Media Relations and the Modern First Lady

Lisa M. Burns is professor of media studies at Quinnipiac University.

• Introduction: Why Do First Lady Media Relations Matter? Lisa M. BurnsChapter 1: History of First Lady Media Relations from Martha Washington to Mamie Eisenhower Maurine H. BeasleyChapter 2: Jacqueline Kennedy and the Challenge of Establishing Modern First Lady Media RelationsElizabeth J. NatalleChapter 3: Lady Bird Johnson and the Press: “She Understood the Language of the Trade”Nancy Keegan Smith and Diana Bartelli CarlinChapter 4: Strength of a Tender Heart: Pat Nixon’s Media Relations Linda B. HobgoodChapter 5: “For all the questions you didn’t ask—I’m grateful”: The Media Relations of Betty FordMyra G. GutinChapter 6: Rosalynn Carter, Mary Finch Hoyt, and the Media: The Rise of the Steel MagnoliaPamela G. Bourland-Davis, Jenni M. Simon, and Abby M. BrooksChapter 7: The Boss’s Wife: Exploring Nancy Reagan’s Complicated Role as Homemaker, Protector, and AdvocateJoshua M. Bentley and Russell MackChapter 8: First Lady Barbara Bush and Press Secretary Anna Perez: Lessons from an Effective Media Relations PartnershipMolly WertheimerChapter 9: Soldiering On: Lisa Caputo, Marsha Berry, and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Media RelationsAnne F. MattinaChapter 10: Speaking From the “Velvet Pulpit”: The Media Relations of Laura BushErika Cornelius SmithChapter 11: Michelle Obama and the Effective Use of Strategic Communication: The Art of Mastering Messaging across Multiple Media Platforms Shaniece B. BickhamChapter 12: Melania Trump’s Bullied Pulpit: Media Relations for an Embattled First Lady Tammy R. VigilConclusion: The Dynamic Nature of First Lady Media RelationsAlison Novak

Notable first lady scholar Lisa M. Burns is back with an impressive collection of essays from leading scholars in Media Relations and the Modern First Lady: From Jacqueline Kennedy to Melania Trump. As the roles of women have changed in society since the 1960s, and media has changed too, the complexity and pace with which the media reports on our first ladies is notable.  Why do first lady media relations matter?  This book demonstrates the importance of astute media relations and how each woman must navigate her unique time in the spousal spotlight while the whole world is watching.