CENSORSHIP

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100020115-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 17, 2012
• Sequence Number: 115
• Publication Date: April 15, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/17: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100020115-2
EVANSVILLE COURIER (IN)
15 April 1984
Censorship
Congress told the Reagan administration last fall to hold up on
ordering government workers to submit any personal material they
wish to publish to prior censorship - a censorship that prevails even
after these workers leave the federal service.
Concerned with First-Amendment rights, Congress reviewed the
presidential order and voted for delay. Congress wanted time to study
the matter.
The administration, concerned with the possible loss of govern-
ment secrets and breach of security, didn't want to wait that long.
Instead it quickly instigated another form of censorship. It required
that 2.5 million employees and 1.5 million government contractors
sign non-disclosure agreements.
Now, if the government suspects an employee or a contractor is
about to publish material it feels should remain unpublished, it can go
to court, produce a signed non-disclosure agreement and obtain an
injunction requiring pre-publication review. Even after an official or
employee leaves the government, he can be prevented from telling his
story without having it censored prior to publication. In this way the
administration is undermining the intent of Congress.
This governmental concern with secrecy originated in the Central
ptelligence Agency, which has had its employees sign non-disclosure
a;reements for decades.
The courtshave backed this CIA requirement, and with good cause.
Tie CIA has a legitimate nee"or covert operation. It could not
pKrform its duties without secrecy.
Nevertheless, we feel what the Reagan administration is attempt-
in} is overkill. This massive effort to control the flow of information
from 4 million persons makes it possible for this or any future
a(ministration to gag its best-informed critics on a pretense of
protecting national security. It could deprive the people of knowledge
that is essential to enlightened self-government. It could limit the kind
of free public discussion of government policies essential to the
cu-vival of our democracy.
Some secrets must be cloaked for a certain period of time. But
public officials should never be given the opportunity to protect
ttemselves from criticism by censoring their critics.
STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/17: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100020115-2