Description
Book SynopsisMedia Relations and the Modern First Lady: From Jacqueline Kennedy to Melania Trump examines the communication strategies first ladies and their teams have used to manage press and public interest in their private lives, to promote causes close to their hearts, and to shape their public image. Starting with Jacqueline Kennedy, who was the first to have a staffer with the title “press secretary,” each chapter explores the relationship between a first lady and the media, the role played by her press secretary and communication staff in cultivating this relationship, and the first lady’s media coverage. Contributors exploring the following questions: How effective were the media relations and communication strategies of this first lady and her team? What worked and what did not? Was the first lady a communication asset to her husband's administration? And what can we learn from their media relations strategies? Along with contributing to the scholarship on presidential spouses, the contributions to this volume also highlight the important role media relations plays in strategic political communication. Scholars of communication, media studies, gender and women’s studies, political science, and public relations will find this book particularly useful.
Trade ReviewWhile every political strategist should add this to their reading list, this book is also a must-read for the D.C. political press to look in the mirror at its own problematic coverage that has persisted over centuries. Burns lays out significant and clear arguments as to why studying first ladies and their media relations matter. . . . Overall, Burns has done a masterful job with the editing throughout and wisely notes lessons provided also apply to future first gentlemen. For those who need a cheat sheet, Alison Novak’s conclusion spells out step-by-step what first ladies need to do to master media relations and should be taped to every office door in the East Wing. Excellently primary sourced through the connections of the team, this effective and enjoyable book has a shelf life that will benefit politicos for decades to come.
* Journalism History *
Notable first lady scholar Lisa M. Burns is back with an impressive collection of essays from leading scholars in Media Relations and the Modern First Lady: From Jacqueline Kennedy to Melania Trump. As the roles of women have changed in society since the 1960s, and media has changed too, the complexity and pace with which the media reports on our first ladies is notable. Why do first lady media relations matter? This book demonstrates the importance of astute media relations and how each woman must navigate her unique time in the spousal spotlight while the whole world is watching. -- Nichola D. Gutgold, Penn State University
This comprehensive examination of modern first ladies’ media relations strategies offers both biographical sketches and analyses of the ways in which U.S. presidential spouses have interacted with the press. It is a welcome addition to scholarship on presidential spouses, and underscores how the U.S. presidency is a partnership choreographed for a mediated stage. Media Relations and the Modern First Lady documents the professionalization of the first spouse’s press office, as well as the increasing complexity of political media management in journalistic, televisual, digital, and social media contexts. Students and scholars of the U.S. presidency and presidential spouses, journalism and public relations, and political media management would benefit from reading this book. -- Karrin Anderson, Colorado State University
Table of ContentsIntroduction: Why Do First Lady Media Relations Matter?
Lisa M. Burns
Chapter 1: History of First Lady Media Relations from Martha Washington to Mamie Eisenhower
Maurine H. Beasley
Chapter 2: Jacqueline Kennedy and the Challenge of Establishing Modern First Lady Media Relations
Elizabeth J. Natalle
Chapter 3: Lady Bird Johnson and the Press: “She Understood the Language of the Trade”
Nancy Keegan Smith and Diana Bartelli Carlin
Chapter 4: Strength of a Tender Heart: Pat Nixon’s Media Relations
Linda B. Hobgood
Chapter 5: “For all the questions you didn’t ask—I’m grateful”: The Media Relations of Betty Ford
Myra G. Gutin
Chapter 6: Rosalynn Carter, Mary Finch Hoyt, and the Media: The Rise of the Steel Magnolia
Pamela G. Bourland-Davis, Jenni M. Simon, and Abby M. Brooks
Chapter 7: The Boss’s Wife: Exploring Nancy Reagan’s Complicated Role as Homemaker, Protector, and Advocate
Joshua M. Bentley and Russell Mack
Chapter 8: First Lady Barbara Bush and Press Secretary Anna Perez: Lessons from an Effective Media Relations Partnership
Molly Wertheimer
Chapter 9: Soldiering On: Lisa Caputo, Marsha Berry, and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Media Relations
Anne F. Mattina
Chapter 10: Speaking From the “Velvet Pulpit”: The Media Relations of Laura Bush
Erika Cornelius Smith
Chapter 11: Michelle Obama and the Effective Use of Strategic Communication: The Art of Mastering Messaging across Multiple Media Platforms
Shaniece B. Bickham
Chapter 12: Melania Trump’s Bullied Pulpit: Media Relations for an Embattled First Lady
Tammy R. Vigil
Conclusion: The Dynamic Nature of First Lady Media Relations
Alison Novak
