MEETING WITH LOCH JOHNSON ON 19 DECEMBER 1977

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R002100010098-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 5, 2006
• Sequence Number: 98
• Publication Date: January 3, 1978
• Content Type: MFR

U.U 11LUU LiUr l
Approved For Release 2006D TT N 4K-F l 8 Lk 80R002100010098-1
OLC 78-0151
3 January 1978
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Meeting with Loch Johnson on 19 December 1977
on the operations of his office.
1. (IUO) I attended a meeting today of Loch Johnson, House
Permanent Select Committe on Intelli ence staff, with
Mr. Herb Hetu, A/DCI PA eputy Assistant
for Public Affairs, and t for Plans and
Programs, Public Affa , requested by Mr. Johnson to
provide background for the hearings on CIA's relationships with
the press which the Subcommittee on Oversight has scheduled.
2. (IUO) Mr. Hetu described his role and responsibilities in
dealing with members cL the U. S. press, other information media and
U. S. institutions. He made clear that his office deals openly with
the U. S. Press. Mr. Johnson noted that U. S. newsmen have told
him that during background briefings they received at the Agency
the briefers pointed out specific information in the foreign intelligence
field which they were lacking: The message was clear to the newsmen
that they should try to develop this information for the Agency.
Mr. Hetu explained the background briefings and emphasized that there
is positively no "tasking" of U. S. newsmen or other representatives
of public information media to meet Agency requirements. Mr. Berend
emphasized that he has set up all the background briefings of U. S.
newsmen for the last three years and he is unaware of any "tasking"
being levied. He acknowledged that such "tasking" may have been
the practice in the past, however, current policy is clear and such
practice is prohibited.
3. (IUO) In response to a query from Mr. Johnson, Mr. Hetu stated
that releases by his office are made to about sixty or more U. S. newsmen
and U.S. news services concurrently and not to selected newsmen. The
policy also is to respond to queries from the media wherever possible
and try to explain the reasons why certain queries involving sensitive
matters cannot be answered. Mr. Hetu added that most newsmen accept
the explanation.
4. (IUO) Mr. Hetu gave Mr. Johnson an information kit prepared
as a handout by his office which contains unclassified material on the
Agency. He also offered to provide Mr. Johnson any further information
Distribution
Orig - OLC Subject 1 - OLC Chrono
OLC :PLC :sf (3 January 1978)
INTERNAL USE ONLY
Approved For Release 2006/12/05: CIA-RDP81 M00980R002100010098-1