Managing the Press: Origins of the Media Presidency, 1897-1933

MANAGING THE PRESS: ORIGINS OF THE MEDIA PRESIDENCY, 1897-1933

BY STEPHEN PONDER. ST. MARTIN'S PRESS. 233 PP. $45.

Contrary to the assumption that Franklin D. Roosevelt all but invented presidential press relations, Stephen Ponder of the University of Oregon shows how the preceding seven administrations contributed to the growth of the executive focus of news and to the importance, and self-importance, of the White House press corps. The central question raised here is how much we have defined successful presidents by their skills as news managers. The two Roosevelts are usually viewed as successful, as was their energetic output of news. Taft is seen as a failure; he scorned and ignored reporters. Does the public and historical verdict on a president therefore follow the verdict in the news? Ponder suggests as much for the past but adds that presidents have been increasingly successful in spinning and circumventing mainstream news. -James Boylan

Copyright Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism May/Jun 1999
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