Information Control as Power
Control of information — who hears what, when, and how — functions as political leverage. The staff’s management of signals, discreet calls, and staged briefings shows messaging as a tool that can protect operations, shape public perception, or betray ethical obligations. The theme probes the moral cost of deliberate opacity.
Events Exemplifying This Theme
During Bartlet's energized town‑hall, the West Wing team quietly confirms a life‑saving development: a hand signal — sent by Sam, mirrored by Toby and Josh, acknowledged by Leo — communicates …
During President Bartlet's town‑hall, backstage tension and intimate power plays intersect: Sam intercepts a call about the Space Shuttle Columbia and shepherds the urgent message toward Toby (whose brother is …
At a tense White House briefing C.J. announces that an F-117 Nighthawk has been shot down over the southern no‑fly zone and carefully fields an erupting press corps. Reporters press …
C.J. conducts a tense televised briefing announcing that an F‑117 Nighthawk has been shot down over the southern no‑fly zone in Iraq. Reporters press for a rescue; C.J. carefully deflects …
While the Roosevelt Room rehearses town‑hall choreography, Zoey interrupts with a blend of mockery and genuine concern — grilling her father about his health, pills, and whether he'll embarrass her …