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Press Secretary

Runs the Member's public voice: reporters, releases, statements, and the daily narrative.

Guides for this role
3
Templates
1
Salary reports
Collecting reports

What the job actually is

The Press Secretary decides what the office says publicly, when, and to whom. You manage reporter relationships, write in the Member's voice under deadline, and protect the Member from avoidable stories.

Core responsibilities

  • Manage reporter relationships and press inquiries
  • Write releases, statements, op-eds, and talking points
  • Prep the Member for interviews and press events
  • Run the office's social accounts and content calendar
  • Coordinate with district staff on local media
  • Monitor coverage and correct the record when needed

A typical day

  1. Clip the morning coverage and flag anything urgent
  2. Clear press inquiries against deadlines
  3. Draft a release or statement tied to the day's action
  4. Prep the Member before an interview or hallway scrum
  5. Post and monitor social content

A typical week

  • Monday: set the week's message and content calendar
  • Tuesday-Thursday: releases tied to votes and hearings
  • Wednesday: local and trade press outreach
  • Friday: recess or district media planning

Your first 30 days

  1. Read a year of the Member's releases, statements, and interviews
  2. Build a reporter list by beat and outlet with response history
  3. Agree with the Chief on who can speak on the record and when
  4. Draft one release and one statement in week one for feedback
  5. Set up monitoring and a clips routine

Essential skills

  • Writing fast and clean in someone else's voice
  • Reporter judgment
  • Staying calm in bad news cycles
  • Message discipline

Essential tools

  • Media monitoring tools
  • Social scheduling tools
  • Press list database
  • Broadcast booking contacts

Common mistakes

  • Answering a question the Member has not decided on
  • Missing a reporter deadline without saying so
  • Putting the news in the third paragraph
  • Over-posting when the office has nothing to say

Common challenges

  • Fast-moving stories with incomplete facts
  • Balancing national and local coverage
  • Keeping the Member on message in live formats

Career path

Press Secretaries commonly move to Communications Director, leadership or committee communications, campaign roles, or public affairs work downtown.

Salary insights

HillFAQs Salary Insights

We're building a clearer picture of what congressional staff actually earn.

No verified reports for this role yet, so we aren't showing medians, ranges, or report counts.

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Guides for Press Secretarys