SCHEME FOR INVESTIGATION OF RUSSIAN NEWS COVERAGE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01315R000300340006-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 30, 2004
• Sequence Number: 6
• Content Type: STUDY

Approved For Release 2004/10/13 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000300340006-9
INTERNATIONAL PRESS INSTITUTE
Scheme for Investigation of Russian News Coverage
I. The Problem of Collecting the News from Behind the Iron Curtain
(a) The Censorship: how it operates; the trends in the last five
years; the task of the correspondent in the light of the censorship.
(b) The process of concealment: difficulties of travel in Russia;
what the correspondent sees and what he does not see.
(c) The Communist view of the press function: the belief that it
is an integral part of the political machine; the nature of the
Communist press; analysis of past domestic press campaigns
and present peace drives.
II. The Nature of the News Collected and Its Value
(a) The material direct from Russia, from correspondents, how
trustworthy is it? Is it worth while maintaining correspondents
in Moscow?
(b) The material printed in the Russian papers and monitored from
Russian broadcasts: what it reveals; what it does not reveal;
how useful is it?
(c) The reports of refugees and escapees: how informative and
how trustworthy are they?
III. The Problem of Presentation
(a) The propaganda problem: is the reader aware of it, of the
censorship and the nature of the Communist press? Is it
a real danger?
(b) How do you present the news from Russia? Do you label it
with italic precede; do you answer it, in effect, in shirttails?
How do editors in general handle the problem?
IV. The Larger Picture
(a) Are we doing the job we should, first, in covering and in
interpreting Russia; second, in meeting the propaganda
problem presented to us ? If not, how can we improve it'?
Approved For Release 2004/10/13 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000300340006-9
 Approved For Release 2004/10/13 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000300340006-9
INTERNATIONAL PRESS INSTITUTE
Russian News Coverage Questionnaire
1. Based on your experience, how accurate are reports the outside
world gets of what goes on in Russia from resident correspondents?
2. What was your personal experience with censorship and its op-
erations, commenting at the same time on your freedom of movement?
3. How valuable is the contribution made by experts who analyse the
Russian press, radio and other sources to interpret what is going
on in Russia?
Should experts be used more widely than they are at present?
4. On the basis of your experience, and in the light of present cir-
cumstances, how valuable do you think it is to have a corres -
pondent in Moscow?
5. How would you proceed to give better coverage of Russia and the
satellites, recognizing all the difficulties that lie in the way?
(a) eg- Do you feel that correspondents working in Stock-
holm, Vienna, Berlin and Belgrade could improve our
coverage because of their strategic location?
A
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Approved For Release 2004/10/13 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000300340006-9
 Approved For Release 2004/10/13 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000300340006-9
INTERNATIONAL PRESS INSTITUTE
News From Russia Questionnaire
1. How much news do you get from Russia?
2. What are the sources of that news?
3. How trustworthy, in your opinion, is that news ?
4. Are you concerned about the propaganda aspects
of the news from Russia? If so, how do you guard
against this danger?
5. What suggestions do you have for improving the
coverage and presentation of news from Russia?
Approved For Release 2004/10/13 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000300340006-9
 Approved For Release 2004/10/13 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000300340006-9
INTERNATIONAL PRESS INSTITUTE
News From Russia Questionnaire
1, In what respects do you think present coverage of Russia
is most defective?
2. What in your opinion is the comparative value of the three
main sources of news about Russia:
(a) Material direct from correspondents;
(b) Material from Russian papers and broadcasts;
(c) The reports of emigres and escapees.
3. How do you mix these sources in interpreting the news from
Russia?
4. In your opinion is the treatment of Russian news adequately
handled in newspapers and by news agencies?
If not, what suggestions would you make for improving
coverage and interpretation?
5. Are you concerned about the propaganda aspects of the news
from Russia?
If so, how could you guard against this danger?
C
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Approved For Release 2004/10/13 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000300340006-9