Hollywood’s Checkered History With DC Hires — A Cautionary Tale For WBD’s Bet On Robert Gibbs
deadline.comDavid Zaslav can now boast of having a former Press Secretary to the President of the United States among his corporate inner circle.
However, even with trophy of Robert Gibbs on his shelf now, the Warner Bros Discovery CEO may do well to remember the transition from DC to Hollywood has proved full of pitfalls over the years. “Everyone wants a Dee Dee Myers, nobody wants to end up with a Geoff Morrell,” notes an industry insider of the top ex-Bill Clinton aide who had a smooth five-year reign at Warner Bros and the former ABC News correspondent and Pentagon spokesman who flamed out in 2022 after just four contentious months as Disney’s communications boss. “What works in campaigns and in DC, doesn’t always work in LA,” the insider added, stressing the pacing and stakes of Hollywood PR moves at a different click than in the corridors of power. “You need a softer touch out here.” A relentless advocate for his boss as Barack Obama’s first press secretary and later a senior advisor for the 44th POTUS’ successful 2012 reelection, Gibbs subsequently took on roles as a MSNBC contributor, podcast co-host, consultant, and head of communications for McDonald’s from 2015 to 2019.
Whether that background can bring Zaslav the good press he craves is as unknown right now as where Gibbs will be based in his WBD gig.
One thing is clear – Robert Gibbs has next to no experience in the entertainment industry. In contrast, before she landed at WB in 2014 and after she exited as the first female White House Press Secretary, Myers served as a consultant and script advisor on The West Wing for the acclaimed Aaron Sorkin series seven season run.
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