February 28, 2014

Media Adviser to Hillary Clinton in 1999: “Be Careful to Be Real”

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/15083709@N06/2245576555/in/photolist-4qraFa-4s7bTf-4uDKbQ-4Dx3MR-4Lki1L-4U6Tyk-51xeXX-51Byof-5nQ8Di-613oYp-bEieMB-9yMrvc-fucSTv-fusc6W-fus34L-fucHE4-beZvdn-8gibYf-8gibT9-8geV2T-dA7bF1-de5hpK-8geUYr-8geUWZ-dA1GRp-7JDuot-7JDu5B-7JHpFG-7JDu8T-7JDugK-7JHpJd-7JHphS-7JHpE3-7JDtQZ-7JDu1R-7JHpX7-7JHpVb-7JHpKw-7JHpgs-7JHpvS-7JDtWM-7JDtU2-7JDuip-7JHpnm-7JDuer-7JHpjN-7JHpwG-7JHpwm-7JHpCL-7JDusz-7JDtYg">Angela Radulescu</a>/Flickr

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In 1999, as former First Lady Hillary Clinton was preparing to run for US Senator in New York, she was coached by Mandy Grunwald, a public relations consultant who also served as media adviser for Clinton’s subsequent presidential campaign, before a speech. Back then, Grunwald had some words of wisdom for Clinton, who is now considered front runner for the Democrat’s 2016 presidential nomination: “Be careful to be real.” This is one of eight pieces of advice included in a July 1999 letter released today as part of a trove of documents from the Bill Clinton Administration.

Some of these tips could still be applicable for Clinton in 2016, if she chooses to run: “Don’t assume anyone knows anything about you…New Yorkers generally know about healthcare, your work for children, and then a lot of tabloid junk.” Here are the other tips: 

 

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Our team has been on fire lately—publishing sweeping, one-of-a-kind investigations, ambitious, groundbreaking projects, and even releasing “the holy shit documentary of the year.” And that’s on top of protecting free and fair elections and standing up to bullies and BS when others in the media don’t.

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