Presidents
Article
The Press at the White House: 1918-1933
During the 1920s, press conferences emerged as a main form of presidential communication with the American people. Warren G. Harding hired professional speechwriter Judson Welliver in 1921 and began to hold public press conferences twice a week. Calvin Coolidge was the first president to use radio to speak directly to the citizens of the nation, broadcasting monthly programs. Herbert Hoover used
Article
The Press at the White House: 1901-1918
In 1902, the executive offices were moved from the second floor of the White House to the newly erected Executive Office Building (later named the West Wing). The building included an innovation—a small press room. Reporter access during the Theodore Roosevelt administration changed markedly when he required that cabinet members channel all press requests through his private secretary. William H. Ta
Article
The Press at the White House Overview
In the early months of 1914, reporters who regularly covered the White House became alarmed at rumors that the Congressional Standing Committee of Correspondents would be entrusted with choosing reporters for a series of regular press conferences being planned by President Woodrow Wilson. Eleven White House reporters responded to the reports by establishing the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) to support “the
