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Presidents and the Press
Presidents must have the ability to lead to be effective. The ability to
communicate their ideas, and inspire others is a must for leadership, and
the Press acts as their megaphone. Or does it? This series will examine four
famous presidents and how they worked with the Press. We will also see how
that changes over the 20th century, and into the 21st.
Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin
Roosevelt,
and the Press:
Setting the Standard
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John F. Kennedy, Richard M. Nixon,
and The Press:
Do Ends Justify the Means?
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In many
ways TR set the pattern for effective Presidential relationships with the
press, and FDR refined them. Both men were very effective at making the
press partners in their efforts to communicate their reasoning and used
their skills to charm the press. Yet, the Press and the citizens got
much out of the arrangement, too. Each man would eventually have their
falling out with the press, though. We recount the story of their times
here.
Added Materials and Links for this Session:
FDR's
First Fireside Chat as President! |
TR in Early Film
By the way: In the TR film, you can see some
of the mannerisms I mentioned. Note later that is JFK quoting a TR speech, the
"Citizenship in a Republic." Better known to most people as "The Man in the
Arena" speech. It clearly summed up the attitude of TR and JFK as to public
service. But it was also a speech that greatly motivated Richard Nixon – and
he would quote it in his final address to the staff as he departed the White
House after his resignation.
This time, we see the use of the press BEFORE
the election, and after. Richard
Nixon was considered one of the early wizards in his use of
television, and it certainly met his needs well - until it didn't. JFK
would enter the White House already in deep relationships with the press.
But like TR and FDR, his innovations stood him in good stead. He
demonstrates the key to good press relations is to lead, to set the agenda,
and give so much info that no one can complain that you are withholding
information - though as we have seen, ALL administrations withhold
information. We will look at cases where both used and abused their powers.
Does the end justify the means?
Added Materials and Links for
this Session:
Checkers Speech (full version) |
Thank You, Mr. President - The Press Conferences Of JFK |
Issues and Answers with Richard Nixon 1966
Does the President Matter?
Making the Case with Abraham, Martin, and John
Presidents come and go. Some wielded great power; some had no
ability to do anything. Others watched their power dribble away. Many who
wanted to assert presidential power were slapped down hard by the
legislative branch, which controlled the purse and were seen as the people
that passed laws. Few men in the executive office not only grasped for power but
attained it. Some wielded it with skill. Why could some do so while others
failed? Much of that is due to the leadership skills of the person occupying
the office. This annual lecture uses the examples of Presidential leadership
to see the skills a particular President brought to the office, and the
challenges they faced.
The Presidency in the 1800's:
Lincoln's Choice to Fight,
Van Buren and the Judgment of History
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The Presidency in the 1900's:
Theodore Roosevelt's
Chooses Sides,
and Kennedy's Leadership Style
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In many
ways TR set the pattern for effective Presidential relationships with the
press, and FDR refined them. Both men were very effective at making the
press partners in their efforts to communicate their reasoning and used
their skills to charm the press. Yet, the Press and the citizens got
much out of the arrangement, too. Each man would eventually have their
falling out with the press, though. We recount the story of their times
here.
Added Materials and Links for this Session:
FDR's
First Fireside Chat as President! |
TR in Early Film
By the way: In the TR film, you can see some
of the mannerisms I mentioned. Note later that is JFK quoting a TR speech, the
"Citizenship in a Republic." Better known to most people as "The Man in the
Arena" speech. It clearly summed up the attitude of TR and JFK as to public
service. But it was also a speech that greatly motivated Richard Nixon – and
he would quote it in his final address to the staff as he departed the White
House after his resignation.
This time, we see the use of the press BEFORE
the election, and after. Richard
Nixon was considered one of the early wizards in his use of
television, and it certainly met his needs well - until it didn't. JFK
would enter the White House already in deep relationships with the press.
But like TR and FDR, his innovations stood him in good stead. He
demonstrates the key to good press relations is to lead, to set the agenda,
and give so much info that no one can complain that you are withholding
information - though as we have seen, ALL administrations withhold
information. We will look at cases where both used and abused their powers.
Does the end justify the means?
Added Materials and Links for
this Session:
Checkers Speech (full version) |
Thank You, Mr. President - The Press Conferences Of JFK |
Issues and Answers with Richard Nixon 1966
Our next examples will show the changes in executive leadership in
the 20th Century. Neither of these men entered office with a mandate,
but they quickly amassed a public following that gave them leverage. What skills did each have that enabled this? How did their practices change
presidential power? What policies did they promote?
Ronald Reagan Reshapes America
 We
have grown accustomed to presidents that are frustrated in their
ambitions. They fight Congress to eke out a single bill as a cornerstone
of their policy achievements. Yet in 1980, an aged ex-TV star with no
known connections to Congress took his seat in the Oval Office. Ronald
Reagan’s party did not control Congress. In fact, over most of his life,
he had disagreed with his own party.
Much of America thought his perpetual campaign a joke. He was too old
and completely out of step with mainstream America. Yet it was a
landslide! He did not carry Congress. What chance did he have? The real
question turned out to be what chance did Congress have? The Reagan
Revolution started on a cold January morning and changed everything.
This series studies leadership skills of presidents and the tools they
use to gain and exercise power. In this class, historian Russ Gifford
will share examples of how a master used those skills.
Reagan in the Wilderness (Session 1) -
Click here
Reagan's path to power was anything but ordained. He hitched his star to
a candidate who took the worst
drubbing since Herbert Hoover. He spent years on the stump, telling it
as he saw it. But though he had his believers, he didn't have the ear of
the party. And time was not on his side. At a critical moment in 1976,
he was stopped short of the Presidency - not by the Democrats - but the
Republicans. The political smart money knew that was the end of Reagan.
Everyone knew he was too old to be again a candidate in 1980. Everyone
but Reagan, that is.
Added Materials and Links for
this Session:
Stumping for
Truman |
Reagan_GE_Theatre | The
Speech
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Reagan for Governor |
Governor |
1976 GOP Concession Speech
Reagan in the
White House (Session 2) -
Click here
It had been an Electoral College landslide. But as Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and
Jimmy Carter found, the skill to connect to voters did not always mean
an effective presidency. Once in office, leadership skills determine
success. Reagan amazed both parties with his ability to work with
everyone. In the process, he set America on a new course. How did Reagan
manage something none of his successors have achieved? It is all about
leadership. Join us as we examine the skills that made Reagan so
successful!
Added Materials and Links for this Session:
Changes in Communications
That's the Way It Is |
CNN | ESPN |
MTV |
Reagan being Reagan
Reagan|
Looking Ahead |
Reagan Speech |
Reagan 2
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Barracks Bombing |
Libya|
Challenger |
The Wall |
Reagan Humor
Need a world class presenter? Contact Russ Gifford
click here
Specializing in American History, Russ Gifford also ties local and
regional history into the program, to enrich audience understanding of
why things occur in local history.
"I have had very positive feedback, and it's clear the students are
hoping you will present more classes in the fall.
You are a knowledgeable and gifted teacher and we are proud to have you
among our instructors." -- Fiona Valentine, Institute of Lifelong
Learning
For Booking information
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