During our in class lecture, the contributions of many historical figures to the discipline of public relations were discussed. In particular, there was an emphasis on American Presidents including Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Harry Truman. However, the lecture did not dive into the contributions of Presidents who came after the 1950s. In particular, I want to discuss the contributions of Ronald Reagan.
With his career in Hollywood, Ronald Reagan already had a good sense of what the media wants and how to give it to them. He and his future wife, Nancy Davis, started out their careers in film. The first job that Ronald Reagan received after leaving the Hollywood film industry was with General Electric. GE had a television series called The General Electric Theater. As host of this drama series, Reagan’s job was to go around and tour America as a public relations representative for General Electric. This gave him his first real glimpse into what public relations is like as a discipline.
Reagan came on the political radar after a 1964 speech to the Republican National Convention. He would later be elected governor and President and by the end of his political career, Ronald would earn the nickname “The Great Communicator.”
Once Reagan entered his political career, his PR focus shifted into public affairs communication. Reagan had a very dynamic duo in his political arsenal: great orations and big plans. He used the power of his oratory skills to convey his plans to the average American. People were impressed by the number of issues that Reagan discussed in his 1980 and 1984 campaigns including raising defense spending, reducing taxes, and balancing the budget. These messages were big goals, but Ronald’s rhetoric used simple language to convey the message to the American citizen and more specifically, the American taxpayer.
Reagan’s sense of audience analysis was astute. He paid careful attention to the words he was saying and the way the audience was receiving his words. A USA Today editorial by Lou Cannon tells a story of Reagan giving a speech and coming off stage where a staffer praised him for how great his speech was. It is reported that Reagan said, “don’t give me that. I bombed.” Throughout his first term, Reagan convinced the American people of his plans through smooth rhetoric to the point that the Congress and other political powers had to follow along. Because of the power of his rhetoric, Reagan was his own greatest ally on the campaign trail and around the country. Thanks to the success of his persuasive rhetoric throughout his first term and in his reelection campaign, Ronald Reagan won reelection in the largest political landslide in American history.
It is absolutely essential to discuss Reagan’s relationship with the media when discussing his contributions to PR. Rarely did any criticism or blame from the media ever befall Ronald Reagan. Because of this, he was nicknamed “the teflon President.” Like Teddy Roosevelt, the media was intimidated by Reagan’s magnetic personality and overwhelming popularity, so they often censored themselves. They would pull any stories that did not place Reagan, his administration, or his policies in a good light. Even the Democrats were afraid to criticize Reagan.
Reagan’s administration played a role in his PR genius as well. According to Mark Hertsgaard of The Nation, “Reagan and his PR apparatus knew how to get their desired message across while satisfying the media’s appetite for interesting stories and appearing visuals.” They planned out their PR strategies months in advance, they fed the reports “the line of the day,” and they carefully controlled every aspect, no matter how big or how small, of Reagan’s public appearances. Reagan and his PR team understood that if a key message was repeated time after time to the American voter, that message would eventually stick.
Overall, Ronald Reagan is the one who put the “PR” in President.