Paper Tiger Television (PTTV) is a non-profit, low-budget

public access television Public-access television (sometimes called community-access television) is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is narrowcast through cable television specia ...

program and open media collective based in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Currently operating from

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, PPTV was co-founded by

media activist Media activism is a broad category of activism that utilizes Mass media, media and communication technologies for social movement, social and political movements. Methods of media activism include publishing news on websites, creating video and ...

and

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

nominated documentary filmmaker Dee Dee Halleck in 1981. It focuses on raising

media literacy Media literacy is an expanded conceptualization of literacy that includes the ability to access and analyze Media (communication), media messages, as well as create, reflect and take action—using the power of information and communication—to ma ...

and exists as a protest to corporate control over

broadcast Broadcasting is the data distribution, distribution of sound, audio audiovisual content to dispersed audiences via a electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), ...

mediums. Founded to promote

freedom of speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The rights, right to freedom of expression has been r ...

and access to means of communication, the volunteer-run

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

is a

collective A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest or work together to achieve a common objective. Collectives can differ from cooperatives in that they are not necessarily focused upon an e ...

action in response to systems of hierarchical power. The

celebrated its 25th anniversary on October 11, 2007 with a premiere of the video ''Paper Tiger Reads Paper Tiger Television'' at th
Anthology Film Archives
In 2018, in collaboration with Halleck's other collective,

Deep Dish Television Deep Dish Television was the first public access television distribution network in the United States. Created in 1986 by Paper Tiger Television and based in New York City, the network was committed to exploring new and democratic ways of promoti ...

, Paper Tiger Television released a 10-part video series about resistance to the rise of

far-right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on the far end of the ...

political movements.

History

Founded in part by Dee Dee Halleck, Paper Tiger Television grew out of the

Public-access television Public-access television (sometimes called community-access television) is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is Narrowcasting, narrowcast through cable tele ...

series, Communications Update, which ran on Manhattan Cable TV. The first Paper Tiger programs featured communications scholar

Herbert Schiller Herbert Irving Schiller (November 5, 1919 – January 29, 2000) was an American media critic, sociology, sociologist, author, and scholar. He earned his PhD in 1960 from New York University. Schiller warned of two major trends in his prolific wri ...

reading the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', the "steering mechanism of the ruling class". In 1986, Paper Tiger Television created

, the first grassroots satellite distribution network in the United States. Deep Dish Television distributed the work of independent videomakers, filmmakers, and activists in curated series on a variety of political topics.

Aesthetic and themes

Known for its democratic goals and

anti-commercialism Commercialism is the application of both manufacturing and Consumption (economics), consumption towards personal usage, or the practices, methods, aims, and distribution of products in a free market geared toward generating a profit. Commercialism ...

agenda, Paper Tiger Television is mainly recognized for incorporating a DIY visual style in its programming. The creators and reporters frequently made use of handmade signs, backdrops, and other unpolished set pieces which had highlighted the grassroots tone of PTTV's videos and drew more attention to the production process. For instance, one of their special live broadcasts begins with a lengthy introduction to PTTV's mission, with the text laid over a brightly colorful backdrop:

"Our lives are increasingly influenced by the large corporations that make and distribute information. Their power rests on false assumptions. This legitimacy is a paper tiger. Investigation into the corporate structure of the media and critical analysis of their methods and meanings can be a way of demystifying the information industry. A critical consciousness about communications is necessary for cultural autonomy and democratic control of information resources."

Archived programs

The archives of Paper Tiger Television house one of the most culturally significant

alternative media Alternative media are media sources that differ from established forms of media, such as mainstream media or mass media, in terms of their content, production, or distribution.Downing, John (2001). ''Radical Media''. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publica ...

collections in American history, including critical components of the coinciding technological and artistic evolution of

video art Video art is an art form which relies on using video technology as a visual and audio medium. Video art emerged during the late 1960s as new consumer video technology such as video tape recorders became available outside corporate broadcasting. V ...

, video activism, and

media reform Media reform is the attempt to reform mass media. Media reform movement coincides with media democracy as a concept and is interlinked with the agenda setting theory. In 1922, in his book, ''Public Opinion'', Walter Lippmann argued that the mass m ...

. The complete catalog of over 500 programs can be found at the Paper Tiger Television websit

* Herb Schiller Reads ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'': The Steering Mechanism of the Ruling Class, 1981 * Natalie Didn't Drown:

Joan Braderman Joan Braderman is an American video artist, director, performer, and writer. Braderman's video works are considered to have created her signature style known as "stand up theory." Via this "performative embodiment," she deconstructs and analyzes ...

Reads ''The National Enquirer'', 1982 *

Tuli Kupferberg Naphtali "Tuli" Kupferberg (September 28, 1923 – July 12, 2010) was an American counterculture poet, author, singer, editorial cartoonist, comic artist, columnist, publisher, and co-founder of the rock band The Fugs. Biography Naphtali Ku ...

Reads ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

:'' Always Smile When You Give 'em the Shaft, October 13, 1982 *

Bill Tabb Bill Tabb is a retired American professional wrestler, known by his ringname The Black Assassin, who competed in North American regional promotions including the Big Time Wrestling (San Francisco), American Wrestling Alliance and National Wrestli ...

Reads ''

US News & World Report ''U.S. News & World Report'' (''USNWR'', ''US NEWS'') is an American media company publishing news, consumer advice, rankings, and analysis. The company was launched in 1948 as the merger of domestic-focused weekly newspaper ''U.S. News'' and ...

:'' Disrobing the Economy, May 26, 1982 *

Martha Rosler Martha Rosler (born 1943) is an American artist. She is a conceptual artist who works in photography and photo text, video art, video, installation art, installation, sculpture, site-specific art, site-specific and performance art, performance, a ...

Reads ''Vogue'': Wishing, Dreaming, Winning, Spending, Dec, 1982 * Archie Singham Reads ''Foreign Policy:'' A Look at the Old Boy's Network, May 4, 1983 *

Joel Kovel Joel Stephen Kovel (August 27, 1936 – April 30, 2018) was an American psychiatrist, scholar, human rights activist, and author known as a founder of eco-socialism. Kovel became a psychoanalyst, but he abandoned psychoanalysis in 1985. Backg ...

Reads ''

Life Magazine ''Life'' (stylized as ''LIFE'') is an American magazine launched in 1883 as a weekly publication. In 1972, it transitioned to publishing "special" issues before running as a monthly from 1978 to 2000. Since then, ''Life'' has irregularly publi ...

:'' It's a New Life, Painting a Corpse, September 21, 1983 *

Stanley Aronowitz Stanley Aronowitz (January 6, 1933 – August 16, 2021) was an American sociologist, trade union official, and political activist. A professor of sociology, cultural studies, and urban education at the CUNY Graduate Center, his longtime political ...

Reads ''

'': A Timely Look at Labor, 1983 *

Elayne Rapping Elayne Antler Rapping (December 24, 1938 – June 7, 2016) was an American critic and analyst of popular culture and social issues. She authored several books covering topics such as media theory, popular culture, women's issues, and the portray ...

Swoons to Romance Novels, 1983 *

Richie Perez Richie or Richy is a masculine given name or short form (hypocorism) of Richard. It is also a surname. First name *Richie Ashburn (1927–1997), American Major League Baseball player, member of the Hall of Fame *Richie Benaud (1930–2015), Austra ...

Watches ''Fort Apache: The Bronx'', 1983 * Patty Zimmerman Reads ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

:'' Hooray for Hollywood, June 20, 1984 * Pearl Bowser Looks at Early Black Cinema: The Legacy of Oscar Micheaux, 1984 * Renee Tajima Reads Asian Images in American Film:

Charlie Chan Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu Police Department, Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan ...

Go Home!, 1984 * Marc Crispin Miller Reads Cigarette Ads: Lots More Ifs, Ands & Butts, 1985 * Jean Franco Reads Mexican Novelas: Adios Machismo! Hola Maquilladora, 1985 * Flo Kennedy Reads U.S. Press on

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

: The Hair in the Milk, February 1985 *

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American professor and public intellectual known for his work in linguistics, political activism, and social criticism. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is also a ...

Reads ''The New York Times:'' Seeking Peace in the Middle East, June 1985 *

Thulani Davis Thulani Davis (born July 19, 1949) is an American playwright, journalist, librettist, novelist, poet, and screenwriter. She is a graduate of Barnard College and attended graduate school at both the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Univers ...

Asks, Why

Howard Beach Howard Beach is a neighborhood in the southwestern portion of the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Queens. It is bordered to the north by the Belt Parkway and Conduit Avenue in Ozone Park, Queens, Ozone Park, to the south by J ...

?: Racial Violence and the Media, January 21, 1987 *

Donna Haraway Donna Jeanne Haraway (born September 6, 1944) is an American professor emerita in the history of consciousness and feminist studies departments at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a prominent scholar in the field of science and te ...

Reads

The National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...

on Primates, 1987 * Born To Be Sold:

Reads the Strange Case of Baby S/M, 1988 * Fred Landis Reads ''

The Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American Conservatism, conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It covers general interest topics with an emphasis on Politics of the United States, national politics. Its broadsheet daily edit ...

'': The Dark Side of the Moonies, 1989 * Class Dismissed: featuring

Howard Zinn Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922January 27, 2010) was an American historian and a veteran of World War II. He was chair of the history and social sciences department at Spelman College, and a political science professor at Boston University. Zinn ...

and

James Loewen James William Loewen (February 6, 1942August 19, 2021) was an American sociologist, historian, and author. He was best known for his 1995 book, '' Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong.'' A 2005 book, ''Sund ...

, 2004 *

Stuart Ewen Stuart Ewen (born 1945) is a New York-based author, historian and lecturer on media, consumer culture, and the compliance profession. He is also a Distinguished Professor at Hunter College and the City University of New York Graduate Center, i ...

Reads

The New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...

: Fantasy, Morality and Authority, 1982 * Protest + Education Can Equal Change: featuring

Kathy High Kathryn High (born 1954) is an American interdisciplinary artist, curator, and scholar known for her work in BioArt, video art and performance art. Background Kathy High graduated with a BA from Colgate University in 1976 and an MAH from the C ...

, 1992 * ''The Last Graduation: The Rise and Fall of College Programs in Prison'', 1997

Cultural impact

Since its launch in the early 1980s; Paper Tiger Television has influenced and supported

grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or continent movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from volunteers at the local level to imp ...

media activist organizations by providing an innovative model for

community media Community media (or community broadcasting) refers to media organizations that are owned, controlled, and operated by and for a community, serving its specific interests. These media outlets can take various forms, including Mass media, print, broa ...

and spurring the global development of a do-it-yourself (DIY) community media movement. Among viewers, historians, scholars, and creative media makers, the early age of Paper Tiger Television is remembered for its radical political mission and irreverent, ultra-

low-budget A low-budget film or low-budget movie is a motion picture shot with little to no funding from a major film studio or private investor. Many independent films are made on low budgets, but films made on the mainstream circuit with inexperienced o ...

antics in emphasizing this mission. PTTV's engagement with critiques of

mass culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art pop_art.html" ;"title="f. pop art">f. pop artor mass art, somet ...

and politics, and providing of innovative leadership for documentary filmmakers, artists,

educators and

social justice Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...

media movements around the world helped bring more attention to the potential powers of alternative media combined with the rising technology of broadcast television. Many PTTV programs examine a particular aspect of the

communication Communication is commonly defined as the transmission of information. Its precise definition is disputed and there are disagreements about whether Intention, unintentional or failed transmissions are included and whether communication not onl ...

s industry, from

print media Mass media include the diverse arrays of media that reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit information electronically via media such as films, radio, recorded music, or television. Digital media comprises b ...

to TV to

movies A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, since ...

, seeing its impact on public perception and opinion. Other videos represent the people and views which are largely absent from the

mainstream media In journalism, mainstream media (MSM) is a term and abbreviation used to refer collectively to the various large Mass media, mass news media that influence many people and both reflect and shape prevailing currents of thought.Noam Chomsky, Choms ...

. Cultural scholar Douglass Rushkoff describes the impact of PTTV as such:

"Perhaps it was the voltage created by the potential difference between what was airing on the networks and what was actually going on around the country that gave Paper Tiger the burst of energy it needed to become a full-fledged force in national television during the Gulf War."

Dee Dee Halleck, one of PTTV's founders, went on to launch ''Deep TV'' (now Deep Dish Satellite Network) in 1986, which was the first national independent satellite network.

References

DeeDee Halleck DeeDee Halleck (born January 5, 1940) is a media activist, founder of Paper Tiger Television and co-founder of Deep Dish Television, the first grass roots community television network. She is a Professor Emerita in the Department of Communication ...

, ''Handheld Visions: The Impossible Possibilities of Community Media'' *

Erik Barnouw Erik Barnouw (June 23, 1908 – July 19, 2001) was an American historian of radio and television broadcasting. At the time of his death, Barnouw was widely considered to be America's most distinguished historian of broadcasting. Life According to ...

, ''Documentary: A History of the Non-Fiction Film'' *Martha Gever, "Meet the Press: On Paper Tiger Television." in Transmission. Ed. Peter D'Augustino. New York: Tanam, 1985. 215–33. *Marcus, Daniel. "Paper Tiger Television (United States)." Encyclopedia of Social Movement Media, edited by John D. H. Downing, SAGE Reference, 2011, pp. 383–384. Gale Virtual Reference Library. *Stein, L. (2001)
Access television and grassroots political communication in the United States
In J. H. Downing, Radical media: Rebellious communication and social movements (pp. 299–324). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

External links

Paper Tiger Television's Home Page

Paper Tiger Bloggi-Vision
Paper Tiger TV's Videoblog

1992 exhibit at San Francisco Art Institute
Dueling Dancers at Paper Tiger TV's 25 Year Anniversary
Video clip of performance from 25 Year Anniversary
Paper Tiger Television
in th
Video Data BankThe Paper Tiger Television Records
Fales Library and Special Collections at New York University Special Collections
The Deep Dish TV Records
Fales Library and Special Collections at New York University Special Collections {{Authority control Television organizations in the United States 1981 establishments in New York City 501(c)(3) organizations Organizations established in 1981

History

Aesthetic and themes

Archived programs

Cultural impact

See also

References

External links