The Six O'Clock Presidency: A Theory of Presidential Press Relations in the Age of Television
Editorial Reviews
Review
“This book introduces how the press covers the presidency and how the White House manages the news media. Most of the author's observations are based on a study of 'The CBS Evening News' from 1969 to 1985. Smoller finds about one-fifth of all CBS news stories stemmed from the White House and the tone of news coverage tended to mirror whether public opinion was favorable or unfavorable to the president. He adds that news reporting of presidential administrations follows a similar cyclical pattern. Although news coverage of a newly elected president emphasizes favorable personality profiles, reporters later examine the White House's political agenda. This coverage accelerates the pace that the US Congress reviews presidential programs, which eventually frustrates the public's ability to judge the effectiveness of the White House's leadership. The book features interesting comparisons of Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan administrations' tactics to obtain more favorable press coverage. Smoller (political science, Chapman College) makes careful use of previous literature and includes a complete bibliography about the news media's coverage of the president. The book is a good companion to journalistic perspectives about how the press covers the White House, such as David Broder's Behind the Front Page (1987), more scholarly examinations of the presidency and the press, such as Daniel Boorstin's The Image: A Guide to Pseudo Events (1971), and historical analyses of the same issues, such as Betty Houchin Winfield's FDR and the News Media (1990). Recommended for collections for lower-division undergraduates, particularly in political science, journalism, and mass communication.”–
Book Description
Studying the increasingly powerful role television plays in the political process, Smoller offers a persuasive argument that the "big three" network coverage of the presidency is gradually eroding public support for and confidence in that office. This book argues that network coverage of the presidency is determined by the political, technical, and commercial nature of the medium itself, producing a bias toward negative coverage. Attempts by the White House to combat these negative portrayals by managing news coverage and isolating the president will subvert democratic values.
The Six O'Clock Presidency: A Theory of Presidential Press Relations in the Age of Television
The Six O'Clock Presidency: A Theory of Presidential Press Relations in the Age of Television,Fredric T. Smoller,Praeger Publishers,0275935981,20th century,Government - National,History,Political Science,Politics/International Relations,Pop Arts / Pop Culture,Presidents,Press conferences,Press coverage,Public Opinion,Television - General,Television Broadcasting,Television broadcasting of new,Television broadcasting of news,United States
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