Reagan Plans Regular News Conferences, Weekly Interviews

WASHINGTON — President Reagan will give weekly interviews and regular news conferences, perhaps every month to six weeks, White House spokesman Larry Speakes said he was “pleased to report” today.

“We will have regular press conferences,” Speakes told reporters, and noted that he had been “pushing” for the President to meet once a month with the press.

Speakes said that if events intervene, Reagan may hold news conferences six weeks apart.

He said the President has scheduled “weekly interviews, more or less, for the next six months.”

Speakes said he had not discussed the question of Reagan’s accessibility to the media with Treasury Secretary Donald T. Regan, who will shift to the position of chief of staff when James Baker is confirmed as Treasury secretary.

“I wouldn’t think there will be any major change as far as I’m concerned,” Speakes said.

Reagan held his last news conference on Jan. 9. Before that, his last major nationally televised news conference was on July 22.

The day after his reelection, Reagan met with reporters in Los Angeles and was asked if he would hold regular news conferences. “I won,” he quipped. “I don’t have to.”