The President and News Media

Managed news refers to the White House's control over the media. Because the press office of the White House has virtually unlimited control over who has access to the president, they are largely in charge of the stories that are seen by the people. In fact, more than half of the interviews are with the press secretary and their staff, so this office contains an enormous amount of power. This position allows them to pick and choose the vast majority of what the media reports and in what medium the information is released.

Who has access to the White House is extremely important because only the major news outlets have such privilege. Local sources of news must rely on these larger networks as opposed to the direct source. As a result, these smaller groups are the "most likely to follow the White House's agenda" (Edwards & Wayne 166). "The Washington-- and New York-- based national media also have substantial resources to challenge White House versions of events and policies and to investigate areas of government not covered by briefings or press releases" (Edwards & Wayne 167).

News can also be manipulated. This can be done by putting a positive spin on a story to garner support for the president and his polices, or also by providing materials designed to distract people. The text referenced an incident where the Regan White House "adopted a strategy of blitzing the media with information to divert its attention after the press raised questions about the president sleeping through the Libyan attacks on the United States forces off the coast of Africa" (Edwards & Wayne 166). A more recent example includes the Bush administration emphasizing the infamous weapons of mass destruction in Iraq to justify the U.S. occupation post-9/11.

It is important to note that there has been a change in journalism in recent years. "The pressure among journalists to be first with a story increases the potential for White House manipulation inherent in this deferential approach, as concerns for accuracy give way to career interests" (Edwards & Wayne 168). Journalists operate much differently today than they did in the past, with more room for creativity and personal bias. Even political journalism is not immune to this trend. Furthermore, when journalists get bored they tend to focus on the "more negative aspects in their reporting and may base their stories on trivial, embarrassing incidents" (Edwards & Wayne 168). The book recalls examples of the infamous $200 haircut received by President Clinton aboard Air Force One.

President Clinton segues into the importance of using the media to your advantage and the consequences of a scandal. He certainly used the media to maximize his policy goals and political advantage, yet he also experienced some embarrassing mishaps throughout his presidency that unfolded on national television. He "met frequently with journalists representing local media during his trips around the country. These efforts enabled the White House to tailor unedited messages for specific groups and reach directly into the constituencies of members of Congress while reinforcing it's policy message" (Edwards & Wayne 168). However, the name 'Monica Lewinsky' lives in infamy thanks to the media coverage during the Clinton administration because of his extramarital affair with an intern.

WORKS CITED:

Edwards III, George C. and Wayne, Stephen J. Presidential Leadership-- Politcs and Policy Making.
Thomson Wadsworth: Belmont, CA. 2006.