Politicians tend to be early adopters of communications technologies, especially presidents.
On Sunday 05 October 1947, President Harry Truman took FDR’s fireside chats a step further by adding video. He made the first televised address from the White House.
Early adopter might not be sufficiently descriptive. Fewer than 50,000 U.S. homes had a television set. Yet from that day forward, Truman televised his speeches. In 1948, he was the first presidential candidate to place a political ad on TV.
The subject that Sunday: a request that Americans reduce grain consumption in order to help Europeans, starving after World War II.
If the peace should be lost because we failed to share our food with hungry people there would be no more tragic example in all history of a peace needlessly lost.
Truman urged Americans to consider meatless Tuesdays and poultry-and-egg-less Thursdays, according to the New York Times. The Times didn’t think the TV broadcast merited a mention; its inside (page 5) headline: Pleas Made by Truman and His Aides Over Radio to Nation for Saving of Food.
#scitech, #media (258/365)
Screen capture from YT clip
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