The President and the Media

Active learning helps students grasp how media and presidential communication have evolved together. By analyzing primary materials and practicing roles, students see how framing, access, and technology shape public perception in real ways. This approach moves beyond abstract concepts to concrete, evidence-based understanding.

• 9th Grade
• Civics & Government
• 4 activities
• 25 min–45 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze presidential speeches and press conference transcripts to identify specific communication strategies used to influence public opinion.
2. Evaluate the effectiveness of different media outlets, from traditional newspapers to social media platforms, in holding presidential administrations accountable.
3. Compare and contrast the communication styles of two different presidents regarding their use of media.
4. Critique the ethical implications of presidential administration's use of social media for direct communication with the public.
5. Explain how the First Amendment's protection of a free press shapes the dynamic between the President and the media.

Press Conference

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Media Analysis: Presidential Communication Across Four Eras

Provide examples from four eras: a newspaper account of a Lincoln press statement, an FDR fireside chat transcript excerpt, a description of a Kennedy press conference moment, and a recent presidential social media post. Small groups analyze each using a shared framework: Who is the target audience? What message is being communicated? What does the medium allow or constrain? What can the press do in response?

Prepare & details

Analyze how presidents use media to shape public opinion.

Facilitation Tip: For the Media Analysis activity, provide students with a graphic organizer that prompts them to note the medium, intended audience, and framing technique for each example before comparing across eras.

Setup: Panel table at front with microphone area, press corps seating

Materials: Character research briefs, News outlet role cards (with bias angle), Question preparation sheet, Press pass templates

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Role Play

⏱ 45 min·Whole Class

Role Play: White House Press Briefing

One student plays the White House press secretary; three to four play communications advisors in a brief prep session; the rest play journalists. The press secretary must answer questions about a constructed news story using talking points prepared with advisors. The debrief examines what information was shared, what was withheld, and how framing shaped the exchange.

Prepare & details

Evaluate the role of the press in holding the president accountable.

Facilitation Tip: During the Role Play, assign students roles in advance so they can prepare by reviewing sample press briefings and crafting questions that reflect real-world concerns.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Direct Access or Press Intermediaries?

Present two scenarios: a president who communicates directly with the public via social media without press intermediaries, and a president who relies primarily on formal press conferences. Students write individually about the democratic tradeoffs of each approach, then compare with a partner. The debrief focuses on who benefits from each model and what accountability mechanisms differ between them.

Prepare & details

Critique the impact of social media on presidential communication.

Facilitation Tip: In the Think-Pair-Share, set a timer for each phase to keep the discussion focused and ensure all students contribute before sharing with the class.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Gallery Walk

⏱ 30 min·Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Analyzing Headlines on the Same Event

Post eight news headlines reporting the same presidential action from sources with different audiences and perspectives. Students rotate and annotate each: What frame does this headline use? Whose interests does this framing serve? What would a reader miss by relying only on this source? This builds critical literacy applied directly to political reporting students encounter in their own lives.

Prepare & details

Analyze how presidents use media to shape public opinion.

Facilitation Tip: For the Gallery Walk, post the headlines around the room and provide sticky notes so students can add comments directly to the examples they analyze.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Start by grounding the topic in primary sources to avoid abstract debates about media and power. Use contrasting examples from different eras to show how technology changes the balance of access and control. Encourage students to question not just what is said but how and why it is framed that way. Research shows that when students analyze real communications in context, they better understand the strategic nature of persuasion.

What to Expect

Students will demonstrate their ability to recognize communication strategies, evaluate their effectiveness, and explain how media dynamics influence presidential power and public trust. You will see this in their analyses of primary sources and in their participation during discussions and debates.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Media Analysis: Presidential Communication Across Four Eras activity, students may assume presidential communications are straightforward or unfiltered.

What to Teach Instead

During the Media Analysis activity, provide a handout listing common framing techniques (e.g., selective emphasis, emotional language, omission of context) and ask students to identify at least two in each example. Have them discuss how these techniques shape public perception rather than assuming transparency.

Common Misconception

During the Role Play: White House Press Briefing activity, students may think press freedom simply means no censorship exists.

What to Teach Instead

During the Role Play, assign half the class as press corps and half as White House communications staff. After the briefing, debrief on how access was granted or denied, questions were prioritized, and follow-ups were handled. Use this to highlight how press freedom includes access, protection, and professional norms beyond censorship.

Common Misconception

During the Think-Pair-Share: Direct Access or Press Intermediaries? activity, students may believe social media gives unfiltered access to presidential views.

What to Teach Instead

During the Think-Pair-Share, share examples of presidential social media posts alongside behind-the-scenes communications planning documents. Ask students to compare the posted message with the intended strategy, noting how spontaneity is often curated and who benefits from the platform’s algorithms.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After the Media Analysis: Presidential Communication Across Four Eras activity, have students complete an exit ticket identifying one framing technique from their examples and explaining its purpose in shaping public perception.

Discussion Prompt

After the Role Play: White House Press Briefing activity, facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'Should the press corps have the final say over which questions are asked, or should the President control access directly? Cite examples from today’s role play and historical precedents to support your position.'

Quick Check

During the Gallery Walk: Analyzing Headlines on the Same Event activity, circulate and ask students to explain the primary communication strategy used in one headline, focusing on tone, word choice, or framing. Collect their responses to assess understanding of persuasive techniques.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to compare a current presidential social media post with an FDR fireside chat, analyzing how each uses tone, audience targeting, and framing.
• For students who struggle, provide sentence stems like "This headline frames the event as..." or "The strategy here is to..." to scaffold their analysis.
• Deeper exploration: Invite students to research and present on a lesser-known president’s communication strategy, such as William McKinley’s use of the telegraph or Harry Truman’s radio addresses.

Key Vocabulary

Press Briefing	A regularly scheduled event where the White House Press Secretary provides updates and answers questions from journalists representing various news organizations.
Framing	The way in which a president or their administration presents information to shape how the public perceives an issue or event.
Adversarial Relationship	A dynamic where the press and the presidency often have conflicting goals, with journalists seeking information and administrations managing its release.
Media Spin	The attempt by a president or their staff to interpret or present information in a way that favors their administration or political agenda.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)	A federal law that grants the public the right to request access to records from any federal agency, often used by journalists to obtain information from the White House.