In the summer of 1969 the biggest rock concert ever conceived took place in Bethel, New York. It was entitled, “The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, an Aquarian Exposition”. It started Friday, August 15, 1969 and ended in the early morning hours of Monday, August 18, 1969. Nearly twenty-five of the biggest names in rock and folk music performed throughout the festival. There were 200,000 admission tickets bought in advance, but well over 400,000 concert-goers attended the extravaganza. Woodstock created an opportunity for young people to bridge the gap between age groups and demonstrate peace and harmony among the masses. In doing so, The Woodstock Music and Art Fair attracted a lot of attention from the media.
The print media, namely newspapers, provided a majority of the coverage. I retrieved reports from three newspapers; The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. The aforementioned newspapers covered the story of Woodstock in an appropriate manner; publishing articles that debated certain aspects all the while presenting vital information.
The public and private interest in Woodstock was practically the same. People generally inquired about the happenings at Woodstock and what the overall outcome was. Some private interests, belonging to the youth, may have differed due to their fascination with the performers and/or the free use of drugs. I did not detect any hidden agendas within these articles; they were all pretty straight forward. The purpose for the majority of the articles was to communicate information about Woodstock. The content varied due to the newspaper, the author, and of course, the time frame in which it was written.
The Washington Post had the most coverage. They provided a plethora of facts, and a great insider’s point of view. The New York Times had sufficient reporting. Yet, given that the festival took place in up-state New York, I expected more because of their proximity. The Wall Street Journal didn’t do much with the Woodstock festival; its focal point appears to be money and financial stability. Subsequently, the two significant articles that it ran about Woodstock pertained to money and were written long after the festival occured.There were three main time periods in which these articles could have been written. They may have been written prior to the event, during the event, or after the event. The information presented was very diverse because of this.
The articles that were written before Woodstock had even begun contained mostly general information. Where it was going to be, when it was going to be, who was promoting, who was performing, etc. Articles written beforehand also contained skepticism coupled with criticism. Because of precursor events that occurred at festivals earlier in the summer, people were very doubtful that a three day peace fest would be successful. As there were only days left before the initiation of Woodstock, articles depicted how an overwhelming amount of young people were migrating from everywhere across the nation to go to Woodstock.
Articles that were written during Woodstock covered how the festival and its populace were doing. These writings illustrated the status of Woodtock, stating that, “Everything has fallen apart at the Woostock Pop Festival except the most important thing, the people.” (Phillips, B.J., p.B1.) In addition, these articles included written accounts of things like the performance schedule, the shortage of supplies, and the drug abuse and interaction among the people in attendance.
The reports that were composed after Woodstock are filled with statistics and opinions on how the ‘three days of peace and music’ actually turned out. A couple of them contacted promoters to discuss what a surprise the enormous influx of fans was.
“All calculations and hiring of staff had been geared for up to 100,000 people a day. As triple that number appeared, the entire ticket-selling, ticket taking setup broke down.” (Special, p.80)
Clearly, one of the biggest aspects of this story was the huge overflow of people who went.
Virtually all of the newspaper journalists who wrote about Woodstock were biased. Some had a tendency to doubt the ‘hippies’ and their ability to maintain a peaceful environment for 36 hours. Others were inclined to have faith in the youth and their ability to express free love. Those that saw potential in the Aquarian Exposition conveyed positive imagery. They vividly described the harmony of the people, and how there hadn’t been one injury recorded as a result of violence. Those who were doubtful conveyed negative imagery. They claimed what happened at Woodstock, “…was simply incomprehensible at best, and a flagrant violation of laws and morals at worst.”(Special, p.25.) They also emphasized the horrible traffic jam that stretched over 18 miles from the site of the fair.
Journalists who reported on Woodstock had an array of sources at their disposal. The sources they chose to consult or quote had a direct correlation to their bias or the purpose of the article. The universal sources were the young adults who were present at the concert, the permanent residents of Bethel, N.Y., and the affiliated authoritative figures. Optimistic pieces expressed hope for the cause, containing quotes from the promoters and the kids themselves. Pessimistic pieces were characterized by quotes and facts from the hometown people and law enforcement. All of these sources were reliable and provided great insight into the pandemonium of the music and art fair.
The newspapers covered the Woodstock Music and Art Festival very well, with the exception of The Wall Street Journal. The two articles it published were shallow, especially the one about the ticket refunds. The only interest it served was the 400+ people who were prevented from going, and they probably didn’t want to be reminded of their absence. When it came to Woodstock, the people desired pertinent information and appealing points of view, both were readily accessible within these reports. Hence, the public interest in Woodstock was served through these articles.
To most the Woodstock Music and Art Fair of 1969 was a triumph, proving that young people everywhere can get along. For the journalists who covered the ground breaking rock concert, it was a success. Prejudiced or not, the stories and accounts of Woodstock were published and printed. With social, political, and legal issues in mind the corresponding journalists delivered.
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