The president, the press, and the national agenda: White House communication strategies during the Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan, and Clinton administrations

White House communication strategies--which consist of various components, including the presidential/press relationship, presidential public activities, the presidential policy agenda, and presidential leadership style--have become more complex as the presidency has become more politicized and institutionalized. The extent to which the White House handles both press and public relations is evident by the number of people now employed in both the press and communication offices. This study examines the communication strategies, in terms of both the issue content of public addresses and the types of forums used, utilized by four recent presidents to determine how and where they talked about issues, and also determines if these same presidents achieved success at setting the agenda in the press on key domestic issues. A case study analysis was used to analyze the issue agenda in speeches, and subsequent press coverage in the New York Times, during the first terms of four presidents: John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton.; The results suggest that presidents are capable of developing successful communication strategies to get their message out to the public, although some are more successful than others. The institutional nature of the presidency, and the role that the press plays within it, can limit a president's options in the development and implementation of strategies, but attempts to influence the public's perception of the president are not always futile. Most presidents in recent years have attempted to improve upon their early mistakes while in office, especially when dealing with the press and other public activities, and most also experience somewhat of a learning curve as they become accustomed to the responsibilities of the office. But the uniqueness of each president's leadership style cannot be completely ignored, since every president leaves his mark on the oval office, especially where communication strategies are concerned. As a result, each recent administration has served in developing an institutional learning curve on press and public relations for future presidents to follow.