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Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln, despite his notoriously shaggy appearance, understood the role photography can play in politics. In the beginning of his presidency, “Lincoln more than tolerated his photographers; he intuitively understood that they were helping him a great deal as he tried to give a face to the Union -- His own” (Widmer). The most notable photographer of Lincoln was Mathew Brady. Lincoln attributes much of his success to Brady claiming, “Brady and the Cooper Institute made me president” (Widmer). -
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt is known as the first presidential “picture man.” Roosevelt was the first to havehis career and life chronicled by photography and videography. While Roosevelt’s opponents banned photography at their events, he saw the impact that a picture could have on his campaign. Roosevelt made such an impression with the camera that he was described by the journal Moving Picture World as “more than a picture personality — he is a picture man.” (Lund) -
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
FDR had a unique spin on the access he would allow to the press. FDR was willing to be photographed but, like presidents before him, understood the impact photography had on the public. There was an understanding between the press and the administration that no photographs would be taken highlighting the President’s disability. If the press wouldn’t follow the rules, they lost access. With the eruption of photography, the photographers were not willing to risk losing access. -
Harry S Truman
Truman appreciated photography in all of its entirety. He maximized opportunities for photojournalists and the press to document both his administration and his life. He even publicly declared, "Because I'm president of the United States and commander-in-chief of the most powerful nation in the world, I take orders from no-one - except the photographers.” This photo depicts Truman in a more infromal setting greeting constituents on his campaign trail. -
Dwight Eisenhower
Eisenhower was the first Republican in the White House after five straight terms of Democratic presidents. He demonstrated how a candidate needed to work with the media in both photo and broadcast in order to form a connection with the public. His use of broadcast media and accepting the use of television helped him win the election in 1952. Television gained prominence during Eisenhower’s presidency, which he capitalized on with how he communicated with the public. (Musser) -
John. F Kennedy
John F. Kennedy was the first president to hold live televised press conferences without delay or editing. Prior to him holding the these live press conference, only a handful of newspapers covered the entire dialogue of the presidential press conference. So this was the first time that the public had the choice to view and hear all that was said. Kennedy helped to both significantly enlarge the role of television in its role with media as well as promote print journalism. (John F. Kennedy) -
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon was outspokenly opposed to the press and photojournalists. He was even quoted on record calling the press “the enemy.” Because of his strong distrust of the press and photojournalists alike, Nixon had strong control over his image. The term “photo opp” was coined during Nixon’s presidency as a way for Nixon to control what images of him were being distributed through the media. This staged photo is a perfect example of the photo opps that Nixon’s press secertary would allow. -
Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter did not understand how photography fit into the presidency. He deliberately avoided having an official press photographer because he didn’t see the use for them. Overall, Carter was very restrictive with the access. He understood the idea of visual awareness but believed that not every moment of a presidency showed a good image so it shouldn’t be necessary to have photographers along the way. (Freed) -
Ronald Reagan
A former Hollywood movie star, President Ronald Reagan was very familiar with how mass media affected public perception. He also understood how images are interpreted. Reagan was not the most accessible president in terms of photographic journalism. To this end, he would allow media access, but it was restricted. Reagan wanted to control what the cameras could see. His control painted an image of a wholesome family man-- which was well received by the American public. -
George H.W. Bush
George H.W. Bush fully understood the importance of being transparent with the press and photojournalists and embraced their powers fully. He always allowed access to himself, not just in a professional setting, but in many personal settings as well. Bush has been commended for allowing the press access to his personal life in ways that his predecessors had never done before. Bush allowed White House photographer Diana Walker to accompany him to his home that was destroyed by a hurriance. -
Barack Obama
President Barack Obama and his administration understand the role of photography well. The Obama administration controls the flow of information by using the official White House Director of Photography, Pete Souza, to disseminate carefully vetted images that align with the administration’s agenda. The administration is the first to understand and to incorporate social media to communicate with the public. However, without objective reporting, the information provided contains inherent bias. -
Current Presidential Candidate
The current presidential election has allowed photojournalism to take on new roles in a social media-dominant era. Diana Walker, The White House photographer for 20 years, took the above photo on a whim showing Hillary Clinton using her smartphone on a military plane. The photo quickly went viral when a popular site offered comical explanations about what Clinton’s text messages must be like. Clinton's embrace of this photo and its socal media fame garnered sigfnicant attention for her campaign.
