Television and American Politics

Television is the most powerful mass medium of the second half of the twentieth century. In 1950, very few Americans owned a television set; by 1960, 90 percent of Americans homes had a television. Americans now had a new way to receive information, entertainment, and images right in their living room. During the 1950s, televised Congressional hearings, including hearings into organized crime and the Army-McCarthy hearings, attracted a surprisingly large number of viewers.

Television's importance to American politics became undeniable in 1960, when presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon squared off in a series of televised debates, which were watched by tens of millions of viewers. Kennedy exuded charm on the small screen, while Nixon appeared to some viewers to be nervous. Surveys taken after the debates reported that those who listened to the debates on radio tended to rank Nixon the winner, while those who watched them on television preferred Kennedy. Televised debates have also been important factors in more recent elections: in 1976, President Gerald Ford stumbled over a question about foreign policy, denying that the nations of Eastern Europe were dominated by the Soviet Union. In 1980, Ronald Reagan's smooth performance against President Jimmy Carter allayed some voters' fears that Reagan was too old or too bellicose to be entrusted with the presidency.