Senator William Proxmire, D-Wisconsin, famously made fun of government waste with his "Golden Fleece" awards, which were "given to the biggest, most ridiculous or most ironic example of government waste." In December 1978, he selected the United States office of Education:

For spending $219,592 to develop a "curriculum package" to teach college students how to watch television. The product of the contract, according to its recipient, will enable college students to "...distinguish between television's fact and fiction, recognize Its various viewpoints, and evaluate its messages."

Under its Special Projects Act, the Office of Education--which has in fact developed some outstanding programs, like Sesame Street and the Electric Company--has let four contracts totaling $823,651 to develop "critical television viewing skills" at the elementary, middle, secondary, and post-secondary school levels. Another $800,000 to train teachers and distribute the materials developed and tested in phase one is contemplated. In view of the amount of violence on television or the attempt of advertisers to aim commercials at children, there may be some justification for the elementary, middle, or secondary proposals. But the spending of $219,000 for the college program gets such low ratings it should be cancelled. (Wisconsin State Historical Society, 2013)

Proxmire's award had the effect of marginalizing the field of media literacy education in the public's mind. While media literacy and education has deep roots, the field grew substantially in the 1960s, bringing together disparate elements including film theory, access to new tools such as videotape, and new ideas from scholars such as Marshall McLuhan, largely played out in classrooms from primary school to college.