From Sarah Baxter in The Times of London:
The White House is flooding the media with intimate close-up pictures of the Obamas, including Malia and Sasha, the “first daughters”, in order to reduce the value of paparazzi shots. Grainy, long-lens snatches of the girls are out while authorised pictures of Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, sledging on the White House lawn and frisking with Bo, the first dog, are in.
The same goes for affectionate portraits showing Barack Obama nuzzling his wife Michelle.
It is all part of a calculated marketing strategy to “brand” Obama’s presidency as people-friendly and accessible, while maintaining tight control of the family image. . . .
The tabloid magazines such as People and US Weekly, and television shows such as Access Hollywood, have been carefully cultivated by Camille Johnston, Michelle Obama’s communications director, who also handled the media for Al Gore, the former vice-president. “The Obama team has been masterful in the management of the image and allocation of stories,” said Angela Burt-Murray, editor of Essence, an African-American women’s magazine. “There’s definitely a science to the way they are approaching this.”
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