Ron Nessen, former press secretary to President Gerald Ford, passed away at 90. Appointed during the Watergate crisis, he aimed for transparency and rebuilding trust with the press after Nixon's resignation and Ford's pardon of him. Nessen committed to honesty, stating his loyalty was to the public, and openly distanced himself from his predecessor, Ronald L. Ziegler, known for misinformation. His tenure, amidst skepticism from the press and public, was marked by efforts to foster a new era of openness and communication.
Mr. Nessen said his first loyalty would be to the public. He promised to get as much news out as possible, and he told his former colleagues, 'If I lie or mislead you, I think you are justified in questioning my continued usefulness in this job.'
It hardly helped that Mr. Ford's first choice as press secretary, J.F. terHorst, had resigned after a month, saying he could not support the president's decision to pardon Mr. Nixon.
Mr. Nessen joined the White House at an extraordinary time: President Richard M. Nixon, facing impeachment for Watergate crimes, had quit; Vice President Ford had replaced and pardoned him.
A nation and its press, fed up with lies and deception, looked upon the new president and his spokesman with varying degrees of suspicion.
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