Walter Cronkite announces the death of President Kennedy

[Wetzelbill]

Run time: 05:44 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35Hrt2NaY4A   Posted on YouTube: July 18, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: July 18, 2009 By DU Member: Wetzelbill Views on DU: 985

 

[ClusterFreak]

1. I had never seen so much of that coverage before.

Definitely one of the iconic moments in modern history, one of the many Mr. Cronkite would preside over in his long and illustrious career.

As an aside, I found it so odd to watch so many different people during that broadcast repeating what were at the time unsubstantiated rumors that the President was dead. Just strange to hear them suggest he might be dead, or he might not. Not what I would have expected to hear about what was such a monumentally important story. Of course they were ultimately right, but it's possible that they could have been wrong too. Imagine the walkback on that. It makes me think ahead to when Reagan was shot and Frank Reynolds on ABC was given wrong information that Reagan was dead, and then when it was quickly corrected Reynolds tore a strip off the news staffer who gave him the wrong info.

[Wetzelbill]

2. I imagine they were in shock

First presidential assassination in the television era. No precedent for covering it at all and it was before Vietnam too off etc. Newsrooms probably weren't even prepared for that type of shock. You can hear them just throw out rumors to him, almost the way kids do at school when they hear somebody gets in a fight at recess or something. Amazing to see that. I have never seen that much coverage before either.

[ClusterFreak]

8. Yes I think it has to be that...

Pure shock, an event without precedent at the time.

[Wetzelbill]

3. kick

[janx]

4. K&R

I remember him...;-)

[janx]

5. Delete

[Wetzelbill]

6. yes he endorsed me in the last election

No he didn't. :)

[drm604]

7. K&R

Truely iconic news footage.

[StarryNite]

9. I sure hope we never have to go through that again.

:cry: