May 2, 2017

THE BASICSTopic: Press Secretary

Articles “Sean Spicer, White House press secretary, talks to ‘CBS This Morning’: Full Transcript” (5/1)

(CBS News) “White House press secretary Sean Spicer defends Trumps’ ‘significant’ work in 100 days” (4/24)

(ABC News) “Donald Trump’s spokesman says he has ‘let the president down’ amid reports of infighting

among White House staff” (4/13) (The Telegraph) “The Role and History of the White House Press Secretary” (video) (1/4) (MSN) “Changes Coming to the White House Press Room: Who, Where, When and How?” (12/25/16)

(The New York Times)Questions to Consider

What is a press secretary? What is the relationship between the President of the United States and the press secretary? How is the President’s message sent out through the Press Office? How does the Press Secretary work for both the press and the president? Is televising the press conferences a good idea? Why or why not? Where is the Press Room located? Is its proximity to the President important? What is the protective pool? poolhttps://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/25/business/media/trump-

white-house-press-coverage.html Is the protective pool important? Is being a “witness to history” part of the role of a reporter who

covers the President? Why or why not? What is a “press gaggle”? How important are less formal briefing opportunities?

“An informal briefing by the White House press secretary that is on the record but video recording is not allowed. It can occur anywhere, such as on Air Force One, but it often describes the informal interactions between the press and the press secretary that occur before a formal White House briefing.The term likens the members of the press corps to a “gaggle of geese” honking “ http://politicaldictionary.com/words/press-gaggle

Why is the Press Secretary important to understanding the functioning of the government?

How should a press secretary be evaluated? Knowledge, communication skills, persuasiveness, television ratings?

is the format of a press conference helpful or not helpful to understanding the important events of the day?

What is the role of the reporters at a White House press conference? What is the White House Press Association? What is the significance of the Annual White House

Press Association dinner? How does the president’s decision not to attend the dinner demonstrate the need for better relations between the Press Corps and the President? Does it matter? Why?

What are skills a press secretary should possess? Why is a sense of humor one of those attributes? http://www.prcrossing.com/article/250475/The-Role-Of-A-Press-Secretary/

How does the recognition of May 1 as Law Day connect with the role of the press in a democracy? (Law Day is a national day to celebrate the rule of law and its contributions to the freedoms Americans enjoy.) https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=law+day+history

What would you want to ask if you were able to interview the Press secretary to the President of the United States?

THE EXTRASPre-teaching, Extensions & Further Reading

“White House Press Secretary” (Wikipedia) “Press Briefings” (White House) “What is it like to be the White House Press Secretary?” (The White House Historical

Association) “A Brief(ing) History of the White House Press Secretary” (1/26) (Mental Floss)

Lesson Plans "Civics Today: Citizenship, Economics and You” (2008) (McGraw Hill) “The Press Office: A Presidential News Conference News Simulation” (requires some adaptation

to 2017) (JFK Library)

What’s the Connection? Constitutional

“Executive Branch” (White House)Oregon

“Oregon Newsroom” (Oregon.gov)Students

“Oregon Student Free Expression Law” (CloseUp)

Oregon State Social Science Standards8.26. Examine a controversial event, issue, or problem from more than one perspective. HS.33. Explain the role of government in various current events.HS.59. Demonstrate the skills and dispositions needed to be a critical consumer of information.HS.60. Analyze an event, issue, problem, or phenomenon from varied or opposing perspectives or points of view.

CCSS Anchor Standards2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. 8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

We the People Lesson ConnectionsMiddle School, Level 2

Unit 6, Lesson 30: How might citizens participate in civic affairs? High School, Level 3

Unit 6, Lesson 34: What is the importance of civic engagement to American constitutional democracy?