The President Has Been Shot!: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy

Why do you think James L. Swanson dedicated the first half of The President Has Been Shot! to an overview of Jack Kennedy’s life and presidential administration, instead of writing mainly about just the assassination throughout the book? How do the ideas and themes of the book’s first half relate to those of the second?

As a Senior Fellow at the right-wing Heritage Foundation, Swanson has been open about his conservative political views and has professionally promoted them. In what ways, if any, do Swanson’s own political views shape how he depicts and interprets Kennedy’s presidency?

How did mass media, especially television, impact Kennedy’s political career, presidency, and/or the events surrounding his assassination? In what ways did Kennedy use media to create and promote a certain image of himself and his presidency?