made-for-TV "conservative tide" that so tragically changed America's course. 
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Host Martin Sheen. Jimmy Carter (president) Ronald Reagan (Republican challenger) Ted Kennedy (Democratic challenger) John Anderson (Independent challenger) Walter Cronkite (CBS News "The Most Trusted Man in America").  Other media stars and guests include Frank Reynolds, Sam Donaldson, Helen Thomas, Ed Bradley, John Chancellor, Dan Rather, Leslie Stahl, Gerald Rafshoon, Jody Powell, Ted Turner. 
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A William Brandon Shanley film. Gerald J. Keane, co-producer and writer. Alvin H. Goldstein, executive producer. Joe Rothstein, studio director. Harry Miles Muheim, consultant. Running time: 102 minutes. A Production of News Analysis Associates in association with Capitol Video Communications. Copyright William B. Shanley & Gerald J. Keane - 1986-2014 - All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Evolution Solutions, Inc., a Connecticut not-for-profit corporation. Write to Will Shanley for more information: wbs2012@zoho.com." 

From William Shanley

Comparing the presidential election of 1980 to the presidential election of 2012 is like comparing today's culture and lifestyles of that of the 1950s. Or NFL football from the 1970s to the NFL of today, two completely different eras. And even though TV and especially TV news is no longer as dominant medium as it was back in the late 1970s and 1980, it is still crucial today and politicians still need to do well on it to be successful. Especially if they hope to be President of the United States.

TV and videos we can see off the internet either off of YouTube or even videos we upload ourselves from our own laptops are the closest thing that we have to seeing someone in person. You can see what someone looks like and how they are feeling and doing simply by how they present themselves on TV. And even though the internet and even social networks are a huge factor in how we get our news, TV is still critical in how we are presented as people.