The Press Conference

There was a time when information coming from the white house was a press conference. Intuitively press conferences are important in a democracy to hold leaders accountable for their actions and conduct in office. It provides a forum for politicians to explain issues that may be a source of query or unease for reporters and the wider society.

Press Briefing - It is a meeting called by an organization, government, etc, to inform the press of something.

Press Conference - It is a media event in which newsmakers invite journalists to hear them speak and, most often, ask questions.

The White House press secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the executive branch of the United States government administration, especially with regard to the president, senior aides and executives, as well as government policies.

The press secretary is responsible for collecting information about actions and events within the president's administration and issues the administration’s reactions to developments around the world. The press secretary interacts with the media and the White House press corps on a daily basis, generally in a daily press briefing. The press secretary serves by the appointment and at the pleasure of the president of the United States; the office does not require the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate, though because of the frequent briefings given to the media, who in turn inform the public, the position is still a very prominent non-Cabinet post.

So there was a time when the White House press secretary came before the press to announce and explain governmental actions as a go-between the executive leader and the forth estate (or fifth estate?).

The ‘press’ is used to describe journalistic reporters, news outlets or social media who gather the news. News ‘media’ are ways of distributing news.

Recently the president has decided to have nightly press conferences or Pandemic Task Force (headed by the vice president standing by his side) briefings to tell the American public the actions of the government and give recommendations or guidelines for each to follow. The press took notes, got handouts and asked questions with the opportunity to ask the president and the experts first hand.

Like Roosevelt’s fireside chats or Churchill’s speeches, these press conferences (or briefings) were to give viable information and sooth the fears of the ‘invisible enemy’.

Unfortunately they went off the rails and became a political rally or worst, a battle with the press.

Now they seem to be over.

That means to get our information will be the handouts or leaked news to reporters and editors to assimilate and trim to a blip on the screen or a headline that can be re-discussed and analysis by the opinion talking heads.

Now it is time to move ahead without direction. You need to know when to wander out after the latest bombing. You will have to decide if what your heard or what the gossip going around is true. You will have to decide when to take off your mask. You will have to decide to send your children back to public school or not. You will have to decide where the next paycheck is coming from.

Without government giving laws and rules and regulations by elected officials that we all agree to follow, the community decides what is acceptable to them to survive.