IOP Pritzker Fellow Harrison Fields on "A Day in the Life Inside the White House Press Office & Tackling Hostile Media"

THIS SEMINAR IS OPEN TO CURRENT UCHICAGO STUDENTS ONLY

Wednesday, March 25

12:30-1:45pm

The White House press office functions under sustained pressure, with staff typically arriving early in the morning and departing late in the evening. The work demands continuous awareness of emerging news, immediate response to developments and deliberate efforts to shape narratives around key administration priorities, including DOGE reforms, tariff enforcement, border security metrics and cultural policy adjustments.

A core responsibility is proactive defense against unfavorable coverage: identifying potentially damaging stories early and working to mitigate or counter them before they escalate. The goal is always to anticipate and address any negative mention of the President or a senior administration official without delay.

Campaign work centers on building electoral momentum, persuasion and rapid narrative control in a partisan contest. Governing communications, by contrast, operates in a more constrained environment - requiring precision to navigate legal, interagency and institutional considerations, while maintaining accountability to Congress, the public and the media.

This includes taking offensive steps to reshape access and accountability - for instance, restricting the Associated Press from certain press pool events and presidential coverage due to ongoing disputes over editorial decisions (such as adherence to executive orders on naming conventions like the Gulf of America). Come hear how that worked out.

Pritzker Fellows seminars are off the record and open to current UChicago students only. Seating in the IOP Living Room is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

If you have any questions about accessibility, please contact Ella Kumano-Maloney (ikmaloney@uchicago.edu).