103. Memorandum From the Director of the United States Information Agency (Reinhardt) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)1
Following our recent conversation, in which we discussed reporting on foreign media coverage of your activities and important U.S. foreign policy initiatives, I have instructed our posts once again to give careful attention to this reporting requirement. On reflection, and [Page 301] following further discussions here in USIA, I believe we can, with assistance from your staff, do a more thorough reporting job and perhaps also increase foreign media coverage in these areas.
It would be most helpful if USIA could receive on a regular basis advance texts of your formal speeches. These can be distributed by our Wireless File, embargoed of course until actually delivered, and then made available in full text to foreign correspondents overseas. If necessary, a text could be held here for distribution at the time of delivery, though this procedure would cause some delay in getting the text to journalists. If no advance text is available, receipt of the text at the time of delivery would also serve a similar purpose. Transcripts of interviews or press conferences could also be disseminated through the Wireless File and quickly delivered to the proper people. USIA does not now receive such documents on a regular basis.2
Advance notice of your plans to hold interviews or press conferences or to make a major address would permit us to alert our posts to expect a significant event and enable our staff here to cover your activities more efficiently.
The timely availability of an accurate text will, one hopes, at least encourage more accurate reporting and commentary by responsible journalists, and may also increase coverage. Even a brief advance notice of a press conference or interview will enable our own staff to cover the event if possible, or to alert our post in the appropriate country to watch carefully for commentary resulting from an interview you have granted a foreign journalist.
I believe these suggestions will enable USIA to serve the National Security Council more effectively. If you agree, I will ask my staff to work out procedures in detail with Jerry Schecter.
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Agency File, Box 9, International Communication Agency: 8/77–2/78. No classification marking. Brzezinski wrote Schecter’s initials in the top right-hand corner of the memorandum. Brzezinski sent a copy of the memorandum to Schecter under a November 10 note. (Ibid.)↩
- Brzezinski placed a vertical line in the right-hand margin next to this paragraph. He drew an arrow from Schecter’s initials in the upper right-hand corner of the memorandum to the following handwritten notation: “give him [Reinhardt] a text for distrib. to foreign mags. & columnists.”↩