JOURNALISTS AS FOREIGN SPIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000100200108-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 15, 2007
• Sequence Number: 108
• Publication Date: April 14, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

'STAT
Approved For Release 2007/06/15: CIA-RDP99-00498ROO0100200108-3
OAKLAND TRIBUNE (CA)
14 April 1980
Journalists as orei spies
CIA Director Stansfield Tur--_ congressional investigations of r er doesn't see anything wronge the CIA in the mid-1970s, then
with using American--;journal" CIA:- Director- George Bush:
ists for' intelligence gathering' adopted a rule - prohibiting the
in foreign. countries.. .Turner is agency from using..full-time
dead wrong, foreign .corresPondents. in se-.
He: shows an amazing, lack Bretoperations..'
of sensitivity to. the. real=.func -:-But shortly after Turn'
be-
tion.? -of. journalists -in:=_the: came~.CIA chief-y' n- 1977, he-:I
moderr world as well' as:in the.-;- modified the rule. to allow such
framework of t h e - is approved . by him.:-
Speaking to then-American Sinc what time;` he told the
n
Society f., Newspaper :.Editors edito s, he has-approved three=
in -Washington;- Turner, said he different plans.-:.The journal==
didrna, understand.-;why. news fists;'-Ire said, were wj1ijn but'.
organizations- would-'object to the plans-fell through because.:
their-.:employees- working- se ,circumstances didn't develop
cretly- for the CIA '` ;f where='the' journalists could be
He either doesn t3`'under-. used. Turner said he would not-
stand' c;r doesn't care that the hesitate. to do it agaia.
slightest;: hint of CIA= connec- -> Turner calls this an oppor.
tons would make it-extremely. tunijy for journalists-.1 o" serve:
difficult' for American -foreign. their country in circustances'
correspondents to ;operate- which.are."vitallyimportant
overseas.'' '- to 't ,\ nation. Clearly,. only
Journalists abroad, as in this Tlirner.will decide what is. Vi-
country,:spend a-great.deal of qafay-important.,Thismakes us.
ef.f.ort developing news eztremeiv uneasy
sources...Often:?.they^rare?.of any
extremely confidential'iiature. Z Constitution's First:
If those-sources-suspect-'fora Arriendrient` carved out a spe
w >cia role: for.`journalists-a
moment that the; journalist-19
M oonIighting as':an"American rol "` is freedom:and ifidepen&,
spy. the_ .journalist will-.find. his s,.enc j~,from ;governmental re
sources d n strarnts on .their,~news gatlierX
ryi g i p quickly ng end, writingg--activities. The:
Itts not: unlike th aII too- t
=-- -'iFounding.;Fathers realized th
frequent. tendency, in this coun- x -
try? to _SaiiL? journalists before importance of a = free -press' if
secret ran American society-is _to.be-free
g d-~juries 'to reveal .
source;benind: stories the andopenuThey did dot make
have - written .=Journalists ands any'provision for journalists to
i ews rganriations:? havefunclon as,,foreign spies fo
A'nerican;government
ougtt tla t practise on; theme the'
satne?groLnd that it iwotild- The=h:.CTAxdirec o'- aril an
d' -. troy: the" journalists credit _ other , Iike minded?governmerit
bility and dry ups,his::news- functionaries. shouIci get this
sources straightronce=-and.forall Jour-
The use: of. Amerioaa, Jour- ' Mists are not an arm of .the
naa'ists, to. do the::CI.'s. spying. government eithertat home or
is an -okl story Th the wake.of .~ abroad
Approved For Release 2007/06/15: CIA-RDP99-00498ROO0100200108-3