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Press Secretary

Press Secretary, White House
Responsibility
Management Scope

The press secretary is the head of an office that spans two buildings and, in many administrations, included approximately 30 people.2

Primary Responsibilities
  • Serves as information conduit, including:
    • Providing presidential information to reporters on a regular basis in both formal and informal settings3
    • Briefing the president on media issues and preparing the president and White House officials for media interviews4
  • Represents constituents (refers to the role the press secretary plays representing their three constituents to one another), including scheduling administration officials for media interviews5
  • Plays role in administration of the Office of the Press Secretary, including managing arrangements for traveling press corps
  • Plays role in communications planning, including developing messaging in coordination with White House communications director, White House policy councils and White House chief of staff office6
  • Plays a role in persuasion in some cases7
Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]
Requirements

• Experience in executive branch agencies and working for members of Congress is typical, and provides a sense of where information is and how to get it8
• Deep knowledge of the president’s positions on a wide range of issues as well as understanding of policy and how the executive and legislative branches work
• Expert in media relations
• Close relationship with the president
• Articulate and effective spokesperson on all forms of media (TV, new media, print media, etc.)
• Understanding of new media and how to use it effectively to achieve strategic goals

Competencies

• Ability to “play reporter” in getting facts to respond to media inquiries
• Respected by the media
• Ability to work in a high-pressure environment

Past Appointments
  • Josh Earnest (2014 to 2017) – Principal Deputy White House Press Secretary and Chief of Staff to the Press Secretary; White House Deputy Press Secretary; Iowa Communications Director for Senator Obama’s Presidential Campaign9
  • Jay Carney (2011 to 2014) – Director of Communications to Vice President Biden; Washington Bureau Chief Time magazine10
  • Robert Gibbs, (2009 to 2011); Communications Chief for Obama Presidential Campaign; Press Secretary for Senator Obama; Press Secretary for Kerry Presidential Campaign11
AGENCY

Executive Office of the President

Mission: The White House Office of the Press Secretary is responsible for gathering and disseminating information to the president, the White House staff and the media.

COMPENSATION

$176,461 in 20161

REPORTS TO

Reports through the White House chief of staff to the president

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Footnote
  1. https://www.whitehouse.gov/21stcenturygov/tools/salaries
  2. http://www.whitehousetransitionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/WHTP-2009-31-Press-Secretary.pdf
  3. http://www.whitehousetransitionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/WHTP-2009-31-Press-Secretary.pdf
  4. Romney Readiness Project
  5. http://www.whitehousetransitionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/WHTP-2009-31-Press-Secretary.pdf
  6. http://www.whitehousetransitionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/WHTP-2009-31-Press-Secretary.pdf
  7. http://www.whitehousetransitionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/WHTP-2009-31-Press-Secretary.pdf
  8. http://www.whitehousetransitionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/WHTP-2009-31-Press-Secretary.pdf
  9. https://ballotpedia.org/Josh_Earnest
  10. Romney Readiness Project position description
  11. Romney Readiness Project position description
This position description was created with the help of Martha Kumar from the White House Transition Project, which provides information to a new White House staff about their individual offices thereby streamlining the process of transition from one administration to the next.
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