LINCOLN AND KENNEDY’S ASSASSINATIONS

THE IMPACT OF THE MEDIA

BY MELISSA PENNINGTON

INSPIRED BY LINCOLN’S HEARSE

THE FUNERAL OF LINCOLN

• READING ABOUT THE LONG AND EXTENSIVE JOURNEY OF LINCOLN’S BODY MADE ME THINK ABOUT HOW DIFFERENT IT WOULD BE TODAY (THE PROCESSION LASTED THREE WEEKS THROUGH ELEVEN CITIES)• WOULD NEVER TRAVEL SO FAR IN A HEARSE

• BODIES WOULD TRAVEL BY AIRPLANE• WOULD AS MANY AMERICANS (7 MILLION) VENTURE OUT TO SEE THE

PRESIDENT IF THE FUNERAL WAS ON TELEVISION?

ASSASSINATION OF LINCOLN• ASSASSINATIONS ARE ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING OCCURRENCES IN

OUR HISTORY AS A NATION• LINCOLN IN 1865• GARFIELD IN 1881• MCKINLEY IN 1901• KENNEDY IN 1963

• ABOUT 100 YEARS BETWEEN LINCOLN AND KENNEDY

COMPARISON BETWEEN LINCOLN AND KENNEDYSIMILARITIES:• BOTH WERE VERY INVOLVED IN CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTS AT THE TIME

OF THEIR DEATHS• BOTH HAD A DISTINCT “ENEMY SIDE” AGAINST THEM

• LINCOLN- THE SOUTH AFTER THE NORTH WON THE CIVIL WAR• KENNEDY- COMMUNISTS DURING THE COLD WAR

• BOTH WERE VERY BELOVED EVEN BEFORE THEIR DEATHS

COMPARISON BETWEEN LINCOLN AND KENNEDY

DIFFERENCES:• 98 YEARS BETWEEN DEATHS• MEDIA DIFFERENCES

• LINCOLN WAS VIEWED CHRIST LIKE • KENNEDY WAS SENSATIONALIZED

CRITICAL QUESTIONS• HOW WOULD THE ASSASSINATIONS BE PORTRAYED

IF THE YEARS WERE SWITCHED?• WHAT IMPACT DID THE MEDIA HAVE ON THE

AMERICAN PUBLIC VIEW?• HOW WOULD THE MEDIA HANDLE AN

ASSASSINATION IN THE CURRENT DAY?

REFERENCES: • MIRKINSON, JACK. "'FLASH PRESIDENT DEAD': HOW NEWS OF THE JFK ASSASSINATION BROKE IN REAL TIME." THE HUFFINGTON

POST. THEHUFFINGTONPOST.COM, N.D. WEB. 09 NOV. 2015. <HTTP://WWW.HUFFINGTONPOST.COM/2013/11/21/MEDIA-JFK-ASSASSINATION-COVERAGE-1963_N_4319651.HTML>.

• PIERESON, JAMES. "REALCLEARPOLITICS - ARTICLES - LINCOLN AND KENNEDY: A TALE OF TWO ASSASSINATIONS." REALCLEARPOLITICS - ARTICLES - LINCOLN AND KENNEDY: A TALE OF TWO ASSASSINATIONS. N.P., N.D. WEB. 09 NOV. 2015. <HTTP://WWW.REALCLEARPOLITICS.COM/ARTICLES/2007/06/LINCOLN_AND_KENNEDY_A_TALE_OF.HTML>.

• "A NATION SAYS GOODBYE TO PRESIDENT KENNEDY." CBSNEWS. CBS INTERACTIVE, N.D. WEB. 09 NOV. 2015. <HTTP://WWW.CBSNEWS.COM/NEWS/JFK-ASSASSINATION-A-NATION-SAYS-GOODBYE-TO-THE-PRESIDENT/>.

• "DETAILS ON JFK FUNERAL THAT STIRRED A NATION." NY DAILY NEWS. N.P., N.D. WEB. 09 NOV. 2015. <HTTP://WWW.NYDAILYNEWS.COM/NEWS/NATIONAL/JFK-FUNERAL-ARTICLE-1.1514720>.

• "FUNERAL AND BURIAL OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN." WIKIPEDIA. WIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION, N.D. WEB. 09 NOV. 2015. <HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/FUNERAL_AND_BURIAL_OF_ABRAHAM_LINCOLN>.

• "NEWS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S DEATH." NEWS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S DEATH. N.P., N.D. WEB. 09 NOV. 2015. <HTTP://STARSHIP.PYTHON.NET/CREW/MANUS/PRESIDENTS/AL/ALOBIT.HTML>.

• HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=KPW_E16FMWC• HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=4UHZ0K3KKFW