"This is Roosevelt's World" - FDR as a Cultural Icon in American Memory

Abstract

Franklin Roosevelt is often viewed as the first modern media

president; he modernized the radio address and the press conference,

made use of modern public opinion polls, and was the first president to

leave a presidential library and museum. Roosevelt was also a modern media politician in the sense that he carefully -- and very successfully -- managed his future image. This research looks at Roosevelt's methods for doing this and their long-term effects. On the other hand, it studies post-2000 representations of Roosevelt, in order to assess deviations between the public image Roosevelt projected and the public image exists today.