The Rise and Fall of JFK: A Career Framed by the Lens
John F. Kennedy’s political career unfolded on television screens. This was logical, as Kennedy’s charisma and celebrity status made him seem like a face made for television cameras. In 1960, he won the first televised presidential debate in the USA; this moment likely catapulted him to the top of the state. His opponent, Richard Nixon, looking tired after illness and refusing makeup, appeared less attractive than the fresh, youthful, and prepared Kennedy—an unfortunate strategic mistake. This debate beautifully illustrates the power of television: while Kennedy overwhelmingly won the hearts of television viewers, those who only listened to the debate on the radio were much more inclined towards Nixon. Presentation, to a degree, triumphed over content. Just three years later, on 22 November 1963, television cameras became witnesses to the last chapter of Kennedy’s life, when he became a victim of an assassination in Dallas. The whole of America mourned together with the screens. Along with the young idealistic president, the idea of an idealistic America died. Hope turned to sorrow, then to scepticism.
Video: Kennedy vs. Nixon: The first 1960 presidential debate
Video: JFK assassination: Cronkite informs a shocked nation
The Moon Landing: One Giant Leap for Mankind and TV
The American moon landing on 20 July 1969 became a major turning point in the history of television broadcasting. “One small step for man, but a giant leap for mankind,” as Neil Armstrong famously said, was watched by people glued to their screens everywhere—at home, in bars, simply everywhere television was available at the time. Despite television not yet being universally accessible, an estimated 600 million people around the globe watched the event. Many even rented a television just for this unique occasion. Technologically, it was no easy feat—NASA had to use a network of radiotelescopes to transmit Armstrong and Aldrin’s images to millions in real time. More importantly, it showed the power of audiovisual media, as the world collectively looked into space for the first time. The words of one ordinary astronaut literally echoed back to Earth.
Video: Neil Armstrong - First Moon Landing 1969
The Vietnam War: The First Truly Televised War
The premise that wars are won on battlefields is now outdated. Modern warfare relies equally on various hybrid factors. No conflict demonstrated this more clearly than the Vietnam War, which spanned from 1955 to 1975. Every evening, American televisions broadcast footage of brave soldiers in the jungle, horrifying accounts of napalm’s destructive power, or children fleeing bomb attacks. Nearly every American household regularly watched this reality. Initially, the goal of television news was to evoke patriotism in viewers and unite them in the fight against a common enemy. However, television ultimately became a catalyst for massive protests against the senselessness of the conflict and the involvement of the American armed forces. Television exposed the public to a reality they found unacceptable. As a result, the war became unsustainable for the United States and is still regarded as one of the greatest PR failures at the government level. The full power of television journalism was on display.
Video: 50 years ago: CBS News report from Vietnam sparked U.S. outrage
The Watergate Scandal: Erosion of Trust in Politics
Several American presidents in history have faced impeachment, but only one was actually brought down by it. Here, too, television journalism played a crucial role, refusing to ignore or justify the misconduct of Republican President Richard Nixon. The investigation into the 1973 scandal, which revealed illegal wiretapping of opposition Democrats’ offices, led to Nixon’s political downfall and provided television with an opportunity to show the public the true nature of practices at the highest levels of politics. Television cameras were present at all congressional hearings, capturing Nixon in a position where he had no way out. Such helplessness from the world’s most powerful politician was unprecedented for American citizens. The result was a profound shock, as the illusion of trust in government vanished into thin air. Nixon’s downfall, however, was a victory for television—during the investigation, it became a mirror of truth. It transformed newspaper headlines into a nationwide drama that reshaped even the most hardened views on politics.
Video: From the archives: Nixon's Watergate “smoking gun” tape released
Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster: A Dream That Exploded on Screen
The technological euphoria television brought with the Moon landing was bound to end eventually. This dream of technological supremacy ultimately (and literally) exploded on screen. The scenario was strikingly similar—on 28 January 1986, millions of Americans once again gathered around their televisions to witness another significant milestone in space exploration. The Challenger space shuttle mission was meant to be symbolic, featuring teacher Christa McAuliffe as part of the crew to inspire students. However, instead of becoming a symbol of inspiration, it ended in tragedy. Seventy-three seconds after liftoff, the Challenger disintegrated before the eyes of an entire nation. All television stations immediately interrupted their programming to broadcast images filled with helplessness, shock, and the tears of astronauts’ families. The euphoria vanished in an instant, and the impact of the disaster forced the architects of the American space programme to slow down and reassess their ambitions. The footage was so vivid that it remains etched in the collective memory of the public to this day.
Video: 1986: CNN’s coverage of the Challenger explosion
The Fall of the Berlin Wall: The End of a Divided Europe
The Berlin Wall, a barrier that had separated democratic Europe from communist Europe for decades, was, in a sense, brought down by a single sentence. Of course, television was there on 9 November 1989 when Günther Schabowski announced that citizens of East Germany were free to cross the border to the West. People didn’t hesitate—thousands immediately gathered around the wall and literally began tearing it down. The destruction of this Cold War symbol with fists and hammers became an iconic image for Western media, though less so for those in the East. Had this story been left solely to newspapers, it wouldn’t have resonated as powerfully or compellingly across the globe. Television allowed viewers worldwide to witness the euphoria that swept through Berlin. As Gil Scott-Heron once said, “The revolution was televised.” This was a live-broadcast revolution that inspired nations of the former Soviet bloc to take further steps towards democracy and freedom.
Video: Nov. 10, 1989: Celebration at the Berlin Wall
Princess Diana’s Funeral: London Draped in Mourning
On 6 September 1997, 2.5 billion people watched the funeral of Princess Diana. It was not an event of great political significance but rather a farewell to a figure beloved for her humanity—not only by the typically reserved British but also by millions around the world. Princess Diana was extraordinary not just within the British royal family but also in the context of the traditionally conservative monarchy. Her warmth and approachability likely brought many supporters to the British monarchy, including those who had previously doubted its relevance in the modern world. Diana’s life, however, was more of a tragedy—and so was her death. The funeral procession carrying her coffin, under the glare of media attention, became the most sorrowful public event in modern British history. Television cameras captured the grieving crowds lining London’s streets, Kensington Palace buried under floral tributes, and the heartbreaking sight of a young Prince William and little Prince Harry walking behind their mother’s coffin. For Queen Elizabeth II, this intense media scrutiny proved a bane, given her complicated relationship with Diana. Her initial reserved response to Diana’s death did not escape the notice of reporters. While Diana had strengthened public trust in the royal family, the mixed reactions of some family members following her death had precisely the opposite effect.
Video: Princess Diana’s Funeral - ITV Coverage
The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks: The Day the World Stood Still
Most people who experienced 11 September 2001 vividly remember what they were doing that fateful day—partly because they recall where and when they were first shown the images of the collapsing skyscrapers of the World Trade Center in New York. One of the greatest symbols of the global economy crumbled like a house of cards, and cameras were there. Unfortunately, along with it, the illusion of a safe world, one that had assumed stable peace in the Euro-American space, also fell. 11 September became the first moment when millions watched a terrorist attack unfold in real time. Television was not just a passive medium—nearly every station interrupted regular broadcasts and became a participant in the tragedy that reshaped modern journalism. Television thus once again served as a messenger, albeit of a darker reality.
Video: Look back at how September 11 unfolded
Trump vs. Biden: Fatal Presidential Debate
When the power of television is combined with social media, a strong influence is created. A recent political situation serves as proof: just a few months ago, few could imagine that by early November, we would be watching a different debate than Donald Trump vs. Joe Biden. Yet, the current Democratic president did not fare well in his showdown against the aggressive Trump, and his performance in the first debate on CNN provided critics and those questioning his candidacy with the arguments they needed to push for a change on the election ticket. The presidential race this year is unpredictable, turbulent, and unprecedented. After several weeks, Democrats indeed convinced Biden to withdraw from the race, and the media presentation of Vice President Kamala Harris became a separate chapter. The key factor here was that the world watched Biden’s failure in real time, and the negative publicity did not stop even after the debate ended. The long-term pressure on the president took its toll. What the final impact will be remains a question to which we will soon get an answer.
Video: Biden and Trump debate border and immigration policy
And what about our TV?
The events outlined above vividly illustrate the different roles that media, particularly television, can play throughout history. On the occasion of Czech Statehood Day, it is important not to forget that television is a significant player in the Czech Republic as well. This story began in 1953 when television broadcasting was ceremoniously launched in then Czechoslovakia. Although television was initially considered a luxury accessible only to the wealthier segments of society, this reality quickly changed. However, Czechoslovak television long served as a tool of the ruling party, with its broadcasts reflecting the political propaganda of the time. It was only in 1968 when Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia that its editorial staff dared to report on the invasion independently—until the broadcasts were forcibly silenced.
Video: Czechoslovak television starts broadcasting (1953)
The Velvet Revolution of 1989 was, in many ways, the Czech and Slovak equivalent of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Czechoslovak television then brought the atmosphere of anti-government protests to viewers and introduced many for the first time to the faces of the dissident movement, including Václav Havel. Television became a key player, openly opposing the regime. This formative and revolutionary role continued until the end of 1992 when the Czech and Slovak governments finally agreed on the separation of the state. Compared to similar processes elsewhere in Europe, it was a peaceful and inspiring break-up. Thanks to Czechoslovak Television, this process was well-documented throughout its course. During the same period, public television lost its monopoly: TV Prima entered the market in 1993, followed by TV Nova a year later. The first purely Czech music television, Óčko, began broadcasting in 2002.
Video: Breakup of the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic, last minutes of Czechoslovak Television broadcasting in 1992
At the turn of the millennium, it became evident that the Czech television landscape was drawing inspiration from abroad. Notable events that garnered exceptional media attention, such as the floods in 1997 and 2002, serve as prime examples. Television provided unfiltered footage of despair and suffering, organised charity collections, and offered support to rescue operations—echoing the role television played in the United States after Hurricane Katrina. Another historic milestone where television was present was the entry of the Czech Republic into the European Union, an opportunity to spread positive sentiments throughout society. Václav Havel, intertwined with many key moments in modern Czech history, became the Czech equivalent of John F. Kennedy and Princess Diana. This was evident not only during his first election as president in 1990 but also at his death in 2011.
Video: Archive ČT24 – Floods in 2002
A significant shift in the political status quo, comparable to recent developments in the United States, occurred in the Czech Republic in 2013, when citizens voted for their president in a direct election for the first time. Media, especially television, played a crucial role in transforming each subsequent election into a highly watched media spectacle, which also contributed to Miloš Zeman securing a much stronger mandate than his predecessors. The claim that this represented a transformation in the national political culture is certainly not an exaggeration—whether it was a positive or negative change is a matter of opinion. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine came, presenting Czech television news with a testing challenge for which it was not entirely prepared.
Video: Emotions after the first round of the presidential election
Television has become the guide to modern history for viewers. Few of us today can imagine fully replacing its role with social media or other digital platforms. This can be both a positive and negative development, but the undeniable influence television has had—and continues to have—on our lives is clear. In front of television screens, humanity has celebrated revolutionary successes, collectively mourned, and often united in a collective strength that could rewrite history through the audiovisual experience. Television has certainly not said its last word—it will undoubtedly continue to play a significant role in the future.
