Covering Copyright: Phil Walden and Jimmy Carter in the Press during the 1976 Presidential Campaign

Abstract

ABSTRACT Press coverage of the relationship between music executive Phil Walden and President Jimmy Carter focused on issues of popular music law like piracy, payola, and copyright, often insinuating the likelihood of quid pro quos and scandal. This article explores Walden’s meteoric rise, his lobbying for copyright reform, and news coverage of his relationship with Carter. The role of journalism in shaping public perception of the American presidency post-Watergate is considered central to this research. Although there is no evidence of a nefarious motive in Walden and Carter’s relationship, investigating why contemporary news stories were framed in that way can provide an illuminating case study of the ways that politics and popular culture intersect. This specific case demonstrates how legal issues like copyright can take on cultural meaning apart from their statutory power, and how press coverage can affect the negotiation and interpretation of that meaning.