To Riker Study Group DETAILS
Walt Riker
Dole Fellow - Spring 2011
Walt Riker has spent more than three decades on the front lines of high pressure, high profile communications.As a former television reporter, Capitol Hill Press Secretary and a spokesman for one of the most iconic brands in the world, he has been in the center of a virtual 360 degree career in news media, crises, politics, public relations, marketing, message development, issues management, speech writing and strategic thinking.
Walt spent seventeen years at McDonald's, the final nine as the Vice President of Global Media Relations, no small task seeing how the Golden Arches serves more than 60 million customers a day in more than 32,000 restaurants in 118 countries and markets. As one of the most accessible Brands on earth, McDonald's is a magnet for news, and issues. Walt was one of the key members of a company-wide team that helped turn McDonald's around beginning in 2003, one of the most dramatic revivals in corporate history.
Walt led a series of teams that managed through thousands of news stories a year, relentless activist attacks and unexpected tragedies and crises. As the McDonald's spokesman, Walt was on point when two CEOs died in less than a year; when the FBI announced a major round-up of conspirators rigging McDonald's popular Monopoly game; and when it came time to defend the company's food, values and people. Walt also was successful in pitching and placing scores of major stories about McDonald's in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Le Monde, The Sunday Times of London, the Financial Times, Hong Kong Morning Post, every news wire service, CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, NPR and countless other leading global news outlets.
From 1981 to 1993 Walt was on Capitol Hill as the Press Secretary for Senator Bob Dole of Kansas. He was named one of the "Five Greatest Press Secretaries of All Time" in a book written by Ed Rollins, the longtime political strategist. During Walt's tenure with Dole, the Kansas senator was the Chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, the Senate Majority Leader, Senate Minority Leader and a Presidential candidate in 1988.
Walt dealt day-to-day with the National and White House Press Corps along with virtually every news organization in the world. Walt traveled extensively with the Senator, to every state in the union and 58 foreign countries. He also served as the communications leader for several Congressional Delegations that traveled the world, including face-to-face meetings with Saddam Hussein, Pope John Paul, Mikhail Gorbachev and Deng Xhao Peng.
Walt began his communications career as a radio and television reporter for CBS affiliate WIBW in Topeka. He earned the coveted Statehouse Correspondent position which put him on TV every day, reporting from the center of Kansas politics, from the Governor's office to the Kansas Legislature. He also covered Washington events, the National Political Conventions, a Space Shuttle Launch and many breaking news stories, from murders to tornadoes. He set the all-time station record for placing scoops on the Associated Press wire. His TV stories also appeared nationally on CNN and CBS News.
After graduating from the University of Kansas in 1970 with a BA in English, Walt turned to music as a drummer in several bands, and played on the road for six years before returning to KU to earn a BS in Broadcast Journalism from KU's William Allen White School of Journalism. The faculty awarded him the Frank Stanton CBS Scholarship Award. Walt was elected to the KU Alumni Board of Directors where he was Chairman of the Communication Committee. He also was selected to be a member of the Executive Committee. His wife, Christine, has two degrees from KU, and his three children all attended KU.
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OF INTEREST
Walt Riker talked about his work as press secretary to former Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) 1981 to 1993. He discussed Senator Dole's media strategy and his inside view of the senator's political career. Topics included a typical day in the Senate, televising the Senate, Senator Dole's election as Senate majority leader, and his legacy. This never-before-aired interview is from the collection of the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas. Historian Brien R. Williams conducted this interview on March 12, 2008.
WATCH C-SPAN Walt Riker Oral History (Bob Dole) Interview
