White House Communications Director - wikipedia White House Communications Director White House Communications Director Incumbent Hope Hicks since August 16, 2017 Acting : August 16, 2017 -- September 12, 2017 Executive Office of the President White House Office of the Press Secretary Reports to White House Chief of Staff Appointer The President Formation 1969 ( White House Office ) 1974 ( White House Office of the Press Secretary ) First holder Herbert G. Klein The White House Communications Director or White House Director of Communications, also known as Assistant to the President for Communications, is part of the senior staff of the President of the United States, and is responsible for developing and promoting the agenda of the President and leading its media campaign. The director, along with his or her staff, works on speeches such as the inaugural address and the State of the Union Address. The Communications Director, who is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the President without the need for Senate confirmation, is usually given an office in the West Wing of the White House. Contents 1 History 2 Role and responsibilities 3 Key staff 4 Directors 5 References History The White House Office of Communications was established by Herbert G. Klein in January 1969 during the Nixon administration. It was separate from the Office of the Press Secretary from 1969 to 1974. Role and responsibilities Historically, the position of White House Communications Director is given to a senior public relations staff member of the candidate 's campaign staff. Often this is either the deputy campaign manager or the campaign communications director. The communications director works closely with the White House Press Secretary, who is typically a co-worker in the President 's campaign. As the President 's voice and vision must be understood, the communications director ensures that all aspects of communications are covered to ensure that the administration 's message has been delivered clearly and successfully. A communications strategy must be devised to promote the president 's agenda throughout all media outlets. This can include, but certainly is not limited to, the State of the Union address, televised press conferences, statements to the press, and radio addresses. The communications office also works closely with cabinet - level departments and other executive agencies in order to create a coherent strategy, through which the president 's message can be disseminated. With the growing importance of the internet and new media in terms of presidential communication, the communications office has branched out to utilize the internet, and more specifically social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, in order to reach out and convey the President 's vision to a larger percentage of the public. Key staff Assistant to the president / director of communications : Hope Hicks Deputy assistant to the president / deputy director of communications : Jessica Ditto Deputy assistant to the president / deputy director of communications / director of research : Raj Shah White House Press Secretary : Sarah Huckabee Sanders Assistant to the president / public liaison comms. director : Omarosa Manigault Assistant to the president / director of social media : Dan Scavino In March 2017, deputy press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, was named communications director in the Office of the First Lady. Directors Officeholder Term start Term end Term duration President Herb Klein January 20, 1969 July 1, 1973 7003162300000000000 ♠ 4 years, 162 days Richard Nixon Ken Clawson January 30, 1974 November 4, 1974 7002278000000000000 ♠ 278 days Gerald Ford Jerry Warren November 4, 1974 August 15, 1975 7002284000000000000 ♠ 284 days Margita White August 15, 1975 July 12, 1976 7002332000000000000 ♠ 332 days David Gergen July 12, 1976 January 20, 1977 7002192000000000000 ♠ 192 days Gerald Rafshoon July 1, 1978 August 14, 1979 7002409000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 44 days Jimmy Carter Frank Ursomarso February 23, 1981 June 17, 1981 7002114000000000000 ♠ 114 days Ronald Reagan David Gergen June 17, 1981 January 15, 1984 7002942000000000000 ♠ 2 years, 212 days Michael A. McManus Jr. January 15, 1984 February 6, 1985 7002388000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 22 days Pat Buchanan February 6, 1985 March 1, 1987 7002753000000000000 ♠ 2 years, 23 days Jack Koehler March 1, 1987 March 13, 1987 7001110000000000000 ♠ 11 days Tom Griscom April 2, 1987 July 1, 1988 7002456000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 90 days Mari Maseng July 1, 1988 January 20, 1989 7002203000000000000 ♠ 203 days David Demarest January 20, 1989 August 23, 1992 7003131100000000000 ♠ 3 years, 216 days George H.W. Bush Margaret Tutwiler August 23, 1992 January 20, 1993 7002150000000000000 ♠ 150 days George Stephanopoulos January 20, 1993 June 7, 1993 7002138000000000000 ♠ 138 days Bill Clinton Mark Gearan June 7, 1993 August 14, 1995 7002798000000000000 ♠ 2 years, 68 days Don Baer August 14, 1995 July 31, 1997 7002717000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 351 days Ann Lewis July 31, 1997 March 10, 1999 7002587000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 222 days Loretta Ucelli March 10, 1999 January 20, 2001 7002682000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 316 days Karen Hughes January 20, 2001 October 2, 2001 7002255000000000000 ♠ 255 days George W. Bush Dan Bartlett October 2, 2001 January 5, 2005 7003119100000000000 ♠ 3 years, 95 days Nicolle Wallace January 5, 2005 July 24, 2006 7002565000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 200 days Kevin Sullivan July 24, 2006 January 20, 2009 7002911000000000000 ♠ 2 years, 180 days Ellen Moran January 20, 2009 April 21, 2009 7001910000000000000 ♠ 91 days Barack Obama Anita Dunn Acting April 21, 2009 November 30, 2009 7002223000000000000 ♠ 223 days Dan Pfeiffer November 30, 2009 January 25, 2013 7003115200000000000 ♠ 3 years, 56 days Jennifer Palmieri January 25, 2013 April 1, 2015 7002796000000000000 ♠ 2 years, 66 days Jen Psaki April 1, 2015 January 20, 2017 7002660000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 294 days Sean Spicer January 20, 2017 March 6, 2017 7001450000000000000 ♠ 45 days Donald Trump Mike Dubke March 6, 2017 June 2, 2017 7001880000000000000 ♠ 88 days Sean Spicer Acting June 2, 2017 July 21, 2017 7001490000000000000 ♠ 49 days Anthony Scaramucci July 21, 2017 July 31, 2017 7001100000000000000 ♠ 10 days Hope Hicks August 16, 2017 Acting : August 16 -- September 12, 2017 7001410000000000000 ♠ 41 days References Jump up ^ `` White House Unit Takes on New Life '', The Washington Post, November 26, 1973, p. 9. Jump up ^ Judiciary, United States Congress House Committee on the ( 1973 ). Impeachment : Selected Materials. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160577031. Jump up ^ `` Press Operations in White House Revised, With Politics Ruled Out '', The New York Times, August 17, 1974, p. 15. Jump up ^ Klein, Betsy, and Noah Gray, `` Melania Trump hires communications director '', CNN, March 27, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Richard Nixon : Letter Accepting the Resignation of Herbert G. Klein as Director of Communications for the Executive Branch. ''. presidency.ucsb.edu. ^ Jump up to : Kumar, Martha Joynt ( July 6, 2007 ). `` Managing the President 's Message : The White House Communications Operation ''. JHU Press -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ Ford Shifts and Expands Press Staff Jump up ^ `` Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum ''. fordlibrarymuseum.gov. Jump up ^ URSOMARSO, FRANK : Files, 1981 ( 3.1 l. ft. ; Box 1 - 8 ) Jump up ^ Appointment of Frank A. Ursomarso as Director of the White House Office of Communications Jump up ^ `` Key Reagan Administration Officials ''. reagan.utexas.edu. Jump up ^ `` Letter Accepting the Resignation of John O. Koehler as Assistant to the President and Director of Communications ''. reaganlibrary.archives.gov. Jump up ^ Appointment of Margaret DeBardeleben Tutwiler as Assistant to the President for Communications, gpo.gov. Jump up ^ `` William J. Clinton : Press Briefing by David Gergen and Mark Gearan ''. presidency.ucsb.edu. Jump up ^ `` George W. Bush : Statement by the Press Secretary : Bartlett Named White House Communications Director ''. presidency.ucsb.edu. Jump up ^ `` President Donald J. Trump Announces White House Staff Appointments '', whitehouse.gov, March 6, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Mysterious disappearance of Donald Trump 's mouthpiece Sean Spicer ''. The New Zealand Herald. June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017. Jump up ^ The White House ( July 21, 2017 ), Press Briefing with Principal Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, retrieved July 21, 2017 Jump up ^ Herman, Steve. `` Shakeup Puts Different Face on White House Communications ''. VOA. Retrieved 2017 - 08 - 15. Jump up ^ `` Mysterious disappearance of Donald Trump 's mouthpiece Sean Spicer ''. NZ Herald. Retrieved 2017 - 08 - 15. Jump up ^ Shen, Lucinda ( July 21, 2017 ). `` Anthony Scaramucci Thinks the White House Is About to Have a ' Phenomenal Relationship ' With the Press ''. Fortune. Retrieved August 13, 2017. Jump up ^ Shear, Michael D. ; Thrush, Glenn ; Haberman, Maggie ( July 31, 2017 ). `` John Kelly, Asserting Authority, Fires Anthony Scaramucci ''. The New York Times. Retrieved August 1, 2017. Jump up ^ TIME staff ( July 31, 2017 ). `` Watch Live : White House Holds Press Briefing After Anthony Scaramucci Resigns as Communications Director ''. TIME. Retrieved August 1, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Anthony Scaramucci : Five top tips to lose a job in 10 days ''. BBC News. 1 August 2017. Anthony Scaramucci had not yet made it to his official start date before he was fired Jump up ^ Santos, Amanda Proença ( July 31, 2017 ). `` Scaramucci Sets New Record for Shortest Term as Communications Director ''. NBC News. Retrieved August 14, 2017. Though President Donald Trump appointed Scaramucci to the role 10 days ago, he only held the position for six days thanks to an official start date of July 25. Jump up ^ `` Hope Hicks tapped for interim White House communications director ''. Fox News. August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017. 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Question: who does the white house director of communications report to
Answer: White House Chief of Staff