Seeking publicity proactively, politicians needed a cooperative press. ‘Journalistic behaviour’ became a hallmark of the publicity politician. Politicians began to think and act like journalists, internalizing their media logic. To procure continuous publicity, politicians surrounded themselves with journalists. They interacted with these journalists privately, but also through the journalistic innovation of the interview. The interview evolved from casual conversation to a formal format of communication, and it enabled politicians to present themselves in their own words – without journalists’ interpretative filter. As with mass mediated speeches, this new form of communication created both possibilities and risks. Particularly for political outsiders, speeches and interviews offered an opportunity to build a non-traditional base of political support. In addition, politicians invited (photo)journalists to publicize their events to the public, regulating access and bestowing honours to control these journalists. Journalists noted politicians’ media-savviness and described them as having the instincts of a journalist or press manager – enhancing their image as publicity politicians. Through their journalistic behaviour, however, these politicians shaped new expectations for media politics, which they – and their successors – could not meet consistently. The increasing speed of international communication challenged politicians to ceaselessly feed an ever-hungrier press and to satisfy conflicting local and distant audiences.