LETTER TO (SANITIZED) FROM (SANITIZED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP94-00798R000200140022-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 6, 2012
• Sequence Number: 22
• Publication Date: January 29, 1979
• Content Type: LETTER

Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved forRelease2012/12/06 : CIA-RDP94-00798R000200140022-6
_-nw wiiuur r
29 January 1979
tr. Elie Abel
rean of the Faculty of Journalism
Graduate School of Journalims
Columbia adversity
New York, N.Y. 10027
Dear 1'1% Abel:
The Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS), on whose
behalf I write, is & U.S. Government component under the administration
of the Central Intelligence Agency which publishes reports containing
Information collected and translated worldwide from foreign broadcasts
end nawapapers. You may be familiar with some of our eight volumes
of material published daily, tattling some 200,000 words each weekday,
and distributed to more than 5,000 consumers, both in government and
the public. Many of our public subscribers are journalists, foreign
governments, libraries, etc.
As you can imagine he have quite a problem editing and producing
such a high volume daily publication. We are using approximately
35 editors, who review and compile materials received by teletype
from field bureaus. The editing is done manually. But--like many
commercial publishers--we are concerned Shout how we do our work in
light of increasing cost and personnel limitations.
I am anxious to take a close look at several aspects of our
editorial uvric to answer such questions as:
+ Are we employing the best copy-editing craft' (Specifically,
are we over-editing?)
+ Can our editorial procedures be streamlined to involve
fewer people without suffering loss of quality?
+ Can there be a meshing of our 24-hour Wire Service with our
publication editing?
+ Are we giving the right kind of training to our editorial
recruits?
+ Are we structured properly in terms of getting the greatest
productivity while retaining some specialized background knowledge?
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/12/06: CIA-RDP94-00798R000200140022-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/12/06: CIA-RDP94-00798R000200140022-6
? Are we properly supporting our editors with references aids,
library facilities, etc.?
4. What is the best method for insuring quality control?
To address these questions we would be interested in securing
the services of someone from academia or commercial journalism, on
a short-term contract, who could take look at our editorial process
and suggest improvements. Would you be able to suggest a person
who might be interested in such a contract? I would imagine we are
talking along the lines of about four weeks.
/ would be grateful for any suggestion you might make.
Distribution:
Orig & 1 - Addressee
1 - Exec. Reg.
1,7 cno
ac- C/Ops
2
STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/12/06: CIA-RDP94-00798R000200140022-6