Beginning in March 1933, Roosevelt invited the press back into the White House, holding regular conferences in which he identified reporters by name and encouraged them to ask questions. In situations where the press could not be cajoled and flattered into reflecting his message, Roosevelt took his case straight to the people. His first “fireside chat,” delivered by radio on March 12, 1933, asked Americans to “unite in banishing fear” while Washington reorganized the banking system.
