Organizational Spokesmanship: So You Want to Become a Press Secretary

The organizational spokesman has come to fill a vital need in a culture that values a sense of connection between those who provide services and those who seek them. It is the skilled organizational spokesman who maintains this connection, most often in a highly visible way. Organizational Spokesmanship draws on research and insights from professionals to discuss the functions of the organizational spokesman from a range of perspectives. Each of the chapters focuses on a specific aspect of the role to help readers understand and appreciate the skills and challenges. Case studies give readers the opportunity to see how the target skills and functions are manifested in the real world.

Topics covered in the text include the need for an organizational spokesman, agenda-building and persuasion, crisis communications, the natures of the audience and the media, commercial and political speech, and defamation and libel. Each chapter features an interview with a professional, which serves to demonstrate the range of the field in both the private and public sectors.Organizational Spokesmanship is an ideal text for communication courses and media courses.

Daniel Walsch earned his Ph.D. in communication at George Mason University. Currently he teaches for the university’s communication department. During his time at George Mason, he has also served in the Office of University Relations as the director of media relations, the executive director of university relations, and the press secretary. Dr. Walsch has been recognized as Outstanding Supervisor and the Adjunct Instructor of the Year. In addition to his academic responsibilities, he maintains a blog on the importance of communication.