Opportunity deferred: a 1952 case study of a woman in network television news.

Film of a papal message was still unprecedented for American television, and many people viewed the Easter celebration footage. According to a memo from News Director William McAndrew (1952) the Camel News Caravan had become "the hottest news show in network television," (p. 1) with a rating of 28.9 on Tuesday nights (its average for the week was 23.6). The closest competitor was CBS's evening news program with Douglas Edwards, and it reached an average of only 10.5% of homes.

But Taylor's letter to the Jones correspondents had bad news. For some time that winter the news division had known that the network was worried about costs. Even as Taylor (1952a; 1952b) and news managers McCall, McAndrew, Schneider, and others became concerned about the adequacy of news coverage abroad, there was pressure to rein in spending in many production areas. Based on this "economic context," Taylor (1952f, p.1) regretfully informed the correspondents by letter that they would be returning to the States sooner than they had anticipated. The request had come from Pat Weaver, who was feeling his own pressure to save money, pressure that would not subside for some time (Taylor, 1952g, n.d.; also see Karnick, 1988). Ironically, within a week of sending the Joneses this bad news, Taylor (1952d) sent them the telegram congratulating them on their successful trip to Turkey. Although they recognized themselves as relatively minor players at NBC, the correspondents felt their work was appreciated back in New York. Throughout their assignment, however, Eugene Jones remembered receiving correspondence only from Taylor (E. Jones OHI, n.d.).

Moving On

By May 1952, the team was back home seeking new assignments. Since 1952 was an election year, Charles and Eugene pitched a preconvention idea for interviewing candidates with their wives in their homes (C. Jones & Jones, 1952b).

Later that year the brothers received word that they were among 70 other winners of the National Headliners' Club's annual journalistic awards (Cunningham, 1952). They also were winners of the U.S. Camera Medallion and the Freedoms Foundation Honor Award, all firsts for television journalists. But since Natalie returned to a work environment bound by nepotism rules, she resumed working as a publicist.

Through the 1950s Eugene produced more projects for NBC, and Natalie regularly accompanied him on overseas assignments, working as his associate (N. Jones OHI, 2005). Often she conducted interviews as Eugene filmed, although the responsibility of narrating remained with him or the news producers back at NBC. Eugene and Charles eventually produced and directed for several NBC programs, including Wide Wide World and Today, as well as documentaries. After convincing NBC in 1954 to send him to French Indochina to do his own hour-long documentary, Eugene found it hard to leave Natalie behind, even though the work was dangerous. Two years later he returned to Southeast Asia as an associate producer of NBC's Special Events Department. This time Natalie accompanied him, and interviewed South Vietnam's president (Long, 1956), Thailand's prime minister (Prabha, 1956), and Burma's prime minister (E. Jones, 1956). The United States had been providing substantial economic and military aid to help each country quell communist and other insurgencies.

In 1957, Eugene and Natalie traveled to Europe again as well as Morocco to cover American defense missions (including the first film of a Strategic Air Command base outside the United States) for NBC news (Frederick, 1957; NBC, n.d.). Into the 1960s the couple continued to produce filmed reports for Today, Wide Wide World, and The World of ... documentary series for NBC. Photographs bear out Natalie's regular role as interviewer on many of the assignments (E. Jones, 1957; Overseas Press Club of America, 1961a, 1961b, 1962).

After multiple working trips to South Vietnam, Eugene felt that NBC had become too pro-government and supportive of American involvement in South Vietnam. Consequently, after determining that NBC would not allow him to produce a documentary critical of America's role in the war in Vietnam, Eugene and Natalie formed their own company (E. Jones OHI, n.d.). She coproduced several films to help them raise funds for A Face of War, a documentary on Vietnam, which they produced in 1966. Another documentary film coproduced by the couple, The Wild and the Brave, was nominated for an Academy Award in 1974.

Discussion and Conclusion

Natalie Jones's contribution to early network television news coverage is mixed but intriguing. She could not be considered a correspondent as others, like Pauline Frederick, who followed. Although she did conduct interviews for NBC, in 1952 John Cameron Swayze and David Brinkley handled the reporting and narrating duties for Camel News Caravan (Brinkley, 1995, pp. 85-88) while Presidential aide John Steelman wrote the scripts and hosted Battle Report (Bernhard, 1999, pp. 122-123). In this regard she bypassed the criticism leveled by critics of female voices on radio and television at the time. Instead, Natalie shared camera and audio tasks, both preparing and operating the equipment. Eventually many network news crews included at least three persons. And, as noted, Natalie interviewed many of the news subjects for the stories. While there is evidence some individuals resented her presence, the grounds may have been race as much as gender. Ultimately, Natalie remembered few instances of hostility toward her.

Natalie Jones's entry into television news depended on her husband's persuasive skills. She became a network television journalist because Eugene convinced NBC management he needed her to accompany him and his brother on an assignment to Europe in 1952. Her initial association with the network was that of a publicist and go-between to help the network promote its twin photojournalists. Nepotism rules and broadcast industry management aversion to the female voice constitute two primary obstacles to her employment at NBC News.

Testimony from female pioneers in broadcast news suggests the barriers to reporting and announcing in the postwar years of television's infancy were high (see Marzolf, 1977; Hosley & Yamada, 1987). The few that found success migrated to broadcasting from other disciplines, and usually found their way into news later in life. This case study of a woman utilizing other journalistic skills and tools illustrates another way for women to succeed in the early days of television. Examination of Natalie Jones's journalistic work beginning in Europe in 1952 and continuing indicates newsmakers were often amenable and attentive to a female interviewer. She demonstrated that a woman could handle the physical demands and adversity common among journalists working in hostile environments (albeit as part of a team). Although many women eventually became producers and correspondents, the occupation of news photographer and audio engineer remained a man's responsibility for many years (see Lindekugel, 1994, p. 59). Future researchers may want to examine the progress of women in broadcast journalism's other duties. Another research prospect is the history of nepotism in the broadcast ranks, its corollary with other professions, and its effects on news gathering.

Even though parity was afforded Natalie Jones at her husband's insistence, a few news executives at NBC made it a reality. During her initial tenure at NBC, nepotism rules remained. But she soon returned as co-producer and worked with Eugene on many international assignments for NBC. Her contributions to the early days of network television news deserve recognition as another pioneer who proved she could do the job.

References

Advertest. (1952). The television audience of today (Box 193). NBC papers. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Hereafter referred to as NBC papers.

Allen, G. (1951, March 20). Correspondence from American Ambassador George Allen to Charles Jackson (White House aide) (Box 309). NBC papers.

Bernhard, N. E. (1999). U.S. television news and Cold War propaganda, 1947-1960. New York: Cambridge University Press.

The boys are on their way again. (1951, February 8). NBC press release (Box 278). NBC papers.

Brinkley, D. (1995). David Brinkley: A memoir. New York: Ballantine Books.

British War Office. (1952, March). Movement order from Director of Public Relations (The War Office, London) regarding Mr. E. Jones, Mrs. E. Jones, Mr. C. Jones (members of the National Broadcasting Company) (Jones papers, in possession of Jones family, Los Angeles, hereafter referred to as JP).

Crosby, J. (1952, January 28). The trouble with news. Time, 59, 70.

Cunningham, L. (1952, June 2). Press release from City Press Bureau of Atlantic City, NJ (Box 278). NBC papers.

Double trouble. (1952, November 24). Newsweek, 38, 62-64.

Folster, G. (1952, October 21) Report of investigation of stringer coverage in Middle East and South East Asia, and Far East Asia (To: William McAndrew, manager of news and special events) (Box 278). NBC papers.

Frank, R. (1991). Out of thin air. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Frederick, W. (1957, December 26). Travel authorization from Major W. Frederick, USAF, to Eugene and Natalie Jones (JP). Copy in possession of author.

Gallup, G. H. (1972). The Gallup Poll: Public opinion 1935-1971. New York: Random House.

Gladstone, B. (Managing editor). (2005, September 30). Interview with Joe and Shirley Wershba [Radio series episode]. On the media. New York: WNYC.

Harrison, B. (1952, January 16). TV: Scene and Heard. Washington Times-Herald, p. 15.