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Theodore Roosevelt
Roosevelt started the trend of presidents interacting with the media. He recognized the potential impact of the press and photography. He gave photographer’s access and benefitted. He toured the country to promote favored legislation. He invited the press corps, he upgraded the shabby White House pressroom and hosted informal press conferences during his afternoon shave. He kept tabs on photographers at his statements, hired the first government press officers, and staged publicity stunts. -
William Howard Taft
Taft had the awful duty of following Theodore Roosevelt -- one of the most proactive, camera-loving presidents ever. Taft did not like the press at all. He changed the style from Teddy Roosevelt’s charismatic leadership to his quieter passion for the rule of law. The campaign was “one of the worst four months of his life.” He was not a fan of traveling and having to appeal to so many people including the media. -
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson was no Teddy Roosevelt, but he understood the press needed to be a part of the presidency. When he became president in 1913, mass media was really arriving. World War I would bring about a lot of press during the latter half of his presidency as well. Political coverage also became more independent and less partisan style. While most nineteenth-century presidents remained aloof from the press, Wilson understood it could no longer be ignored. -
Franklin D. Roosevelt
He portrayed himself as an everyday man by utilizing the mass media of the time period such as radio and news reels. This was seen in his fireside chats where he often used simple language to ensure he could be understood by most citizens. Since FDR was in a wheelchair, the were some rules in place when it came to photography such as not photographing him in ways that highlighted his disability. The media were very respectful to this request and didn’t see the wheelchair as a story. -
Harry Truman
Truman was an amateur photographer himself and maximized on opportunities to document his administration and his life. Truman did not like the way press conferences were set up, so he moved them to a bigger room with seats and changed the protocol of how reporters asked questions. He also brought photographers into the White House Press Room, putting them on the same level as reporters. -
Dwight Eisenhower
Television gained prominence during Eisenhower’s presidency, so he adapted to this new medium to provide good visuals. Eisenhower held the first televised news conference as well as conducted press conferences. Eisenhower also understood the importance of location for communicating his messages. Eisenhower and his staff strategically placed the photographer area in a location that would position Eisenhower in line with the images of the presidents on Mount Rushmore. -
John F. Kennedy
President Kennedy was the first president to use the new medium of television to speak directly to the American people. He also conducted live press conferences without delay or editing, which had never been done before. He playfully jousted with the press when he interacted with them. His assassination in 1963 changed the way that media worked from then on. For days after he was killed, major U.S. television networks went live with non-stop coverage of the event. -
Richard Nixon
President Nixon was very suspicious of the media; he was sure that everyone was out to get him. Nixon and his chief-of-staff, H.R. Haldeman, created the first White House communications office, which made sure Nixon never had any spontaneous encounters with media. They did this to ensure that he would never look dumb in front of the public. His staff made sure to arrange friendly crowds for him to speak to. -
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan was very open with his White House photographers. During his first term, his photographer was Michael Evans; during his second term, his photographers was Pete Souza, who is the photographer for President Obama. Reagan’s PR was planned far in advance and his public appearances were carefully controlled. He often bypassed the media by speaking directly to the public. -
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton’s presidential race was covered in an alternative strategy. He chose PF Bentley to cover his campaign behind the scenes, which allowed access, but a controlled access. The images were made into a book and the first interactive CD. After his affair, Clinton worked with local news anchors instead of dealing with White House reporters. This allowed him to speak with “less-informed, less-critical” reporters, and he let Dick Cheney deal with more in-depth issues. -
George W. Bush
Bush was very speculative of the press, a quality that many say he continued from Nixon’s presidency so many years before him. Some sources say Bush’s presidency was the one that discredited journalists more than any others. He accused reporters of not representing the common man or the public. -
Barack Obama
The Obama administration often preferred White House photographer Pete Souza over other photographers. This drew quite a bit of criticism, because it was such a controlled allowance of photographs of the president. Obama’s administration were very innovative in their use of Flickr to release the photos. Obama chose to go over the heads of media straight to the voters. Instead of going through the press, the administration worked with new social media trends, communicating with voters directly.
