It might have been the combination of the right timing with this new satellite technology and this horrific event of the President being shot that changed the public interest in complete, live, and around the clock coverage.

The fact that television at that time could bring powerful images of what was happening in the world and could make the incident seem like a local event that was happening in their own home town, was a new concept.

It was also television that brought to the public the first live presidential debate between Kennedy and Nixon in 1960. Approximately 60% of the households viewed the three debates -- around 60 million people out of a total population of 179 million at that time. Kennedy was the first President that most people felt they had a personal connection with, all because of live TV.

So after the assassination the public couldn't get...
[ View Full Essay]