A New York Times reporter said Wednesday that there could be a problem with television stations rebooting the traditional airing of the national anthem at the end of the broadcasting day.
Culture reporter Julia Jacob wrote that the “politically charged” song might be fine for some viewers but for other Americans “The Star Spangled Banner” can “be a dividing line.”
Herbert Hoover signed a bill to make The Star-Spangled Banner the national anthem 88 years ago. SHUTTERSTOCK/ sirtravelalot
Jacob suggested airing the anthem was a tiresome relic of a bygone age because “one of popular culture’s generational divides” is whether people can remember when playing the anthem at the end of the day was a mainstay on American television. But these days, there is no dead air on television. (RELATED: The National Anthem Is A Dastardly ‘Neo-Confederate Symbol,’ Salon Declares)
“Now, the early morning hours are filled with rebroadcasts and infomercials, eliminating any practical reason for a formal sign off,” the Times reporter wrote.
But that hasn’t stopped many networks from playing the anthem again though Jacob worries that some viewers “might hear political overtones” because of it.
The trend all started with Gray Television Gray, which Jacob records has 145 stations that focus on small town and middle America, where a little bit of late-night patriotism would certainly be embraced. Then CBS and Nexstar Media Group followed suit and the anthem playing spread to metropolitan centers like New York City and Los Angeles, according to the NYT.
“The decision to revive the anthem tradition comes at a time when overt allegiance to ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ has become one of the lines that separate blue and red America,” Jocob asserted.
Television networks who choose to play the anthem say it is unrelated to the proliferation of kneeling that occurs during sporting events when the songs is played, The Times reporter noted. However, Jacob reiterated that the many might see the “politically charged song” has become a “loyalty test.”(RELATED: Ted Cruz Fires Back In Defense Of National Anthem With New Ad)
MIAMI GARDENS, FL – NOVEMBER 06: Michael Thomas #31 of the Miami Dolphins and Kenny Stills #10 of the Miami Dolphins take a knee during the national anthem prior to the game against the New York Jets at the Hard Rock Stadium on November 6, 2016 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
Near the end of her story, Jacob writes that the response to the anthem playing, according to president of Nexstar Broadcasting, has been “overwhelmingly positive.”
According to writer and political commentator Tim Young, Jacob’s piece is a revelation of how The Times views America in 2019.
“Should it shock anyone at this point that the New York Times is trying to get people to be outraged at the airing of the national anthem? Their piece is written as if viewers should be skeptical of every element of the song and accompanying video,” Young told Fox News. “They don’t like America and its anthem and they want you to dislike it as well.”
The anthem is not the only symbol of America that has been attacked as being too political by some on the left. The American flag and the Pledge of Allegiance have also been cited as being offensive. In Minnesota this year, locals crowded the chambers of a city council that had banned the pledge and began shouting “U.S.A!” to demonstrate their disgust with the decision.