Fraser Seitel Fraser Seitel 

For more than four decades, I served as public relations “spokesman” for David Rockefeller, who died in March at the age of 101.

It was my privilege to represent Mr. Rockefeller with the media, first as public affairs director at Chase Manhattan, where Mr. Rockefeller served as CEO for a decade, and then as public relations counsel to the Rockefeller family.

He was — despite what you might read from conspiracy theorists and angry tweeters — a wonderful man, hard-working and kind to a fault. Had David Rockefeller not been born a billionaire, he still would have been the world’s nicest guy.

On the occasion of his death, it seems fitting to compare my job as spokesman for Mr. Rockefeller with that of Sean Spicer as spokesman for Donald Trump.

Here’s how David Rockefeller might define the task of a spokesman and why Mr. Spicer has a lot tougher road to hoe than I ever did.

Respect the reporter’s role

Mr. Rockefeller, being a Rockefeller, never coveted media coverage. He preferred to keep his activities private, but as Rockefeller and the CEO of a major institution, privacy simply wasn’t an option.

So, he accepted that reporters have a duty to keep the public informed. And if that meant reporting on problems or scandals or things that might make the institution look bad, then so be it.

Reporters, he understood, weren’t in business to kiss the buttocks of a CEO or a person of wealth or the President of the United States, for that matter. They were there to report a story, warts and all.

Anyone who drops in on a Sean Spicer daily news conference, where he regularly lambastes the assembled media for following the wrong stories and emphasizing the wrong aspects, understands that “respect” for journalists isn’t part of the Trump playbook.

Help with the “why”

Mr. Rockefeller also understood that journalists need to know “why” actions are taken or decisions reached. He recognized, as good public relations counselors do, that the “who/what/where/when/how” are important but not nearly as critical as understanding the rationale for statements.

Watching Mr. Spicer’s daily contortions, specifically his failure to explain “why” his boss believes his inauguration attendance set records or “why” Russians espionage wasn’t important in the election or “why” Obama spied on him, one can see how elusive explaining “why” can be.

Don’t play favorites

Mr.  Rockefeller’s eminent fairness always shined through in his dealings with the press.

At Chase, we would accommodate all comers, from sit-downs with The New York Times editorial board to profiles from Fortune magazine to interviews with college journalists. Mr. Rockefeller treated all equally, whether they approached him in reverence or revulsion.

With a boss who has openly questioned the “failing” New York Times or the “fake news” CNN or the enemy mainstream media, Mr. Spicer has been criticized for freezing out certain more hostile reporters in favor of those more hospitable to the Trump administration.

Since journalists have long memories and must publish every day, this policy of favoritism will prove, over the long-term, suicidal.

Don’t second-guess your press secretary

Finally, what Mr. Rockefeller never did was question either the answers or the loyalty of his press spokesman.

That’s not to say Mr. Rockefeller’s spokesman never made mistakes. (Occasionally, he made some real doozies, like the time he allowed an anti-Rockefeller Lyndon Larouche stooge in to interview his client, believing the man’s story that he was a stringer from Forbes! Ooofa!)

But Mr. Rockefeller trusted that while his spokesman may not have answered every question in the most well-crafted and appropriate manner, he never questioned his loyalty or professionalism. And so his spokesman spoke with confidence.

Mr. Spicer, on the other hand, likely enjoys no such inherent trust from his client. Indeed, he appears at his daily briefings occasionally to be walking on eggshells, fearful that his employer might be in another room watching his performance on television and critiquing every wrong move.

Such daily uncertainty in such a high-stress job can’t be pleasant. I feel badly for Sean Spicer, and I’m so glad I worked for a Rockefeller as opposed to a Trump.

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Fraser P. Seitel has been a communications consultant, author and teacher for 40 years. He may be reached directly at [email protected].