SPYING, REPORTING DON'T MIX

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000100110049-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 20, 2010
• Sequence Number: 49
• Publication Date: April 16, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/20 :CIA-RDP90-008068000100110049-5
RALEIGH N~.'WS anc3 OBS~VER (T1.C. )
16 APRIL Ig8o
CIA Director StansfieldTurner-, agents, ~Turner~ mayj encourage-'
says it.would be naive to think that ~~; other countries to.place~.more re-
other. nations assume. that foreign : ~ strictions on ~ reporter$ .~ than they .
journalists have: no associations would otherwise. Intelligence amen-
with intelligence agencies. Well, if Gies say that American 3ourna~ists
foreign governments -had any have been valued as operatives.be- -
douhts, Turner-. ands President Car- cause they have contacts in foreign
ter lave assured .them that the CIA . governments and because they can ~
indeed will use 'ournalistsasspies if' .ask questions without arousing sus-~.'
the situation cads for it. ;~, f~? `_: picion. It is unlikely, however,- that '~
Turner has disclosed that he~per- oreign officials give reporters se=.
sonally. approved the use of journal- cret-information,- since journalists
fists for ~ covert activities on three generally publish what they learn.
occasions. It is beside the point that
the three operations` never got off
the ground. When members of the
American Society of Newspaper Ed- -
itors challenged him on the policy
.last week, his response showed that
he Karl little regard for the- serious
consequences of the policy. "I don't
understand why you think if you ac-
c t
e
Further, if foreign governments
believe the CIA`:'uses reporters as
spies, their contacts in government .
are likely to be weakened. Report-
ers may no longer be able.. to ask:
questions .without arousing suspi-~ ,
cion if other ,governments .wonder
whether they are not what they rep-; ;
resent themselves to be.
p an assignment from me that Finally, to say that the CIA policy
you are no longer free.," he said.. threatens the Independence of the
The CIA policy has several serious press is to say nothing of the fact
implications for the news media and that. it may actually-. endanger t're
. the American public. Iives? of American foreign corre-
First, it is crucial that journalists spondents. Reporters routinely re-
operate independently of govern- main behind in areas of conflict af-
ment. Journalists, of course, talk to ter other ~ Americans have been
CIA agents and they often trade in- evacuated. And, if some journalists
formation tivithin bounds: But hav- are CIA agents: even those who are ,~.
ing journalists on the CIA payroll is not migght be m greater jeopardy .'
something far different: - than otherwise. It should not be for
~~- - ~~' `,' gotten that the. militants who seized .
How can correspondents on. the ~ the American embassy in Tehran
CIA payroll maintain that their re- ';: seek . to .justify their...; actions by
porting of - U.S. ;activities -' is unbi= ~~. claiming~_.. that their hostages are
ased, particularly if the topic is the . ;spies. ~ _ ;. -
CIA itself?.How is one to know, for ~' '~~' - ~` ~~
that matter, that such`correspond-" ~~ =The press obviously has.self-inter--
. ested reasons for opposing policies
ents will not file deliberately mis-
_.+
leading reports to serve some secret- that .may. fetter jaurnaIists m their
~ir~ ena : - _
B extension the CIA-policy casts
doubt on all foreign correspondents.
Since the CIA = - is :quite properly
squeamish about identifying CIA
operatives publicly, .no one can
know which correspondents may
ha~~e been coopted and which have
not. ~ -
` Second, by confirming the CIA's ~~
"
willingness
to use journalists as
caavi is to gather the news. But the
public has a stake in the issue as
well The independence of the press
is -protected.- by the._ First Amend-
ment not to serve the special inter- .
ests of.the news media but to assure
the free flow~of information, which
is essential for. democracy to funs-
Lion. To that end, news from ot'~er
lands, .as,.well as that from home,
must. be reported fully and unyar-
i
n
s~ed: -
.- ..
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/20 :CIA-RDP90-008068000100110049-5