MEMO FOR THE DIRECTOR FROM ED PROCTOR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01495R000700020007-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 24, 2005
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: November 25, 1974
• Content Type: MF

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Please file FBIS
MEMORANDUM FOR: The Director
Attached for your information is a proposal
to increase public access to the FBIS publication
TRENDS IN COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA. I have
approved a reduction in the time period for
declassification from two years after publication
to six months after publication. We plan to make
the TRENDS available on a subscription basis
through the National Technical Information
Service (just as we do with the FBIS Daily
Books).
cc: DDCI
/s/ Ed
Ed Proctor
25 November 1974
(DATE)
FORM 101 RELACES
BEMUS10-101
ED.
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21 November 1974
NOTE FOR: Ed
FROM Paul
SUBJECT : Declassification of FBIS
Trends
you don't have to read this again. The
to classify
ue
i
n
cont
question is should we
the Trends Confidential, but s wn onth atlcal-x ly declassify it at the end o
s. I solicited reactions
rather than two year
of the following:
from various folk and got
- I thought the DDI had
already ma e the decision to declassify
immediately.
Thuermer -- Be would like x months is too
it at the end of one year.
soon.
OK in principal to declassify.
It is up to e DDI to decide if six months
--r-j
is long enough.
Be would stay with the two-
In any event,
Eisenbeiss -- period.
year declassificuch too soon.
six months is m
is declassify at the end of
Walsh -- Let
one year.
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8 November 1974
MEMORANDUM FOR: Mr. Paul Walsh
SUBJECT FBIS Trends
Some good points have been made in
memorandum of 21 October.
At the expense of being called Chief Chicken Heart, I
feel that the six months cooling off period is a bit short.
On the other hand, a couple of years does seem a bit long.
Mr. In-Between chooses one year.
Angus MacLean Thuermer
Assistant to the Director
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6 November 1974
MEMORANDUM FOR: O/DDI
ATTENTION
SUBJECT
R
Declassification of the FBIS Trends
EFERENCE D/FBIS memo dtd 21 Oct 74, same subject
1. This memorandum responds to your request to C/DDI MS
for recommendations regarding declassification and public
sale of the CONFIDENTIAL Trends In Communist Propaganda.
2. The heart of the matter is in paragraph 5, which
says briefly that Trends are based on open sources but are
prepared by analysts in close contact and keenly aware of
what goes on throughout the Community.
3. There are two points of view. Either the Trends
should not be classified because they, to some degree, ignore
the classified data; or they should be classified because they
reflect, if only by osmosis, knowledge of current classified
sources and methods and the results of the appraisals arrived
at using these classified sources and methods.
4. FBIS concludes that the later situation prevails
and the Trends must, consequently, be classified. They
propose, however, that the classification can be dropped
after six months. The Freedom of Information Act specifies
that CONFIDENTIAL information will be declassified after two
years unless it is exempt from automatic downgrading. The
present policy, consequently, is in accord with the directive.
5. It seems to me that the DDI has three choices:
(a) Insist that the Trends do indeed stick to open sources
and ignore and/or avoid data that reflects knowledge of what
else goes on in the Community. The Trends could then be
unclassified. (b) Keep things as they are. (c) Move as
indicated in the FBIS memorandum, which would have an auto-
matic declassification after six months.
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SUBJECT: Declassification of the FBIS Trends
6. My personal recommendation would be to keep things
as they are. It seems to be that six months is too brief a
period to take the heat off the Trends, particularly those
that are prepared in response to questions relating to
policy and options. Six months is simply too brief a period
these days for hot questions to cool off. It also seems to
me that for the FBIS Analysis Group to be responsive to the
needs of the customers, the Trends must at least reflect
implicitly the concerns of the policymakers and of the
managers of the Intelligence Community.
7. I have no concern with the method of making the
Trends available to the public. The FBIS memorandum under-
states the current distribution of CIA materials by DOCEX
(currently over 200 customers), but the NTIS does have a
certain advantage in that the customer only need pay for
that which he wants. The disadvantage is that the customer
must pay on an item by item basis, while DOCEX gives for one
price all that the Agency provides. CRS has certain gains
from dealing with DOCEX but they are not important to other
parts of the Agency.
8. In sum, the DDI must decide if six months is a
reasonable cooling off period for Trends. If it is long
enough, the FBIS proposal should be approved. If not, the
two-year period should prevail. Totally unclassified Trends
are possible butt Altry satisfactory in my view.
Director, Central Reference Service
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Associate Deputy Director for Intelligence
THROUGH Chief, DDI Executive Staff
SUBJECT Declassification of the FBIS TRENDS
REFERENCE D/FBIS Memo (DDI-3111-74), dated 21 October 1974,
Subject as above
1. The FBIS proposal to declassify TRENDS following a
six month cooling-off period is in accord with the spirit of
Executive Order 11652, the Freedom of Information Act and
Agency (particularly DDI) policy to provide the academic
community with access to research aids. The FBIS rationale
for choosing six months appears sound; it is your decision
as to whether that time frame provides adequate protection.
2. Representatives of FBIS discussed this proposal
with the Chief, Classification Programs Branch, ISAS, during
its formulation. He suggested changes in the cover format,
gave advice on classification markings and obtained informal
approval of these recommendations from the Executive Director,
Interagency Classification Review Committee and Director,
Records Declassification Division, National Archives. I do
not believe any further coordination on this aspect is
required.
STAT
Chie , In ormati Systems
Analysis Staff
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 ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY
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NOTE FOR: Mr. Paul V. Walsh, A/DDI
SUBJECT : Declassification of the FBIS TRENDS
5 November 1974
1. On 2 July 1974, I responded to you about declassification
of the TRENDS. Subsequently, on 14 August, I talked to Ed about
this issue and he agreed that the TRENDS should be unclassified and
distributed through DocEx. I would hold to my general view on the
subject as expressed at those times. With regard to
21 October 1974 memorandum, I find myself in agreement with his
para. 7 which suggests the best way in which to make the TRENDS
available to subscribers.
2. Just tut the whole matter in context, in August Ed
asked me to have prepare a proposal to issue the TRENDS
unclassified. The proposal was to include a disclaimer statement
which indicated that the TRENDS were the views of a single office,
not of the government. Subsequently, I forwarded to Don's office
copies of a number of disclaimer statements used by the Office of
Political Research in its publications.
STAT
3. During this period, the 0 business occurred, and STAT
everyone's attention was diverted from the issue of the TRENDS.
When eturned to the office after some time away, she
believed her instruction was to reargue the issue of classification.
4. It is clear that thq whole ommunication about what to do
with the TRENDS was muddled by As far as I know, Ed has
not changed his mind.
Coordinator for Acaelemic Relations
cc: Orig & 1 - ODDI/Exec Staff
1 - DD/PR Chrono
1 - CAR Chrono
STAT
STAT
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Intelligence
regarding the declassification and public dissemination of the
Confidential TRENDS IN COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA produced by the FBIS
Analysis Group. It reviews decisions over the past few years and
in paragraphs 6 and 7 makes specific recommendations for your
consideration.
1. This memorandum responds to your request for recommendations
Past and Present Policy
2. In October 1971 past issues of the weekly TRENDS and biweekly
SURVEY OF COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA--from 1947 through 1966--were declassified.
In 1972 these periodicals were declassified through July 1970. (The
SURVEY was discontinued in April 1970.) Also in 1972, following
promulgation of Executive Order 11652, the long established practice
of classifying publications containing Communist media analysis was
reviewed and reconfirmed, except that it was decided that all TRENDS
after July 1970 would be automatically declassified two years after
date of issue. The declassified TRENDS and SURVEYS were to be made
available to the public only upon request to the Assistant to the
Director, however. PSD has many of these periodicals on microfilm,
but since there has been no advertising the public is not aware that
they are available. The sole recipient outside the. government is a
former AG analyst who knew of the new policy when he resigned in 1972.
3. FBIS analysts and management are entirely sympathetic with
Mr. Colby's desire to make more Agency materials available to the
public, and are anxious to make past and future declassified TRENDS
available to scholars and journalists dealing with.foreign relations
and communist affairs. For the reasons detailed below, we continue
to believe that the TRENDS should be classified Confidential; however,
we believe that the period before automatic declassification should
be reduced from the present two years to six months and that the
declassified TRENDS should be advertised and promptly disseminated
to interested subscribers.
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7. 'T
r?~
 STAT
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Justification for a Classified TRENDS
4. Classification of the Trends conforms to the guidance
contained in -the Agency's draft regulation with respect
to classification and declassification--which. notes that National
Security Information is defined as that information or material
which requires protection in the interest of foreign relations as
well as national defense. Inferences and speculation regarding
the leadership, policies, relations and intentions of the Soviet,
Chinese and other Communist parties are regularly printed in
TRENDS articles. For example, an article might speculate on
current propaganda signs that certain Soviet, Chinese or other
Communist leaders are in trouble. Such analysis by FBIS/CIA,
unclassified and immediately available to the public, might well
embarrass our, Government's relations with the Communist states,
particularly during sensitive negotiations. It should be noted that
similar analyses of Communist leader speeches and other media materials
are classified Confidential in OCI publications..
5. While FBIS analysis is based on open sources, it is
prepared by analysts who are in close contact with and keenly aware
of the concerns and interests of analysts and foreign affairs experts
throughout the Community. Frequently FBIS analysts write articles
expressly for these experts, including not only their colleagues
in the production offices, but also the NIO's and officers on the
NSC Staff, in the State Department, and in DOD. TRENDS articles
have been written in direct support of many recent, sensitive
negotiations, including SALT, MBFR, and the Middle East, and the
role played by propaganda analysis regarding North Vietnamese
intentions is well known. AG analyses have supplemented, and in'
some cases countered, inferences drawn by other offices on the basis
of classified sources. There would be great inhibitions to publish-
ing such articles in an unclassified TRENDS immediately available to
the public, and we believe the TRENDS without such articles would be
less authoritative and less useful.
Automatic Declassification after Six Months
6. We are aware of the argument for issuing an unclassified
TRENDS. It would provide further evidence that CIA does indeed
intend to abide by the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act,
and could serve as a means of stimulating outside interest in and
debate on important foreign affairs issues. For the reasons dis-
cussed above we are opposed to total declassification. We feel,
however, that many of these positive objectives can be realized
if the TRENDS are automatically declassified and disseminated
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publicly after six months instead of two years. A six-month cooling-
off period, in our judgment, would prevent the harm premature dis-
closure might do to U.S. foreign relations. We therefore request
approval of the following recommendations:
a. The TRENDS continue to be classified "Confidential."
b. The TRENDS be automatically declassified six months
after date of issue.
Increasing the Availability of the TRENDS
7. FBIS believes that the most efficient way of making its
declassified analyses widely available to scholars and journalists
would be by subscription and by the sale of back issues through
NTIS--the channel already used for the public sale of the FBIS
Daily Reports, which provide the principal source material for the
TRENDS. We examined, but rejected the possibility of distributing
the declassified TRENDS through the Library of Congress Document
Expediting Project--DOCEX. Subscribers to DOCEX--141 universities
and colleges-do not include many prestigious and influential schools,
including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, which would be receptive
to the TRENDS. (The thought that DOCEX would be a useful channel
for distribution of an unclassified TRENDS had been based on what
turned out to be an erroneous assumption that DOCEX delivery would be
slow and, therefore, provide a certain cooling off period. DOCEX
delivery would be as fast as that by NTIS.) We therefore recommend
that NTIS handle the advertising, sale, and subscriptions to the
declassified TRENDS since we feel that this would insure that
dissemination is carried out in a fair, equitable, and efficient
manner. NTIS is interested in providing this service and estimates
roughly that it would charge $25 for each annual subscription. The STAT
technical steps which will be required for implementation of our
proposals are outlined in an attachment to this orandum.
Director
Foreign Broadcast Information Service
Attachment:
As stated
Recommendations in Paragraphs 6 and 7 are APPROVED.
Deputy Director for Intelligence
,. 1~`
Date
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 UE LAY
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STEPS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT PROPOSALS
1. Send to the Library of Congress for its retention one
set of all the microfilm copies of the declassified TRENDS and
SURVEYS, beginning in 1947, which PSD has filmed. Further
microfiche copies of declassified publications will be sent
to the Library as they are completed by PSD.
2. Ask NTIS to advertise that declassified FBIS (weekly
and biweekly) publications providing analyses of Soviet, Chinese,
and other Communist propaganda are available for purchase--on
microfilm from 1947 through December 1966, and on microfiche
from January 1967 through August 1972.
3. Declassify TRENDS since September 1972 through a period
six months prior to the current date. Ask NTIS to advertise these
for sale on microfiche.
4. Ask NTIS to advertise that as of a date to be determined,
TRENDS, which are automatically declassified six months after
data of issue, will be available through annual subscription,
either on microfiche or in hard copy.
5. Print the present disclaimer, which now appears on the
inside cover, also on the first page of text: "This propaganda
analysis report is based exclusively on material carried in foreign
broadcast and press media. It is published by FBIS without
coordination with other U.S. Government components." Print
appropriate classification/declassification information on each
page of text as required.
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INTE':L L USE DYUT
 F-1 ~ 11'Nn &lzrarim r a I. r..____
ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: (Optional)
Declassification of the FBIS TRENDS
OFFICER'S
INITIALS
25 November 1974
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from wham
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment,)
I have approved the
recommendations as you
,presented them. Before you
implement steps 2 through 4
as listed in the attachment to
your memorandum, I would like
to see. any text that you propose
to circulate to the :public. I
also have some problems with
the disclaimer as presented in
step 5; we should talk about
this.
Is/ .d
Ed Proctor
CC:
Mr. Thuermer
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Deputy Director for Intelligence
E:1 CONFIDENTIAL LJ INTERNA1 (-1 UNCLASSIFIED