President Ford and the Media

Event Details

President Ford's former secretary (1974-1977) discusses his time in the White House and the relationship of the Ford White House with the press. Beginning with his remembrances of first coming to the White House, the speaker discusses Ford's innovations in press relations and relates anecdotes about that relationship. Then, he discusses difficult times and issues of the relationship, their strategies of dealing with problems, his frustrations as a press secretary, feuding among the White House staff. He addresses also the memories about dealing with the Vietnam War, various issues of the 1976 election, and the accomplishments of the Ford administration. During the questioning time, he discusses his new perspective as an insider, Ford's character, the extent to which a press secretary is informed, the coordination of information among parts of the executive branch, relationship between the president and the press secretary, and Ford's relationship with Reagan.