Former Press Secretaries Reflect on White House, Presidency, and Social Media

On Monday, four former White House Press Secretaries joined School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA) Director Frank Sesno for a discussion on their experiences in the White House. Ari Fleischer and Dana Perino, from President George W Bush’s administration, and Mike McCurry and Dee Dee Meyers, from President Bill Clinton’s administration, spoke about shaping the image of their respective administration and their limited role in forming policy. Joe Lockhart, also from the Clinton administration, was slated to attend but was unable due to complications from a recent surgery.

Describing the event as the biggest of the semester for SMPA, Sesno began by reflecting on the years between Meyers and Perino, respectively the earliest secretary and most recent secretary on the panel. “When Dee Dee Meyers started her job there were fifty websites,” said Sesno to an audience of students, journalists, and media at Lisner Auditorium. In addition, Sesno reflected on the impact of social media. Sesno jokingly said, “When [Dana Perino] tweets, the world listens.”

Questions to the panel were fielded online from attendees prior to the event. On one question, pertaining to the changing format of the press, McCurry said, “It’s a real danger if we believe all media should be freely available. We need to pay for the content that matters.” The last question of evening asked how students could get close to becoming a press secretary. Perino suggested that GW students should take advantage of DC’s unique opportunities and “take the deputy job.”