Here’s something you should check out before the 45th anniversary of the JFK assassination:
KERA ran an absorbing documentary last night called "JFK Breaking the News", a KERA production about the Dallas journalists who shaped and then became part of a pivotal national story. (Turns out it’s from 2003, but this is the first time I’ve seen it.) The piece features commentary from some of television’s most recognizable and respected newsmen including Jim Lehrer and Bob Scheiffer who, at the time of the Kennedy assassination, worked for the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star Telegram, respectively.
Nov. 22, 1963, of course, has taken its place in history as a day of great tragedy. But as it is with all the tragedies we have faced as a country, it was a day that The People learned they were capable of more than they had previously imagined possible. It was a turning point for the swiftly-evolving news media as their audience, for perhaps the first time ever, came to realize the power of live pictures and fully understood/appreciated the service provided by reporters on the front lines of breaking stories. The innovative coverage also likely propelled some of Dallas’ reporters into starring roles in the news world we know today.
At least that’s what I derived from the show (I wasn ‘t actually around when all this happened). It’s especially fascinating to me because we seem to be at this point in time, once again, in a state of transition insofar as the way we take our news. (For example, instantaneously after CNN announced President Elect Obama’s inevitable historical win, I was able to see reaction/commentary, images and videos from people from across the globe online.) But I digress … "JFK Breaking the News" is definately worth a watch. According to the KERA schedule, it comes on again Friday at 4 a.m. Thank God for TEVO.
