Jody Powell
Speakers:
Jody Powell, White House Press Secretary
Patricia Bario, Associate Press Secretary
Al Friendly, Associate Press Secretary, National Security Council
Rex Granum, Deputy Press Secretary
Ray Jenkins, Speechwriter
Dale Leibach, Assistant Press Secretary
Claudia Townsend, Editor, News Summary
Date: 12/17/1981 - 12/18/1981
Description:
Jody Powell and a group of his top aides examine the organization, function and operations of the White House press office during the Carter presidency. The morning session on Day One explores the transition from the 1976 presidential campaign to the early months of the administration, and how the Carter White House, and the press office in particular, came to be organized. In the afternoon session, Powell and his colleagues detail the range, scope, and nature of press office functions, including the media liaison's office (Bario), national security press operation (Friendly), news summary (Townsend), and press advance (Leibach). On the second day of the interview, broader topics on the Carter presidency are investigated, including interactions between Carter and the White House Staff, and the relationship between the administration and the Democratic Party, the "permanent press," and the Washington establishment. Finally, each of the interviewees offers their thoughts on the 1980 presidential election and how the Carter presidency will likely be viewed in history.
