| dc.description.abstract | This is a study about press secretaries written by a press secretary. Hence, one might have an impression that the role and functions which press secretaries play in the process of political communication will be favored at the expense of the mass media. I would like to dispel this notion from the very beginning. Statistics, which were so instrumental to this study, are a very meticulous discipline of science. So even if I had intended to favor my "brothers in arms," statistical analysis would not have allowed it. Normally, press secretaries do not write studies like this because they are simply too busy with their routine daily activities. Also, the nature of the job of press secretary is reactive and oriented mostly to achieving short term goals. I was a lucky press secretary. Over the past two years, I met many fine people and experienced a fortunate course of events that finally helped produce this work. There is no chance I can possibly list them all on a single page. First of all, I owe a great debt of gratitude to my adviser, Dr. Charles A. Fleming. Hardly anybody has ever spent so much time and showed such dedication to a thesis as Dr. Fleming did with Between a Rock and a Hard Place. He went through all the drafts, provided many valuable ideas for improvements and shared all my anxieties that I felt as I was working through the study, not to mention editing my imperfect English. I would like to express my deep appreciation to him. Throughout my study, I have also benefited from the generous support and patient assistance by the graduate faculty of the School of Journalism & Broadcasting, namely Dr. Maureen J. Nemecek, Dr. Marian D. Nelson, and Dr. J. Steven Smethers. A very special thanks goes to all the fine folks -- mayoral press secretaries in more than 70 cities across the United States -- who took valuable time from their busy schedules and helped me by providing a lot of inspiring information. I was fortunate to work for Mayor of Bratislava, Mr. Peter Kresanek. His consideration -- and his signature under my request for an unpaid leave of absence made this work possible. I also express my gratitude and friendship to the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Mayor in Bratislava, Mr. Broni Michalcak, and my former (and future) colleagues there. Their regular early morning phone calls provided great moral support and let me know that I always had a place to return. Special thanks go to Beth, Rosemary, and Pelayo. Their support and friendship got me through some tough times that everybody encounters in a foreign country. Ten years ago, I could have only dreamed about once studying in the United States. Therefore, my work on this study had symbolically begun on November 17, 1989. It is not pathetic to acknowledge here all my brave countrymen who brought democracy, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press back to my country. This date had also reinvented the job of press secretary in Czechoslovakia, and later in Slovakia. Research for this study was supported in part by a grant from the International Research and Exchanges Board, with funds provided by the United States Information Agency. These organizations are not responsible for the views expressed herein. This thesis is dedicated to my parents. Without their love and sacrifices it would never have been written. | |
