MEDIA RELATIONS, OFFICE OF: Records, 1981-1989 – REAGAN LIBRARY COLLECTIONS This collection has been reviewed by the Reagan Library staff and it is available for research. You may access this collection in our research room. There is no need to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for any of the contents of this collection. MEDIA RELATIONS, OFFICE OF: Records, 1981-1989 Office History The Office of Media Relations was responsible for all press relations except the White House Press Corps. This involved press briefings, press conferences for regional and local media, arranging interviews for regional media, and sending out video clips for local newscasts. At various times it also included the “television office” responsible for the recordings of Presidential video/audio-taped messages and assisting with the actual technical set-ups for outside broadcast crews. These different functions were carried out under several office permutations and office names throughout the Reagan administration. Since most of the staff and their physical location remained the same throughout the eight years, we have gathered all of this material under the title of the Office of Media Relations. Originally, providing liaison services to non-regular White House press was handled by a subset of the Press Secretary’s Office entitled Media Liaison. Its director was Lou Gerig, an associate of Press Secretary James Brady. His staff included Sue Mathis (later Mathis-Richard) and Linda Perryman. Simultaneously, the Office of Communications contained the “Television Consultant to the President,” Mark Goode and Media Coordinator, Jan Mahan (later Mahan-Duval). Goode and Mahan handled the recorded activities of the President. This consisted of taping messages for various events the President could not attend, public service announcements, interviews and the President’s weekly radio address. In addition, they provided the television service or coordinated the needs of external television organizations. Their activities included audio and video, political and non-political recordings and working with recordings for the First Lady. After the assassination attempt on the President, and the resulting serious injury to Press Secretary James Brady, it became necessary to make adjustments in handling the media and the construction of the Press Secretary’s office. Larry Speakes and Karna Small (later Small- Stringer) were both Deputy Press Secretaries at the time of Brady’s injury. Speakes was made Principal Deputy Secretary for the Press Office. The Office of Media Liaison was moved from the Press Secretary’s Office, and became a sub-office of the Office of Communications. Karna Small was made the Director of Media Relations and Planning and Lou Gerig became her Deputy Director. The television office functions became Small’s responsibilities, although it appears to have been handled almost exclusively by Mahan and Goode. In addition, the newly constituted office appears to have taken the responsibility of the Speaker’s Bureau. The Library found no documents related to the Speaker’s Bureau within this collection. 3/11/2020 Media Relations, Office - 2 While serving as Director of Media Relations and Planning, Small also became a consultant to the National Security Council on media relations. In 1984, both Karna Small and Jan Mahan- Duval left the Office of Media Relations. The office went through some short term solutions, but it was eventually decided to separate the television/recording functions into the Office of Television and to promote Sue Mathis-Richard to Director of the Office of Media Relations. Elizabeth Board was hired as Director of the Television Office. Both offices were ultimately reporting to the Office of Communications. At this time the Office of Media Relations continued as a the point of contact for all non-White House press corps inquiries, arranging media coverage for other White House office evetns, especially the Office of Public liaison and the Office of Political Affairs, working with national magazines, and providing regional briefings for local media from selected areas of the country. Mathis-Richard left the White House in September 1987 and the television functions and media relations were recombined. Elizabeth Board became the Director of Media and Broadcast Relations. This was the final organization of these functions in the White House. The Office of Media Relations, in all its manifestations, was always a small office with limited staff, supplemented with several interns providing administrative support. The material for this office has been arranged in eight series: Series I: Correspondence pg. 3 Series II: Subject File I, 1981-1984 pg. 5 Series III: Subject File II, 1985-1989 pg. 14 Series IV: Television Office – Presidential Taping Sessions, 1981-1988 pg. 17 Series V: Television Office - First Lady Taping Sessions, 1981-1988 pg. 29 Series VI: Television Office – Political Taping Sessions, 1981-1988 pg. 30 Series VII: Mailings, 1981-1988 pg. 32 Series VIII: Calendars. pg. 38 SERIES I: CORRESPONDENCE 1981-1987 (Boxes 1-6; 2.5 l.ft.) This series consists of general correspondence with various media and broadcasting organizations. It is arranged chronologically and alphabetically by correspondent. SERIES II: SUBJECT FILE I, 1981-1984 (Boxes 7-24; 8 l.ft.) This series consists of a subject file from the first administration. It is arranged alphabetically. SERIES III: SUBJECT FILE II, 1985-1988 (Boxes 25-34; 3.5 l.ft.) This series consists of a subject file from the second administration. It is arranged alphabetically. 3/11/2020 Media Relations, Office - 3 SERIES IV: TELEVISION OFFICE – PRESIDENTIAL TAPING SESSIONS (Boxes 34-51; 7 l.ft) This series consists of the background material and administrative arrangements for the multiple taping sessions by the President for various organizations and public service announcements. It is arranged chronologically. This material was originally separated among various staff members: Mahan-Duval, Elizabeth Board, Caroline Rhoden and John Peschong. Since the material was not unique to each staff member but unique to the date of the taping, the Library combined all the tapings in one office series. SERIES V: TELEVISION OFFICE – FIRST LADY TAPING SESSIONS (Boxes 51-52; 1 l.ft.) This series consists of the background material and administrative arrangements for the taping sessions by the First Lady for various organizations, public service announcements, and taped interviews with the First Lady. It is arranged chronologically. This material was originally separated among various staff members: Mahan-Duval, Elizabeth Board, Caroline Rhoden and John Peschong. Since the material was not unique to each staff member but unique to the date of the taping, the Library combined all the tapings in one office series. SERIES VI: TELEVISION OFFICE – POLITICAL TAPING SESSION (Boxes 53-55; 1 l. ft.) This series consists of the background material and administrative arrangements for the political endorsement and political support tapings by the President for various candidates and the Republican party for fundraising. It is arranged chronologically. This material was originally separated among various staff members: Mahan-Duval, Elizabeth Board, Caroline Rhoden and John Peschong. Since the material was not unique to each staff member but unique to the date and type of taping, the Library combined all the tapings in one office series. SERIES VII: MAILINGS, 1981-1988 (Boxes 55-64; 5 l.ft.) This series consists of various issue statements, press releases, fact sheets and questions and answer papers sent out to outside media during the Reagan Administration. It is arranged alphabetically. SERIES VIII: CALENDARS, 1985-1987 (Box 65) This series consists of event and presidential activities calendars for 1985-1987. The Library was unable to establish any individual ownership of these calendars, so they were placed in the office collection. Other Media Relations staff members have other copies and further copies of these calendars. They are arranged chronologically. CONTAINER LIST SERIES I: CORRESPONDENCE Box 1 3/11/2020 Media Relations, Office - 4 Memos 01/27/1981-03/05/1981 (1)(2) [Correspondence 1981-1982] A-B (1)-(5) [Correspondence 1981-1982] C-D (1)(2) [Correspondence 1981-1982] E-F (1)(2) [Correspondence 1981-1982] G-H (1)-(3) [Correspondence 1981-1982] I-J [Correspondence 1981-1982] K-L (1)(2) Box 2 [Correspondence 1981-1982] K-L (3) [Correspondence 1981-1982] M-N (1)-(3) [Correspondence 1981-1982] O-P (1)(2) [Correspondence 1981-1982] Q-R [Correspondence 1981-1982] S-T (1)-(6) [Correspondence 1981-1982] U-V (1)-(3) [Correspondence 1981-1982] W-X-Y-Z (1) Box 3 [Correspondence 1981-1982] W-X-Y-Z (2) 1982-1983 Correspondence (1)(2) Letters to Jann Mahan Duvall and Mark Goode 1981-1982 1983 Correspondence Correspondence [January 1981-March 1981] Correspondence [April 1981-May 1981] Correspondence [June 1981] Correspondence [July 1981] Correspondence [August 1981] Correspondence [September 1981-October 1981] Correspondence [November 1981-December 1981] Correspondence [January 1982] Correspondence [February 1982-March 1982] Correspondence [April 1982-May 1982] Correspondence [June 1982] (1)(2) Box 4 Correspondence [July 1982-08/05/1982] Correspondence [08/06/1982-09/07/1982] Correspondence [09/08/1982-10/05/1982] Correspondence [10/06/1982-11/02/1982] Correspondence [11/03/1982-12/15/1982] Correspondence [12/16/1982-12/31/1982] Correspondence [January 1983-02/15/1983] Correspondence [02/16/1983-04/07/1983]