Presidential Families, Coverage of

Maurine H. Beasley

Throughout American history the news media have capitalized on presidential families. Family members have made news as political players in the own right, presidential advisors, and media celebrities. News media coverage has enhanced the ability of presidential family members to develop their own political careers as well as to make them symbols of the human side of the presidency. A long-standing theme in American politics has been the family relationships between Presidents themselves as illustrated by father–son relationships. The second President, John Adams, elected in 1796, was the father of the sixth President, John Quincy Adams, who took office in 1825. President William Henry Harrison, elected in 1840, was the grandfather of President Benjamin Harrison, elected in 1888. Media coverage has helped some presidential family members parlay their White House relationships into successful political careers. The most obvious case is that of Hillary Rodham Clinton, wife of President Bill Clinton, ...

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