White House Communications Director
The White House Director of Communications, also known as Assistant to the President for Communications, is part of the senior staff of the President of the United States, and is responsible for developing and promoting the agenda of the President and leading its media campaign. The director, along with his or her staff, works on speeches such as the inaugural address and the State of the Union Address. The Communications Director is usually given an office in the West Wing of the White House.
The current Director of Communications is Jen Psaki,[1] who succeeded Jennifer Palmieri in April 2015.
History
The White House Office of Communications was established by Herbert G. Klein in 1969 during the Nixon administration.[2] It was separate from the Office of the Press Secretary from 1969 to 1974.[3]
Role
Historically, the position of White House Communications Director is given to a senior public relations staff member of the candidate's campaign staff. Often this is either the Deputy Campaign Manager or the Campaign Communications Director. The Communications Director works closely with the White House Press Secretary, who was typically a co-worker in the president's campaign. For instance, during the 1992 Clinton Presidential Campaign, George Stephanopoulos was Deputy Campaign Manager, who became the Communications Director after Clinton's election.
Responsibilities
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. As the President's voice and vision must be clear, the Communications Director ensures that all aspects of communications are covered to ensure that the administration's message has been delivered successfully. A communications strategy must be devised to promote the President's agenda throughout all media outlets. This can include, but certainly is not limited to, the State of the Union address, televised press conferences, statements to the press, and radio addresses. The communications office also works closely with cabinet-level departments and other executive agencies in order to create a coherent strategy through which the President's message can be disseminated.
With the growing importance of the internet and new media in terms of Presidential communication, the Office of Communications is having to branch out, and this has been given an added impetus by the election of Barack Obama who made large use of the internet, and more specifically social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, to reach out to his supporters in order to solicit donations and spread his campaign message.
Key staff
- Assistant to the President for Communications and White House Communications Director: Jen Psaki
- Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Communications: Amy Brundage[4]
- Special Assistant to the President and Director of Broadcast Media: Dagoberto Vega[4]
- Special Assistant to the President and Director of Progressive Media and Online Response: Jesse Lee[4]
- Director of Specialty Media: Shin Inouye[4]
- Director of Hispanic Media: Katherine Vargas[4]
- Director of African American Media: Addie Whisenant[4]
- Assistant to the President and Director of Speechwriting: Cody Keenan[4]
- Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Communications: Amy Brundage[4]
Directors
- Herb Klein (January 20, 1969 – July 1, 1973)[5]
- Ken Clawson (January 30, 1974 – November 4, 1974)
- Jerry Warren (November 4, 1974 – August 15, 1975)[6]
- Margita White (August 15, 1975 – July 1976)
- David Gergen (July 1976 – January 20, 1977)[7]
- Gerald Rafshoon (July 1, 1978 – August 14, 1979)
- Frank Ursomarso (February 23, 1981 – June 17, 1981)[8]
- David Gergen (June 17, 1981 – January 15, 1984)[9]
- Michael McManus (Acting: January 15, 1984 – February 6, 1985)[6]
- Pat Buchanan (February 6, 1985 – March 1, 1987)
- Jack Koehler (March 1, 1987 – March 13, 1987)[10]
- Tom Griscom (April 2, 1987 – July 1, 1988)[11]
- Mari Maseng Will (July 1, 1988 – January 20, 1989)
- David Demarest (January 20, 1989 – August 23, 1992)
- Margaret Tutwiler (August 23, 1992 – January 20, 1993)[12]
- George Stephanopoulos (January 20, 1993 – June 7, 1993)
- Mark Gearan (June 7, 1993 – August 14, 1995)[13]
- Don Baer (August 14, 1995 – July 31, 1997)
- Ann Lewis (July 31, 1997 – March 10, 1999)
- Loretta Ucelli (March 10, 1999 – January 20, 2001)
- Karen Hughes (January 20, 2001 – October 2, 2001)
- Dan Bartlett (October 2, 2001 – January 5, 2005)[14]
- Nicolle Wallace (January 5, 2005 – July 24, 2006)
- Kevin Sullivan (July 24, 2006 – January 20, 2009)
- Ellen Moran (January 20, 2009 – April 21, 2009)
- Anita Dunn (April 21, 2009 – November 30, 2009)
- Dan Pfeiffer (November 30, 2009 – January 25, 2013)
- Jennifer Palmieri (January 25, 2013 – April 1, 2015)
- Jen Psaki (April 1, 2015 – present)
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "White House Unit Takes on New Life", The Washington Post, Nov. 26, 1973, p. 9.
- ↑ "Press Operations in White House Revised, With Politics Ruled Out", The New York Times, August 17, 1974, p. 15.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=3864
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 https://books.google.com/books?id=1AMDcjxuok4C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
- ↑ https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/guides/findingaid/gergendfiles.asp
- ↑ https://reaganlibrary.archives.gov/archives/textual/smof/ursomarso.htm
- ↑ http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/reference/keyofficials.html
- ↑ https://reaganlibrary.archives.gov/archives/speeches/1987/030987c.htm
- ↑ http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/textual/smof/griscom.htm
- ↑ https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PPP-1992-book2/pdf/PPP-1992-book2-doc-pg1417.pdf
- ↑ http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=60004
- ↑ http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=79123
