White House expert Lauren A. Wright identifies, explains, and measures the impact of the expanding role of presidential spouses in the White House and presidential campaign communications strategy, with a focus on the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations. More than any other time in history, the First Lady now bears responsibilities tantamount to those of any high-ranking cabinet member. This fascinating book documents the growing presence of the president's wife in the communications strategies of the last three administrations, explaining why their involvement in a campaign has been critical to its survival. The book explores how the First Lady serves to persuade public opinion, make personal appeals to the public on behalf of the president, and promote initiatives that serve as uncontroversial frames for controversial policies. The author delves into political discussions about what makes presidents and presidential candidates likable, what draws public support to their agendas, and why spouses appear to be more effective in these arenas than other surrogates or even the presidents themselves. The content features dozens of interviews with former White House staff and communications strategists; in-depth analysis of almost 1,700 public speeches made by Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama; and surveys testing the effect of public relations strategies involving spouses on political opinion.

A resource for public officials on the basic tenets of effective communications generally and on working with the news media specifically. Focuses on providing public officials with a brief orientation and perspective on the media and how they think and work, and on the public as the end-recipient of info.; concise presentations of techniques for responding to and cooperating with the media in conveying info. and delivering messages, before, during, and after a public health crisis; a practical guide to the tools of the trade of media relations and public communications; and strategies and tactics for addressing the probable opportunities and the possible challenges that are likely to arise as a consequence of such communication initiatives. Ill.

The focus of this book is Strategic Communication. Communication can be defined as strategic if its development and/or dissemination is driven by an expected outcome. These outcomes can be attitudinal, behavioral, persuasive or knowledge-related; they can lead to change or engagement, or they can miss their mark entirely. In looking at strategic communication, one is not limited to a specific context or discipline. Many of the scholars in the volume are generating research that covers strategic communication in ways that are meaningful across fields. This volume collects the work and idea of scholars who cover the spectrum of strategic communication from source to message to audience to channel to effects. Strategic Communication offers news perspectives across contexts and is rooted firmly in the rich research traditions of persuasion and media effects. Spanning multiple disciplines and written to appeal to a large audience, this book will be found in the hands of researchers, graduate students, and students doing interdisciplinary coursework.

Addressing 21st-century issues, threats, and opportunities with time-tested principles, this book empowers corporate communications professionals to protect, inspire, and energize organizations in the face of a crisis. Whether due to an external incident or an internal misstep, every major company or institution will find itself scrutinized, its normal operations disrupted, and its reputation and business continuity threatened at some point—and how it prepares for, and reacts to, a crisis can make a critical difference in the ultimate outcome of events. This book focuses on strategic crisis communication as a function of three elements: 1. crisis preparation—establishing a robust and nimble infrastructure and plans, in advance of any crisis 2. crisis management—rapidly gathering information, activating and adjusting plans, making decisions, and relentlessly monitoring outcomes 3. crisis communication—reaching multiple audiences, on multiple platforms, with clear, consistent, and purposeful messages that tell the truth and defend the organization. Bringing together best practices gleaned from hundreds of recent case studies, this book is an unmatched resource enabling corporate communications and PR professionals, and the organizations that employ them, to understand how to weather any reputational storm that may threaten their enterprise.

This volume in the Contemporary Military, Strategic, and Security Issues series presents a concise introduction to the evolution, key concepts, discourse, and future options for improved strategic communication in today's U.S. government. Strategic Communication: Origins, Concepts, and Current Debates is a groundbreaking study, the first book explicitly focused on strategic communication as it is currently used and discussed in the U.S. government. Written specifically for those who are new to strategic communication, this incisive book clarifies the definitional debate, explores the history of the term and its practice, and embraces a broad, practical definition. But that is only the beginning. Moving to the realities of the issue, author Christopher Paul reviews dozens of government reports on strategic communication and public diplomacy released since 2000, examining specific proposals related to improving strategic communication in the U.S. government and explaining the disagreements. Most important, he offers consensus and clarity for the way ahead, discussing how disparate elements of the government can be coordinated to master—and win—the "war of ideas" through fully integrated and synchronized communications and actions.

Denton, Holloway, and their contributors present analyses of communication strategies used in the Clinton administration, with a special focus on President Clinton's responses to the Lewinsky scandal and impeachment. Chapters explore the Clinton administration's attempts to control his image through rhetorical and media strategies, his appeal to women voters, the changing image of Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Clinton's discourse on race. The second half of the book focuses on Clinton's responses to the Lewinsky scandal, media coverage and polling during the scandal, and Clinton's impact on the symbolic nature of the American presidency. This book will be of particular interest to scholars, students, and other researchers involved with communication, political science, political sociology, political communication, and scandal.