Eddie Barker Oral History

A few months prior to this video interview, Barker participated in an audio interview with Wes Wise and Bob Porter. He was later part of several public programs at the Museum, including this memorable 2007 evening event alongside his friend, Dallas police homicide detective Jim Leavelle: A Conversation with Jim Leavelle and Eddie Barker - YouTube. In 2006, Barker published, with co-author John Mark Dempsey, his autobiography, Eddie Barker's Notebook, which chronicles his coverage of the Kennedy assassination in detail.

Eddie Barker passed away on July 23, 2013. - Stephen Fagin, Curator

Eddie Barker was the news director for KRLD-TV/AM/FM all of which were CBS affiliates owned by the Dallas Times Herald, the daily afternoon newspaper. In addition to directing the station’s excellent coverage of the assassination weekend, Barker is at the center of an insider story from that weekend about who was actually the first to report that President Kennedy had died.

Barker was the pool reporter for President Kennedy's luncheon speech at the Dallas Trade Mart and, upon learning of the shooting, began news coverage from that location. According to the original video tape, preserved in the KRLD/KDFW Collection at The Sixth Floor Museum, Barker notified local viewers at 1:18pm that, according to a Parkland doctor whom he knew, Kennedy was dead. This was about 15 minutes before the official death announcement was made by the White House. Barker's audio was also heard on KRLD radio and, back at the station and monitoring the reports while reporting live on the CBS radio network, reporter Dan Rather repeated to his listeners what he had just heard Barker say. So Barker was the first to announce locally, though carefully pointing out that the information was unofficial, that the president was dead. Rather, therefore, was the first to announce the president's death nationally. Over the years, the distinction has often excluded Barker completely with full credit given only to Rather for being first to report JFK’s death. Among competitive reporters, being first is always important and both men know the true story. - Gary Mack, Curator