On this day in 1947, President Harry Trueman (1884-1972) makes the first-ever televised presidential address from the White House, asking Americans to cut back on their use of grain in order to help starving Europeans.
In 1947, television was still in its infancy and the number of TV sets in U.S. homes only numbered in the thousands most people listened to the radio for news and entertainment.
Although the majority of Americans missed Truman's TV debut, his speech signaled the start of a powerful and complex relationship between the White House and a medium that would have an enormous impact on the American presidency, from how candidates campaigned for the office to how presidents communicated with their constituents.
No comments:
Post a Comment