In summarization of this article he points out the different ways in which America changed. It changed the way we would look at our presidents in ways of thinking that they and the presidency itself was larger than life. That our presidents were invincible, and then suddenly in the prime of his life he was shot down by a madman. He points out to us why he, they, are as vulnerable as the rest of us. He further points out that at the time we didn't know if this was a conspiracy or even the first shot to World War III. The first question undoubtedly in everyone's mind was, "Why did this happen?" "Who did it?" and mostly "Why?" Furthermore another big change he points out is the dramatic turning point for journalism. For the first time in the history of the country, the entire nation focused on one story and watched it unfold live on television. Up until that weekend, the majority of Americans got their news from print. From that weekend on, television became the place where most Americans got their news.
Bob Schieffer further states his rhetoric views in a theory that the most successful politicians are the ones who master the dominant communication medium of their time. The founders were all great writers, they got their news about government from the written word. Roosevelt was the first to grasp radio and Kennedy was the first one to truly take advantage of the power of television.
I feel like Schieffer did a very good job in summarising the main points of the turning points in history to future. He also analyzed the pathos of this writing when he stated in the beginning of the article that he was the first to speak with Oswald's mother. He actually picked her up and took her to the police station to see her son only hours after his arrest. So he saw the grief and distraught not only from a wounded nation but from an individual, a mother, who was also stricken and in disbelief for her son.
I liked the writing and liked the way he used the comparsions he used in thinking of the Kennedy administration. He states, Remember how the movie The Wizard of Oz starts out in black-and-white, and then Dorothy opens her door into this vibrant Technicolor? Think of the Kennedy administration doing the same for the country.
October/November 2013 aarp.org/magazine
Excellent Blog Vicki. With the renewed interest in the Kennedy assassination, and associated conspiracy theories, this has again become a current events topic. I haven't put much though into how it changed the use of media in American society, but after you pointed it out, it all kind of clicked. I especially liked your comparison to the wizard of oz at the end. Definitely an A+ example of blogging.
ReplyDeleteVicki,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blog regarding President Kennedy, the use of media in society and the comparison of the Wizard of Oz. This especially interested me because I was a young mother at the age of 19 when this happened. I will never forget it, I was home with my nine month old son, had the t.v. on and it came across the television about the President. I was alone at the time with my son and it really frightened me. We didn't have cell phones, of course, and I could not call my husband but I called my daddy and mama and they immediately came out to the house for us. For the next several days I was glued to the television. A very sad time in the history of our nation.
Vicki,
ReplyDeleteYou had an excellent blog post this week! I have always been interested in the Kennedy assassination. Last year, in one of my history classes, we spent half of the semester learning about the Kennedy assassination. It's one of my favorite topics to learn and read about! I really enjoyed how you compared the Kennedy assassination to the Wizard of Oz! Great job.