The “full Ginsburg” refers to an appearance by one person on all five major Sunday-morning interview shows on the same day:
- This Week on ABC
- Face the Nation on CBS
- Meet the Press on NBC
- State of the Union on CNN
- Fox News Sunday
Origin of “Full Ginsburg”
The term is named for William Ginsburg, Monica Lewinsky’s lawyer during the Clinton scandal, who was the first person to accomplish this feat, on February 1, 1998.
Since then, the term has been used to refer to any situation in which a person is extensively interviewed on multiple news programs in a single day.
The motive behind attempting a full Ginsburg is typically to disseminate a consistent message or to respond to a significant news event or crisis.
It provides an opportunity for the person attempting it to reach a broad audience across different demographics and political affiliations.
Achieving a full Ginsburg is considered a remarkable accomplishment, both in the realms of media coordination and public relations.
It requires careful scheduling, preparation, and message crafting to ensure a coherent and effective presence across different networks.
These appearances can play a vital role in shaping public opinion or controlling a narrative, especially during times of political unrest or scandal.
In the years since Ginsburg’s achievement, several political figures have replicated the feat, solidifying “full Ginsburg” as a recognized term in modern political and media discourse.
A Wikipedia page keeps track of all the individuals who have accomplished the “full Ginsburg.”
Use of “Full Ginsburg” in a sentence
- The political consultant suggested that the senator do a “full Ginsburg” in order to get as much media coverage as possible.
- The “full Ginsburg” strategy was criticized by some as being a publicity stunt that did little to address the substance of the scandal.
Taegan Goddard is the creator of the Political Dictionary.
He is also the founder of many popular political websites, including Political Wire, Political Job Hunt and the Electoral Vote Map.
Goddard spent more than a decade on Wall Street as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he also served as a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won – Now What?: How Americans Can Make Democracy Work from City Hall to the White House, a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties.
His essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers and magazines across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University.
He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.