KERA's JFK documentary

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.

Comments

[PEGGY HILL]

KERA's presentation of "JFK Breaking the News" is a very accurate accounting of that day in Dallas. As with all Dallasites living here at that time, we can remember many things about that day. It is a day I have never forgotten. I was a young mother then and took my three year old daughter, Scherrie, my sister Susan Rucker Miller and her two best friends, Diane O'Quinn Hranicky and Donna Smith Chereck to see this wonderful event unfold in Dallas.

Our first viewing spot was by the Coca Cola sign at the corner of Mockingbird and Lemmon. The motorcade made a right turn on to Lemmon so we got to see a long view as the long black limo with Jack and Jackie made the slow turn and headed east. As soon as it passed, we decided to try and rush Downtown toward the end of the
parade route to catch one more glimpse of the beautiful Jackie. We made it in time to squeeze into the cross walk at Main and Record and watched as the crowds cheered. As we were walking north on Record back to the car
and beginning to cross Elm, we heard the sounds that are frozen in my memory. Pop...pop...pop. We thought they were firecrackers but knew within a few seconds it was something very different from firecrackers. Sirens began to come from all directions, police cars and motorcycles sped in the direction of the triple underpass. The radio in the car told us Kennedy had been shot.

It took me years to have the courage to go to the Kennedy Museum in the Texas School Book Depository and when I did I cried the entire time I was there. The event that none of us talked about back in those days came
rushing back as if it were yesterday. I finally truly understood that the pop, pop, pop sounds that remained in my mind were really the shots that killed JFK and changed our Nation.

Those same sounds in the KERA program still freeze my heart. The scenes they showed were like frames of bad dream.

[Christina Hughes-Babb]

Thank you for sharing that Peggy - you have me tearing up a bit!