Politics and Media Lesson 5

Trace the evolution of presidential use of the media from Teddy Roosevelt to present.

-TR puppetted the press with special access -Wilson learned press doesn't have same goals as him. Held 1st press conference. -FDR took advantage of radio with fireside chats to create intimate relationship with public on his new deal plans. -Eisenhower permit his news conferences -JFK understood image is important and TV was an opportunity to promote his. -Nixon appeared on Tonight Show -Ford first to be made fun of on SNL -Regan tight control media strategy. Used going public well. HW Bush- Too nice W Bush-Tight media Obama- Tight, but open to new technology.

Going public

A behavior politicians, mainly presidents, do to gain public support for policies they're in favor of.

Leaks

A kind of presidential media strategy. Give statement to reporter with attribute. Depending on public reaction will claim or deny it.

What did Richard Nixon's vice president, Spiro Agnew, begin in 1969 that continues today

Agnew called out television news and media in a speech. He specifically spoke about tv news and their lack of credibility.

Explain Ronald Regan's "going public" strategy in promoting the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Compare Reagan's media strategy with that of the first President Bush.

Aides leaked Reagan's intention to go public and pressure Congress on the subject of budget and tax cuts. He used a carrot and stick approach: he was willing to negotiate with members of Congress all along but continues to reminded them of his ability to go public and the positive reception he usually got when he did so. Reagan's media strategy was so tightly control reporter's access. His administration emphasized simple messages and the president's image. When Bush became president, he tried to be more open with reporters. Reagan's strategy was clearly more successful- only rarely did the public hold him responsible for anything, while Bush was the victim of critical press from the very beginning of his administration.

Nixon

Appeared on the Tonight Show multiple times before presidency and before anyone.

What tactics did Michael Deaver use in the media strategy he designed for President Reagan?

Deaver put Reagan in front of impressive backgrounds and cool locations. He also predicted what news stories about Reagan's administration would be.

What new forms of media were becoming dominant in America when FDR and JFK were president? How did each man make innovative use of these mediums.

FDR- Radio. First medium that allowed the president to speak to the entire country at one time. Roosevelt used it to speak directly to the American people and avoid his critics in the print media who didn't like his New Deal programs, and, later, to speak directly to the people to reassure them about the war. JFK- TV. He can be seen as the first TV president because he had an intimate relationship understanding the power of television. He knew that it mattered how you presented yourself when you appeared on TV. That led his success in TV debated against Nixon. He was the first president to give live press conferences on TV, and he came across as very engaging.

Gerald Ford

First president to be satirized on SNL.

FDR

First president to have a truly national medium available to him, radio. Took full advantage of it with his fireside chats to develop intimate relationships with Americans.

JFK

First to fully appreciate the power of TV. Understood how important image was and saw TV as a way to promote his image.

Woodrow Wilson

First to hold press conferences. Though, he expected the press to have same goal as he did

According to the Graber book, why does indirect transmission, the framing of news presentations by media personnel, lie at the heart of the tensions between media and government?

Indirect transmission lies at the heart of the tensions between media and the government because it lets journalists pick and choose the facts they're given.

Theodore Roosevelt

Granted press with special White House access, but in return, press must get approval from Roosevelt of reports. If he didn't like it, he would revoke access.

In what sense was Richard Nixon the TV President?

He inaugurated many new techniques for dealing with the media, primarily finding ways to control the flow of news from the White House, trying to eliminate the interference of reporters as much as possible. Every president since Nixon has followed these basic techniques.

Before he was elected president, what did Richard Nixon do, on multiple occasions, that no one had done before?

Nixon knew how to work the media. He repaired his image of being by giving the famous "Checkers" speech. He was on Tonight show, etc. to show he was better than the media had painted him. He was the first candidate to appear on a show like that.

While JFK may be considered the first television president, in what sense was Richard Nixon the television president?

Nixon was the television president because his media advisers developed techniques that are still used to this day, like town hall meeting and attacking the press and calling it liberally biased.

Spiro Agnew

Nixons VP. Began critiques of TV News and credibility in 1969, still continues today.

Roger Ailes

Now president of Fox News, was once a presidential campaign media specialist. Developed techniques still used today like Town Hall meetings.

Bargaining

One politicians negotiates with other politicians/policy makers to arrive at a solution everyone can live with.

What made radio America's first national medium, and how did Franklin Delano Roosevelt use it?

Radio was the first national medium because it was something everyone could access and it was a way all people could get their information. FDR had fireside chats where he developed a relationship with the public. He talked about his ideas and policies during that time as well. It's how he influenced Americans.

How did President Reagan use the "going public" concept to get Congress to pass his Tax Reform Act?

Reagan threatened Congress he would "go public" if things didn't go his way regarding his Tax Reform Act. It worked form him and he eventually signed the Tax Reform Act.

Michael Deaver

Reagan's key adviser. Developed effective strategy for when and how to use Regan's natural abilities. Tactics included- putting Regan in front of impressive backgrounds/location, predicted what news stories about the administration would be.

How did Theodore Roosevelt treat the press as president? What did he mean when he called the presidency a "bully pulpit"?

Roosevelt treated the press pretty well. He gave them more access into the White House and the Oval office. However, he had to approve what reporters wrote about him. If he didn't like it, he would take away their access to the White House, him, etc. Bully means good and pulpit means the presidency gave him an opportunity to preach the public and promote his ideas and policy agenda.

Reagan

Similar to FDR. Excelled in rallying public opinion behind his policies and he did it with tightly controlled media strategy. Kept message's simple, limited reporter's access to him and made sure he looked good. Used "going public" well. Bargained and negotiated with Congress on his Tax Reform Act, would threaten Congress he would go public if things weren't his way.

Town Hall Meetings

The campaign has control over who is in the audience. Reporters invited but can't ask many questions.

According to the Graber book, why is the negative feeling presidents' have for the news media readily understandable?

The negative feeling president have for the news media is understandable because their coverage of them is embarrassing and not always accurate. It forces them to talk in "soundbites." They also fear that media disclosure of secret information may force the president's hand.

Bully pulpit

Theodore Roosevelt called the presidency the bully pulpit to describe the PR power of president. Bully= good. Pulpit= Presidency gives him opportunity to preach to public and promote policy.

W Bush

Tight Media Control

Obama

Tight, but open to new technologies like social media.

HW Bush

Too nice with press. Lesson: Does not pay to try to be nice to press. They treated him poorly.

According to the Graber book, the news media serve four main functions for members of the executive branch. What are two of these functions?

Two main functions of the media do for members of the executive branch are to inform them about current events and developments regarding other parts of the government. Secondly, they inform the members about what the public's major concerns are.

According to the Graber book, there are four common approaches presidents use to try to control the tone and substance of the news. What are two of these tactics?

Two of the approaches presidents use to try to control the tone and substances of the news trying to win reporter's over and trying to shape the flow of news in the favor.

Eisenhower

Used TV, but only to a certain extent. First to have a full-time TV adviser. First to permit his new conferences (not lives). Recognized TV was a powerful tool.

According to Ryfe, what was President Wilson's reason for creating the modern press conference? How did the press perform at these events, and what was Wilson's response.

Wilson actually detested news meetings and did not use them effectively. Why did the man who institutionalized press conference wold fail to appreciate or use effectively. He disliked his press conference because he was personally reticent and not given to the kind of give and take with the reporters that would have made more news. Given Wilson's understanding of the press, it is not surprising that he agreed to conduct regular press conferences at the request of Joseph Tumulty, his private secretary, only because they seemed to hum an efficient way to spend as little time with reporters as possible. To extend his control over the conferences, very early on he established a nonattributiohn rule according to which reporters were prevented from quoting the president directly. However, even with these constraints, the regularity of these conferences lent reporters a certain degree of legitimacy. The news meeting form itself carried with it all of the assumptions embedded within the interview format from which it was derived. In this form, reporters who monitored his every move and stood ready to ask him question at every free moment. For reporters, they were an institution of great symbolic importance. These questions suggest that reporters were seeking to fit the presidency into their regular task of tracking the legislative process in Washington. They wanted Wilson to provide them with information that might help them anticipate future political events. Unfortunately for them, Wilson's answers to their questions indicate that he had no intention of becoming another source on the Washington beat. Wilson rarely satisfied the reporter's thirst for news.

What did President Wilson expect from the press, and how did the press respond?

Wilson expected the press to have the same goals as him. The press didn't agree with him. Wilson didn't really have a good relationship with the press. He did hold press conferences, but he didn't cooperate with them at those events.

Press conference

Woodrow Wilson first president to hold press conferences.

Political capital

another way presidents present their ideas directly to the public. It's a kind of resource a president can "spend" to buy public support for a policy initiative.