Oral history interview with James "Jay" Carney, 2020
Abstract
James "Jay" Carney reflects on his career as communications director for Vice President Biden and as White House press secretary from 2011 to 2014 during the Obama presidency. Carney provides details about the communications strategies surrounding several administration initiatives and policies, including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Affordable Care Act, and the launch of healthc are.gov. Carney focuses on the administration's relationship with the changing American media landscape, commenting on the rise of social and "new media," the popularity of conspiracy theories like birtherism, the value of White House press briefings, and the role of communications in framing White House negotiations with Congress. Carney also briefly recounts several notable events that took place during his tenure as press secretary, including the Osama bin Laden raid, the Sandy Hook shooting, the Trayvon Martin shooting, and White House statements in support of marriage equality
Presidents--United States; Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre, Newtown, Conn; Same-sex marriage--United States; Presidential press secretaries--United States; Carney, James F; Obama, Barack; Biden, Joseph R., Jr; Bin Laden, Osama, 1957-2011; Martin, Trayvon, 1995-2012; United States; Office of the White House Press Secretary; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2020
Physical Description
85 pages
Note (Biographical)
James Carney was communications director for Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. before becoming President Obama's press secretary. Before joining the administration, he spent 20 years at Time magazine, where he covered Bill Clinton and George W. Bush' s presidencies. At the time of the interview, Carney worked at Amazon as senior vice president for global corporate affairs, overseeing public policy and lobbying
Note
Interviewed by Nicole R. Hemmer on August 10, 2020 and August 31, 2020. This interview is part of the Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
James "Jay" Carney, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2022