Presidential Communication Timeline by Grant Shirley

George Washington (1789-1797)

grantshirley523_ — 2023-11-06 14:03:07 UTC

Washington communicated with the American people through drafted reports and gave in person speeches to the public, published in the newspapers. The State of the Union address was given in person and offered suggestions to Congress.

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)

grantshirley523_ — 2023-11-06 14:04:17 UTC

During the Civil War, Lincoln understood the necessity of communication. In addition to public letters and speeches given in person, the main process for which Lincoln communicated was through the telegraph, directly to his commanders in the field.

Lincoln changed the process through the direct use of the telegraph, but continued the practice of speech oration in public - like the State of the Union.

William McKinley (1897-1901)

grantshirley523_ — 2023-11-06 14:05:26 UTC

William McKinley supported his presidential campaign through the media and through his use of new technology like the telephone and commercials. The telephone and media became necessary to manage war and political campaigns.

This process is changed from the previous presidential address process through the use of modern technology and a streamlined campaign process. As always, a State of the Union address is customary for the president to give.

Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)

grantshirley523_ — 2023-11-06 14:06:26 UTC

Roosevelt coined the term "bully pulpit", meaning the platform of the president was unrivaled. This platform could be used to advocate for issues and educate the country. Roosevelt produced a room inside the White House for the press to better communicate with the people. In Roosevelt's time, the age of the newspaper was in full swing, and this added to the power of the bully pulpit.

While the past few presidents have not changed much besides technological advancements, Roosevelt took the platform of the president to a new level and gave the position the power to speak to and educate the country.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)

grantshirley523_ — 2023-11-06 14:07:25 UTC

FDR used many forms of communication during his time as president. The most prominent is his "fireside chats", a series of evening radio addresses in which the president broadcasted, educated, and talked to the public on the issues the country was facing. This enabled him to receive massive support from the people and Congress. FDR's radio medium provided him an unparalleled power of persuasion in Congress.

The change in communication came in the form of regular talks directly to the people, easily accessible and made him highly popular. This communication outlined his goals and provided him the means to achieve them.

John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)

grantshirley523_ — 2023-11-06 14:08:39 UTC

JFK used modern television to broadcast live press conferences in the early 1960s. As well as the conferences, JFK won the White House with the television medium over Richard Nixon. These debates gave a face to the public and made Nixon pale in comparison. The charisma and speaking ability of JFK reached the public in a very different way than before.

The television gave audiences the ability to see their nominees live rather than hear them on the radio or hear about them in the media. This change brought about the necessity of TV in the office of the president.

Bill Clinton (1993-2001)

grantshirley523_ — 2023-11-06 14:09:36 UTC

Clinton was a talented orator, and made the public feel included and just as important as the rest of the public. Again, the use of television aided him in his campaign and popularity. Bill Clinton used the new process of email, something a president hadn't ever used before. Although it sounds great and effective, the email was hardly used at all.

Clinton did not make any major or new advances is the presidential address process, save the email, and continued to use television and public speaking to the media.

Barack Obama (2009-2017)

grantshirley523_ — 2023-11-06 14:10:27 UTC

Barack Obama embraced the new media of the times, hiring a 14 member digital strategy staff. This helped him create the Twitter account of the president, upload media on YouTube, and start WhiteHouse.gov. This new media allowed Obama to create his own news service that broadcasted his message through images, stories, videos, interviews, and more. This process, a "digital bully pulpit", continued to persuade the citizens and educate them on federal issues, aiding his support in Congress. Photography also gave Obama control over his image, portraying him as a man of the people.

This rise in new media was managed exceptionally well by Obama, and his acceptance of this new media provided him with many more outlets to influence the people. This digital news and media was different than any president preceding him.

Donald Trump (2017-2021)

grantshirley523_ — 2023-11-10 00:08:50 UTC

In his fight against "the fake news" Trump used the POTUS twitter account to speak to the people directly of his intentions. However, Trump's press secretary had been known to share misleading information on the platform. Trump also was suspended from Twitter due to his involvement in the January 6 insurrection at the capitol. Press meetings were ended by Trump, and he refused to show at the White House Correspondents Association gala. According to the AMSCO book, Trump "disparages journalists... and has broken presidential communication norms repeatedly."

While continuing the media platforms that Obama had created and maintained, Trump acted much differently and more antagonistically on the platform. This change caused many problems and reached directly (for the most part) to his supporters.