Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1972 A Rhetorical Assessment of Lyndon Johnson's Presidential Press Conferences. Stephen L. Cooper Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Cooper, Stephen L., "A Rhetorical Assessment of Lyndon Johnson's Presidential Press Conferences." (1972). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 2330. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/2330 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 73-13,654 COOPER, Stephen L., 1942- A RHETORICAL ASSESSMENT OF LYNDON JOHNSON'S PRESIDENTIAL PRESS CONFERENCES. The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ph.D., 1972 Speech University Microfilms. A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor. Michigan THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED A RHETORICAL ASSESSMENT OF LYNDON JOHNSON'S PRESIDENTIAL PRESS CONFERENCES A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Speech by Stephen L. Cooper B.A., The University of Texas, 196^ M.A., The University of Texas, 1965 December, 1972 PLEASE NOTE: Some pages may have indistinct print. Filmed as received. University Microfilms, A Xerox Education Company ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Gratitude Is expressed to Owen Peterson, who directed the study, for his guidance. Waldo Braden, Claude Shaver, J. Donald Ragsdale, and Sam Adams examined the dissertation and made useful suggestions. Too numerous to list are the librarians, archivists, government officials, and news media representatives who contribu­ ted to the research behind this paper. Appreciation is also given to the writer's colleagues, friends, and family for their encourage­ ment and supportive efforts toward the completion of this project. ii TABLE OP CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................ 11 ABSTRACT ....................................... lv CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ...................................... 1 Introduction to the Study.......................... 1 Introduction to the Presidential Press Conference. 5 II. JOHNSON'S USE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL PRESS CONFERENCE . $8 Johnson's Background..................... 53 Johnson's Attitudes Toward the Press ................ 65 Johnson's Press Conference Philosophy................ 72 Johnson's Press Conference Practices ................ 79 III. THE CONTENT OF JOHNSON'S PRESIDENTIAL PRESS CONFERENCES. 90 Johnson's Opening Statements ....................... 90 The Content of the Questions .................. 106 IV. EVALUATION OF JOHNSON'S PRESS CONFERENCES: VOLUNTARIES AND QUESTIONS.................................. 131 Johnson's Ooentng Statements ................... 131 The Questions............................ .........191 V. AN EVALUATION OF JOHNSON'S ANSWERS.................... 213 Johnson's Alms ............... 213 Methods of Development ............................ 221 Johnson's Responsiveness ....... ...... 230 VI. CONCLUSION......................................... 269 The Presidential Press Conference..................... 269 Lyndon Johnson and the P r e s s ......... ... .......... 27** Johnson's Press Conference Content .................. 275 Johnson's Opening Statements .............. 2 77 Reporters' Questions .............................. 273 Johnson's Answers....................................230 Suggestions......................................... 283 A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................285 VITA ................................................... 289 ill ABSTRACT The purposes of this study were to epply standards of rhetorical analysis and criticism to the presidential press conference as an oral communication situation, and more specifically, to examine Lyndon Johnson's effectiveness in his official, presidential news conferences. Before Woodrow Wilson, few presidents had direct, regular deal­ ings with reporters. Under Wilson, the presidential news conference became an institution, as he and later chief executives continued the practice with varying degrees of success. While most modern presidents have contributed to the evolution of the conference, Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy were unusually productive in establishing and maintaining presidential leadership through that channel of communication. President Johnson experimented with a variety of formats, but preferred informal, impromptu meetings with reporters. Johnson's press relations were mercurial and were criticized severely by news­ men. Reporters complained of his secrecy, his lack of candor, and the propagandists nature of his press communications. President Johnson was annoyed by personal criticisms, speculation, and inter­ pretative journalism. Johnson's goals were to explain, publicize, promote, and defend his administration. Further, he wanted to improve his image. He also wanted to control the conference and to regulate what correspondents reported. iv President Johnson's opening statements and reporters' questions generated the content of the meetings. Johnson frequently used lengthy opening remarks to announce executive appointments, deci­ sions, and policies. Newsmen asked about presidential, political, domestic, and foreign affairs. They inquired more about Vietnam than about any other matter. The development of Johnson's opening statements was characterized by the use of statistics, details, narration, and testimony. Repe­ tition and restatement were used often for amplification. Johnson's announcements were presented to avoid specific Issues, to anticipate and direct inquiry, to demonstrate progress of "Great Society" pro­ grams, to reply to critics, and to reiterate policy statements. Many of the announcements were newsworthy. Some were dramatic. Often, however, they were so redundant, long, and promotional that they ap­ peared to be ineffective. Reporters' questions were timely, important, and appropriate for the situation. Newsmen seemed to have been clear, concise, and tactful for the most part. President Johnson used a variety of techniques to control and fence with the press in his answers. He anticipated questions, inter­ rupted and instructed reporters, demanded sources, attacked questions, and used sarcasm and humor. Johnson employed the devices of back­ grounding, repeating, amplifying, exhausting, generalizing, arguing, and appealing to discuss issues in his replies. To avoid answering, he used a variety of tactics associated with the strategies of refusing to answer, referring questions, and circumventing specific ideas raised v by questions. In general, he probably avoided Inquiry so exten­ sively that his general effectiveness was diminished. In terms of audience adaptation, Johnson may have been too unresponsive to the needs of the press and the public to fulfill his presidential press conference purposes. vi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Introduction to the Study The presidential press conference is an unusual communication situation. The format challenges the nation’s leader to stand be­ fore representatives of the news media for an extemporaneous exchange of questions and answers. The meeting is a test of the president’s character, especially his skills in listening and speaking. A chief executive who meets the press in this manner has much to gain, de­ pending upon those skills. He listens to understand more than the substance of inquiry and he replies for more than a mere release of information, just as he analyzes his audiences and carefully prepares for such other communications as formal addresses to the nation. The news conference provides more than a passive expression of leader­ ship. The situation allows a salient demonstration of ability and a platform for persuasion. For these reasons, a president's performance in his attempts to Influence the press and, ultimately, the public seem highly amenable to analysis and evaluation. Unfortunately, few attempts to study the presidential press conference from other than a historical or descrip­ tive standpoint have been made. Moreover, rhetorical assessments of communication in the news conference situation do not appear in many academic studies, let alone professional publications. 1 2 Another Impetus for the present work lies In the speaker selected. Lyndon Johnson's speaking has received little attention from research­ ers in speech. This partial void Is probably due to several factors. Johnson is a fairly recent president and background materials on his administration are just now becoming available. Further, Johnson's public speaking, while forceful and probably very persuasive at times, lacked the polish and charm of such previous presidents as John Ken­ nedy. Finally, Johnson left office without accomplishing an end to what is and was one of the nation's most serious problems, a war. Johnson retired from public life with low national esteem. Many more years may pass before major consideration is given to his spoken communication. Nevertheless, Johnson was a fascinating and powerful politician and president. More significantly, his approach to the presidential press