Under Attack, VP trailblazer Geraldine Ferraro Faced 250 Reporters at ‘Marathon Press Conference’

0

The story of the late Fordham Law alumna Geraldine Ferraro ’60, the first female vice-presidential nominee representing a major political party, and how she dealt with the press during her candidacy was highlighted in The Washington Post. 

It became clear to Ferraro and the campaign that the only way to stop the questions was to answer them — all of them. A news conference was scheduled. Ferraro would stand before reporters and, no matter how long it took, answer questions until there were none left.

Today, Ferraro’s performance is remembered for ushering “in the crisis communications tactic of the marathon press conference, in which a spokesperson attempts to quash a crisis by taking virtually every question the media can think of,” according to PR Daily, which covers the world of public relations.

But Ferraro, who died in 2011, was not intimidated. In fact, she saw the size of “my jury, my prosecutors, and my judges” as a political advantage. “I tried to call on everybody at least once,” she wrote.

Read the full story.

Share.

Comments are closed.