Dive Brief:
- Amazon has hired Jay Carney, President Obama’s former White House press secretary, to a new position overseeing public relations and public policy.
- Well-schooled in crisis communications, Carney discussed similar roles with Apple and Uber before taking the position with Amazon.
- Amazon’s chiefs of lobbying and public relations will now report to Carney.
Dive Insight:
Amazon may be ready to boost its inside-the-Beltway clout with the hiring of former White House press secretary Jay Carney. A power in retail, distribution, cloud computing, and publishing, the company has an interest in nationwide issues such as internet sales tax and drone regulation. The heads of Amazon’s lobbying and PR departments will now report to Carney.
Part of Carney’s task may be to buff Amazon's image after the fallout from a high-profile book about the company and recent squabble with Hachette over e-book prices. However, reporters may not see increased access anytime soon—Carney and Craig Berman, Amazon’s vice president of global communication, seem to share a mistrust of reported coverage.