Press Secretaries

Not too long ago a friend asked my opinion of the job that various presidential press secretaries have done in recent administrations. (I currently work as press secretary at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. I have now worked at this institution for 20 years.) To be blunt, I have not been impressed with the job that the press secretaries have done over the past several administration. (For the record, I thought President Bush's press secretaries these past eight years were the worst.) The reason I am so critical goes to my core belief as to the bottom-line role of professional communicators or public relations practitioners.

Communication is at its best when it builds and strengthens relationships. If done well, communication can help create an environment of collegiality and shared purpose. Sadly, it has been a growing trend among the presidential press secretaries to not do this. Instead, these men and women have served as the president's attack dogs, putting down those who question or criticize their bosses, slamming the door on meaningful dialog or interaction. They seem to have viewed their important positions as being part of the president's last line of defense against all who have the audacity to challenge or question the policies and actions of the nation's chief executive.

Press secretaries, particularly the ones who represent our president, have twin responsibilities: to represent their boss and to represent the interests of those to whom they seek to communicate. Sure, juggling those two balls can be tricky and even difficult at times. But that comes with being a public servant. Up till now, the press secretaries seem to have forgotten or discarded the part of their jobs that calls for them to be the best public servant they can be. Instead, their focus has been on being a shill for their boss, even if it means being dishonest and arrogant. This kind of posture, in my view, has reflected the attitude of their boss.

I do not know what kind of job President Obama's press secretary will do. My hope is that this person will be as open and inclusive as Obama himself says his administration will be. One of the big reasons our nation is struggling right now is because it seems to have evolved into a closed society. Our current press secretary will play a leading role in helping turn that around.