Presidential Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders further jeopardized her credibility with the news media by responding defensively when caught in a lie.
Instead of acknowledging the mistake, and apologizing, Ms. Sanders chose to attack the reporters along with their credibility. “Frankly, I think my credibility is probably higher than the media’s … I think that if you spent a little bit more time reporting the news instead of trying to tear me down, you might actually see that we’re working hard trying to provide you good information.”
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The issue was her denial of Donald Trump dictating a statement made by his son, Donald Trump Jr. , on a meeting between Russians and top Trump campaign officials. In a 20-page memo from the Trump legal team to Special Council Robert Mueller, it was revealed that Mr. Trump did, in fact, dictate his son’s statement, revealing that Ms. Sanders either lied or she was lied to.
Another example of the contentious relationship between the Trump White House and the press was fostered early on by Ms. Sander’s predecessor. Sean Spicer who, while facts proved him wrong in the number of inauguration attendees, chose to attack the media for their “dishonesty.”
Press Secretary’s Purpose
According to Wikipedia, the press secretary’s purpose is to act as a spokesperson for the Executive Branch of the US government, especially with regard to the president, senior executives and policies. In our communication skills training, we coach spokespeople to help reporters do their job in “communicating your story to your public.”
A contentious relationship with the media is not inherent in the role of press secretary. In an annual survey conducted by the Politico Magazine in April 2015, President Obama’s Press Secretary, Josh Earnest was voted the most helpful press official in the Obama administration and the best White House press secretary by nearly 70 journalists.
Sarah Sanders is the third woman to serve as press secretary after Dana Perino (George W. Bush) now co-host of “The Five” at Fox News Channel and Dee Dee Myers (Bill Clinton) now Executive Vice President, Worldwide Corporate Comms and Public Affairs at Warner Bros.
Honestly, there is life and career after being a press secretary.