NEWSMEN MUST BE REALISTIC ABOUT CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R000600230105-5
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 21, 2004
• Sequence Number: 105
• Publication Date: February 28, 1978
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2004/07/08 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R000600230105-5
ARTICLE AP . lRED
ON PAGE - b
HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN
28 February 1978
imewsmen Must Be
ealistic About CIA
The problem of how to get along with the CIA abroad has
been tormenting American journalists, ever: since the dis-
closure a few years ago that. some journalists were getting
along too well -.the CIA. was paying them:
The thought that reputable journalists 'could be regarded
as part of the same lump with Tass correspondents,.. whom
everyone-is sure are Russian spies, sent shivers through all
who care about the credibility of U.S. journalism.:
It may even have, inspired some oUcthe! Third World
momentum to ban foreign- correspondents. and setup-inter-
nal press bureaus.to dole out government-approved press
dispatches to the outer world. tr
Last year,-when he'.was still chairing.'the Senate' Intelli-
gence Committee, Hawaii's Sen.. Daniel,- K: --Inouye,-assured
the American Society of Newspaper Editors that the CIA in~
the future would have no paid or contr.actural relationship)
whatever with accredited U.S. correspondents `abroad, including "stringers" or part-time- contributors.
Last weekend in Honolulu, three top=flight" Asian come
spondents discussed the-problem before;;a session of Asia)
and American journalists sponsored-.by-. the University of
Hawaii and the Fellowship Program in -Asian Studies fund-
ed by the Frank E. Gannett Newspaper Foundation.
Agreement was easy- on one point about the. relations of
.correspondents-with, the CIA abroad:.You don't take pay -
if you do you're a journalistic prostitute,':said" Keyes. Beech,
goDaff#e
who served 30 years-in Asia,-for the Chica.'~Nws.
But what about accepting information" from CIA. sources
i
or giving themu uuvrumaon
Dennis -Bloodworth of the.- London Observer. said British
intelligence' simplifies this,.: problems It keeps its }agents
'undercover as diplomats,Dusinessmen and- the iike,;so you
never know when you're: talking to oneY
The consequence : is you 'accept his information 'with the
same need -toMcheck- it` and be skeptical about it that you
may feel from any othersource.rYou also give information
in only the normal exchange that- necessarily takes place
between a writer rand his,'sources~
Since the CIA operates in the'bpen abroad, or at least has-
acknowledged CIA. men hi-many countres,-the correspond-
ent talking-to an admitted CIA :. staffer.: must face the moral
The rule of -giving*or asking -no 'more"
sources seems a fair.one, however.
. To sever contact totally between the CIA and U.S.-)our-
nalists abroad when both are in the business of collecting
information would handicap both unnecessarily.
For journalists. to deal with the CIA as. with any other .
source seems reasonable. = . 1
No sound journalist writes anything of consequence with-
out verifying it as'best he can. If a CIA tip can be checked
out, it should not be discarded because of the ' source. If a 1
CIA man asks a question, it-seems perfectly reasonable to,
:give. him any information the correspondent would also b
,willing to give to anybody else.
Approved For Release 2004/07/08 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R000600230105-5