The History and Return of Press Briefings
The History and Return of Press Briefings
March 11, 2021
Many administrations have entered and exited the White House in the last 100 years. However, what has remained constant over time is how the President and press communicate through conferences and briefings. Woodrow Wilson held the first press conference in March 1913, giving the public a means by which to question their elected officials. Those press conferences became an essential component of the American presidency, with different administrations holding from as few as 24 to as many as 93 a year.
In the 1960s press
briefings took over as the main mode of communication. Conferences are organized events, scheduled at will by the administration, where the President can communicate with the press and public. Briefings, on the other hand, are not led by the President and are regularly scheduled. Thanks to Richard Nixon’s decision to turn Franklin D Roosevelt’s swimming pool i