October 5 - First Televised Presidential Address

This Day in History: 5 October 2020

 

5 October 1947

 

73 years ago, today, President Harry Truman delivered the first-ever televised presidential address from the White House, where he asked Americans to cut back on their use of grain in order to help starving Europeans. At the time, Europe was still recovering from World War Two and suffering from famine. Truman worried that if the US did not provide food aid, his Marshall Plan for European economic recovery would fail. So, he asked farmers and distillers to reduce their grain use and asked the public to give up meat on Tuesdays, eggs and poultry on Thursdays and a slice of bread each day. This program was short-lived, however, as the Marshall Plan succeeded in spurring economic growth in Europe.

 

Television was still in its infancy in 1947, as most people listened to the radio for news and entertainment, so the majority of Americans missed Truman's TV debut. Nevertheless, his speech signalled the start of a powerful and complex relationship between the White House and a medium that would have a large impact on American presidency. Each of Truman's subsequent White House speeches were televised. In 1948, he became the first presidential candidate to broadcast a paid political advertisement. Although Truman pioneered the White house telecast, it was President Franklin Roosevelt who became the first president to appear on television. However, this again had an extremely limited audience.

 

Want to find out more about how US presidents have communicated with the public over the years? Click here for more information, or here for more about the Marshall Plan.