On November 22, 1963 (this writer’s fifth birthday), Walter Cronkite of CBS News was the first to report the shooting in Dallas of President Kennedy, but was the last to confirm his actual death.
The venerable newsman waited and waited and waited…for the AP news flash to be official. Dan Rather said the president was dead. Eddie Barker of a local Dallas TV station had heard the president was dead. Sources said that priests had performed the Last Rites of the catholic church. All of this could have been conjecture. Nothing official.
Until the presidential press secretary held a press conference at Parkland Hospital.