History Daily The First Lady’s First Press Conference
Mar 6, 2026
A look at Eleanor Roosevelt’s groundbreaking decision to hold women-only press conferences and how they became a weekly tradition. The story explores her partnership with reporter Lorena Hickok and how media coverage shaped her public role. The narrative follows her wartime radio appeals and the dramatic day of her final press conference and FDR’s death.
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Eleanor's First All Women Press Conference
- Eleanor Roosevelt held a press conference on March 6, 1933, and invited only female reporters, shocking many at the time.
- The Red Room packed 35 women reporters who sat on the carpet or leaned against walls as cameras flashed and she spoke.
Lorena Hickok Shaped Eleanor's Public Role
- Eleanor developed a close relationship with reporter Lorena Hickok who traveled with her on the 1932 campaign and wrote serious political pieces about her.
- Hickok's coverage and personal access convinced Eleanor to host press conferences and to restrict them to women, boosting female employment in newsrooms.
Using Access To Force Newsroom Hiring
- By insisting on women-only press access, Eleanor created a leverage point: newspapers had to hire women if they wanted direct coverage of the First Lady.
- She maintained this ban for years, turning press conferences into a career pipeline for female journalists.