Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917–1972, Volume VIII, Public Diplomacy, 1969–1972

60. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Director, Research, Office of Research and Assessment, United States Information Agency (Adler) to the Associate Director, Research and Assessment (Strasburg)¹

Washington, December 11, 1969

SUBJECT

• Agreement Concerning Release of Public Opinion Poll Data

In handling the results of USIA-sponsored opinion polls conducted abroad, we are committed publicly and on the record to three policies:

1) Poll results while still classified as “Confidential”, will be made available upon request to the chairmen of the appropriate Congressional committees and subcommittees and to the ranking minority members of these committees, with the understanding that the results will not be made public.

2) Polls classified as “Confidential” will be automatically declassified two years after their completion, and those classified “Limited Official Use” one year after completion, unless at that time the interests of national security requires them to remain classified.

3) The Agency will not engage in selective release of poll findings.

The first two of these policies were worked out between Edward R. Murrow, then, Director of USIA, and Congressmen Moss and Meader in February 1963. Mr. Murrow’s letter to Congressman Moss and the full text of the statement on “USIA Policy Concerning Availability of its Foreign Public Opinion Polls” were inserted by Mr. Moss in the Congressional Record of February 26, 1963. The policies were summarized by Mr. Murrow at the hearings before the Subcommittee on International Organizations and Movements of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives on March 28, 1963. Copies of these two documents are attached for your information.²

The pledge that “this Agency will never engage in selective release of its polling material” was made by Mr. Murrow in a letter to Senator Scott in March 1963.³ The Senator had requested that the Agency cancel the agreement between USIA and the House Government Information Subcommittee on the delayed release of U.S. Government polls. He based his demand on the charge that the Agency had leaked results of a Confidential poll to AP because the poll showed U.S. prestige to be high in Europe. Senator Scott urged “immediate publication of all prestige polls”, but Mr. Murrow politely stuck by the new policy.

The reasons for delaying public release of our poll results were well stated by Mr. Murrow in his testimony before the Subcommittee on International Organizations and Movements. Said Mr. Murrow: “These polls are only valuable if they represent an honest count. For this reason we use indigenous organizations to conduct the polls. The polls are not identified as being done for the U.S. Government. Such identification by release too soon after their being taken would inhibit an open and candid response for those interviewed next time around. Also, there could well be embarrassment to the government of the country in which the poll was taken. Indeed, the release of certain information could seriously compromise our diplomatic position.”

To the question on why we do these polls, Mr. Murrow said: “the purpose of the research is to try to determine to a large measure the areas of suspicion, confusion, uncertainty, in order that we can better tailor the output of our various mediums to meet these criticisms or misunderstanding.”

To sum up, the Moss Agreement does not prevent us from releasing polls before the two years are up. But the pledge given to Senator Scott—not to mention the possible reactions of other Congressmen—argues against using poll data to show how well we are doing unless we are prepared to release all poll results from these countries relevant to U.S. standing. This might be advantageous in view of the generally favorable tenor of the results obtained in our recent surveys. But it would set a precedent which could force the Agency to publish results the next time we do such surveys even if such results might reflect unfavorably upon the Administration. In the long run, the present arrangement would seem to serve better the interests of the Agency and of the Administration in power.

1. Source: National Archives, RG 306, Office of Research and Evaluation, Office of the Associate Director, Program Files, 1969–1978, Entry P–119, INF 12 Public Opinion & Attitudes 1969. No classification marking. Drafted by Adler.
2. Attached but not printed.
3. Attached but not printed is the March 16, 1963, letter from Murrow to Scott.