47. Report Prepared by the Media Review Committee of the USIA Young Officers’ Policy Panel1
PURPOSE
The Media Review Committee as part of its continuing effort to review, analyze and evaluate media output of the Agency, has completed a survey of the Agency treatment of the Vietnam Moratorium of October 15. The Committee concerned itself with two main issues: (1) The adequacy of the Agency Policy directives as they affected media coverage of the event, and (2) the adequacy of the Media Elements in covering the event within the framework of Agency Policy.
PROCEDURE
The Committee studied the IOP News Policy Note issued October 132 and an extensive (almost all-inclusive) sampling of Agency media output on the Moratorium.
CONCLUSIONS
Though some members of the Committee felt that more specific and explicit directive in the News Policy Note may have improved media compliance with Policy, the majority opinion was that the Policy Note gave adequate guidance on the one hand, and sufficient leeway for creative interpretation by media professionals on the other.
The Committee was of the unanimous opinion that, while the extent of Agency media coverage of the Moratorium was somewhat lacking, the major problem was the almost total lack of depth in the existing coverage.
The Committee was of the unanimous opinion that any failure to provide the foreign audience and the Post with adequate coverage, background and information was not due to restraints imposed by Policy, but rather to a lack of initiative within the Media Elements.
[Page 103]RECOMMENDATIONS
1) Those Agency Media Elements geared toward instantaneous release and distribution of information (IBS and parts of IPS): (A) Provide more in-depth coverage for their general audience by utilyzing on-the-spot reporters, news documentary-style wrap-ups, extensive articles (Agency authored or commissioned), interviews with non-government public figures, and more use of Editorial Roundups from various U.S. Newspapers. (B) Provide more extensive and in-depth information and background for staff use at Posts.
2) Those Agency Media Elements not concerned primarily with instantaneous distribution: (A) Plan for future use of materials, at least in a general way, by recording some of the events of the day (B) Outline future use so that specific events, interviews, etc. relevant to a final product or viewpoint may be obtained.
[Omitted here is the Analysis section of the report.]
SUMMARY
The Committee has attempted to study the Agency coverage of the October 15th Moratorium primarily from the standpoint of the News Policy Note which states in part: “You should gear the volume of output about the Moratorium to the requirements of credibility and the newsworthiness of the developments . . .” As stated above, our criticism is only slightly directed toward the “volume” of Agency coverage, but definitely toward its fulfillment of the “requirements of credibility.” It is the judgement of the Committee that more in-depth coverage of the Moratorium would have reversed the negative reports received from some Posts.
In a cable from Moscow, for example, it was related that VOA was rated third by Russian newspapers comparing coverage of the Moratorium by West German Broadcasting, BBC and VOA. A similar report was received from Warsaw.3
These Post responses are mentioned at the end of this study because they open the door to other problems. Every Media Element does not always take advantage of the potential for extensive coverage and creative interpretation provided by an objective, open Policy Note. Nor does every Post receive all of the materials which are initiated by the Media Elements in Washington.
In the case of Agency media coverage of the October 15 Moratorium, the distance between Policy and Post was not bridged as well as it should have been by the Media Elements.
- Source: National Archives, RG 306, Office of Policy and Plans, IOP/C Cultural and Youth Subject Files, 1955–1971, Entry UD–90, Box 6, EDX 12 October 15 Moratorium 1969. Limited Official Use. Martin Ronan, a TV production specialist in IMV and the Chairman of the Media Review Committee, sent the report to Schneider under a November 13 note. (Ibid.) Under a November 14 covering memorandum, Schneider sent Shakespeare both a copy of the report and Ronan’s memorandum to Shakespeare, writing: “While the report cannot affect coverage of the November 15 Mobilization, we hope its recommendations will be useful in the future. We would also like to suggest that policy guidance for such events be issued earlier. The NPN on the October 15 Moratorium is dated October 13.” (Ibid.)↩
- See Document 40.↩
- The cables were not found.↩