A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the
news media
The news media or news industry are forms of mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public. These include News agency, news agencies, newspapers, news magazines, News broadcasting, news channels etc.
History
Some of the fir ...
and, using
news management
Managing the news is the deliberate influencing of the presentation of information within the news media. The expression ''managing the news'' is often used in a negative sense. For example, people or organizations that wish to lessen the publi ...
techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage.
Duties and functions
They often, but not always, act as the organization's senior
spokesperson
A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others.
Duties and function
In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...
. Many
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
s also have deputy press secretaries. A deputy press secretary is typically a mid-level political staffer who assists the press secretary and communications director with aspects of public outreach. They often write the
press release
A press release (also known as a media release) is an official statement delivered to members of the news media for the purpose of providing new information, creating an official statement, or making an announcement directed for public releas ...
s and media advisories for review by the press secretary and
communications director
Director of communications is a position in both the private and public sectors. A director of communications is responsible for managing and directing an organization's internal and external communications. Directors of communications supervis ...
. There are usually assistant press secretaries and press officers that support the press secretary. Press secretaries also give declarations to the media when a particular event happens or an issue arises inside an organization. They are expected, therefore, to have in-depth knowledge about the institution or organization they represent, and to be able to explain and answer questions about the organization's policies, views upon a particular issue and its official standpoint on problematic questions.
History
The role of the press officer originated in Europe in the 19th century, created by governments.
In the United States,
Stephen T. Early, who worked for President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
, is credited as being America's first modern presidential press secretary.
See also
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Attaché
In diplomacy, an attaché () is a person who is assigned ("to be attached") to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency. Although a loanword from French, in English the word is not modified ac ...
*
Chief Cabinet Secretary
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Downing Street Press Secretary
The Downing Street Press Secretary is an adviser to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on news media and how to manage the image of the British government to the press. The position is part of the Prime Minister's Office and involves using ...
*
Press service
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...
*
Spin doctor
In public relations and politics, spin is a form of propaganda, achieved through knowingly
providing a biased interpretation of an event. While traditional public relations and advertising may manage their presentation of facts, "spin" often i ...
*
Spokesperson
A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others.
Duties and function
In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...
*
White House Press Secretary
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 federal government, especially with regard to the president, senior aides and ...
References
External links
Mass media occupations
Government occupations
Political occupations
Business occupations
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