REVIEW OF COMMENTS OF CHIEFS OF STATION SEMINAR STUDENTS ON IMPROVING IMAGE OF CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00780R001500050037-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 20, 2003
• Sequence Number: 37
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2004/01/29 : CIA-R 84-00780 R001500050037-3
0 OR, A V-1
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT : Review of Comments of Chiefs of Station
Seminar Students on Improving the Image
of CIA
1. This memorandum contains a4ecommendation for your
approval; this recommendation is ontained in paragraph six.
2. As might be expected, ubject comments represent a complete
spectrum of opinions. Some officers contend that our image actually
is not damaged; others sa no matter what the damage we must grin
and bear it; and still of ers are concerned that there has been real
damage to our image, particularly on the college campus, ". . . when
3. Dependi4g on how each officer viewed the threat to our image,
d either a low-key defensive effort, or a massive public
relations exercise. One officer believes improving the quality of our
operations will appease Congress, the White House, and the press,
Approved For Release 2004I"017 9~' , CIA-RDP84-00780 R001500050037-3
 Approved For Release 2004/01/2SECRET C A-RDP84-00780R001500050037-3
RAFT
and that the quality of operations is simply another way of saying
quality of our personnel. Some officers were quite negative about
public relations gimmicks while another officer recommended a complete
public relations package which would include a TV show similar to
the FBI story.
4. Several officers emphasized the need for dialogue with
important educators and opinion makers. One officer recommended
that we enlist the services of key government officials to present our
case. ". . . No solution of the problem can be hoped for as long as
the Agency pursues a purely no comment attitude. "
5. In sum, the comments seem to be divided between those who
recommended that we be more open and reveal as much as we can of
our activity and those who recommended we pull in our belts and
show no reaction whatsoever.
6. It seems to me there are some basic steps we might take
to better deal with the image problem and therefore recommend
the following programs:
a. Establishment of a permanent committee representing
major Agency components and supported by a small working
secretariat to concern itself solely with Agency image.
Approved For Release 2004/01120 : t'' J.FP84-007808001500050037-3
 Approved For Release 2004/01/29 : CIA-RDP84-00780 R001500050037-3
RAFT
b. In conjunction with the formulation of the committee,
a quiet and deliberate elicitation of the views of select outstanding
U. S. citizens in education, the information media, government
and business be initiated; the question should be: How best to
explain the role of an intelligence agency within a democracy?
c. A program of education within the Agency to distinguish
what is secret and what is not, to inform our personnel of actions
being taken to improve the image, and to clarify the role of the
individual employee in this process.
R. L. Bannerman
Deputy Director
for Support
The recommendation contained in paragraph 6 is approved.
Richard Helms
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
Approved For Release 2004/01/29`:- IA.R+ P84-00780 R001500050037-3
SECRET