The American President

The American President has perhaps the most challenging and difficult job in the world. The decisions he makes affect not only every single American but also most of the other citizens of the world. Because this country was founded with the principles of free speech, the American President must take these monumental decisions under the intense scrutiny of the media. Indeed, it may be fair to say that, to some extent, White Houses rise and fall depending on their relationship with the media. Because "news is drama, and drama thrives on conflict" (Maltese 1), the press has an inherent interest in portraying differences of opinion within an administration as conflict. In order to minimize this, every President since Richard Nixon has maintained an office of communications to manage the media. No President in recent history, however, has managed the media as effectively as George W. Bush. During the run up to the Iraq war and as the war has played out, the Bush White House has continually managed to be one step ahead of its critics and has wielded the press room like a scalpel to propound its message. However, as Bush's second term unfolds cracks have arisen in the White House's media management as it has pushed its domestic priorities, which have been increasingly questioned by journalists and the public at large. This essay will explore the historical role of the Office of Communications, its modern functioning, how it has operated thus far in the George W. Bush admini

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lic pronouncements of the president and other executive branch officials that may be speaking to the media on a given day. This is an especially crucial part of the operation because, to a large extent, the overall message of the speeches will be forgotten; it is the sound-bites that will receive large amounts of airplay and that will be remembered. To this end, public appearances are tightly choreographed in order to reinforce the message, and the sound-bites, with compelling visual images. And lastly, the office of communications monitors the executive branch to ensure that the talking points are being adhered to faithfully in order to minimize the proliferation of competing or conflicting messages. The overarching goal of this orchestration is to influence the reporting about the White House that Americans will see on their televisions each evening. By adopting a proactive approach to the media, the White House gains the opportunity to shape the media's agenda for that day. Early in a President's term, the press tends to parrot the White House line. This is typically exacerbated by the pressure among journalists to be first with a story, which allows the White House to manipulate the press through judicious use of leaks

Category: Government - T