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Eisenhower and the first televised presidential interview

By Charles Apple

Once upon a time, U.S. presidents would hold news conferences in which they’d take questions from media reporters. But that media was careful to rephrase whatever off-the-cuff response the president made. Rarely were presidents quoted directly after a news conference.

That changed on Jan. 19. 1955 — 70 years ago — when President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his administration first allowed direct quotes, video clips and film for newsreel footage to be taken at a news conference.

What Is A 'News Conference'?

The American Presidency Project of UC Santa Barbara defines a news conference as “an interaction between the president and multiple members of the press in a relatively formal setting.”

In the early 1900s, these interactions were only partly “on the record” and were not broadcast live or taped for broadcast or newsreels. Media professionals call this “on background” — the president was not to be quoted directly but instead his words were paraphrased for publication.

Occasionally a president would accept written questions in advance and answer them at news conferences, “on the record” — meaning reporters could quote them.

That’s just one way for an administration to get information to the press. These days, presidents sometimes have an informal “exchange with reporters” — for example, while walking to or from Air Force One.

They can also agree to a private one-on-one interview with a reporter. And sometimes, a president or members of his administration can “leak” information to a reporter — again, “off the record.”

1955: Time For A Change

Midway through Dwight D. Eisenhower’s first term as president, the media world was changing. While newspaper circulation was still strong nationwide, it was clear that television was the medium of the future.

With this in mind, Eisenhower’s press secretary, James Hagerty, began permitting radio, television and newspaper equipment to record presidential news conferences on Jan. 19, 1955.

Ike’s conferences were held about every two weeks. Hagerty had the film delivered to his office, where he would edit it down to include the most newsworthy portions.

It would be the next generation — President John F. Kennedy, who was much more comfortable speaking on the record via live news media — who’d launch live televised news conferences five days into his own first term of office, on Jan. 25, 1961.

'I'll Just Confuse Them'

One of the big issues, at the time, was Communist China and its skirmishes with its Nationalist opponents across the Taiwan Strait. Hagerty feared his boss might be asked by a reporter about the possible use of nuclear weapons against China.

“Don’t worry, Jim,” Eisenhower told him. “If that question comes up, I’ll just confuse them.”

Hagerty set up Eisenhower’s news conference in the Indian Treaty Room, located in the old Executive Office Building, next door to the White House. The room was notorious for its poor acoustics and limited seating. It wouldn’t be until 1969 that a press briefing room would be built atop President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s indoor pool in the corridor linking the White House to its West Wing.

Eisenhower took his place at the lectern and surveyed the reporters and cameras assembled in the room. “Well,” he said. “I see we’re trying a new experiment this morning. I hope that doesn’t prove to be a disturbing influence.”

“I have no announcements,” he announced. “We’ll go directly to questions.”

Video of that first filmed news conference is online at C-SPAN. Ike did indeed answer questions about a cease fire between Communist China and Nationalist China and complaints from Congress that the administration’s proposed budget was difficult to understand.

“It’s my understanding that’s what the committees of Congress are for,” Ike responded.

Another reporter asked the president for “an appraisal of your first two years and tell us something of your hopes for the next two — or maybe even the next six?”This question gave Eisenhower pause. “Looks like a loaded question!” he said as the room broke out with laughter.

How did the “new experiment” go? Historian Harold Holzer, in his book “The Presidents vs. the Press,” wrote that Haggerty judged it “a good day.” But in truth, Holzer wrote, “the aging general came across as tired and timorous.”

He added that the administration later brought in actor Robert Montgomery as a TV adviser but he “could do little to improve Eisenhower’s ability on, or interest in, the medium.”

News Conferences As President

While the custom had been to state the president’s replies indirectly only, that changed with the Jan. 19, 1955, news conference. Direct quotation was authorized for the portions of the transcript corresponding to the released tape and film. Four months later, the administration began allowing direct quotation of the entire transcript.

Sources: “The Presidents vs. the Press” by Harold Holzer, “This Day in Presidential History” by Paul Brandus, the American Presidency Project of UC Santa Barbara, the White House Historical Association, PBS News Hour, Politico, GovInfo, C-SPAN