Overview:The CIA sought to leverage the unique positions of religous workers and journalists for intelligence purposes, this effort was called Operation Mockingbird.
Sources:
https://www.usagm.gov/who-we-are/oversight/legislation/smith-mundt/
https://spartacus-educational.com/JFKmockingbird.htm
https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/hearings/ciasuseofjournal00unit.pdf
https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/5736
Intent:
Strategic Intelligence Gathering:Utilizing the access and trust that religious workers and journalists enjoyed in various parts of the world, particularly in sensitive or closed regions where direct CIA operations would be conspicuous.
Covert Operations:Providing cover for agents under the guise of religious or journalistic activities, allowing the CIA to operate where official channels were restricted.
Countering Ideological Threats:During the Cold War, aligning with religious groups was seen as a countermeasure against communist influence, which often opposed religious institutions.
Bypassing Legal Restrictions:To circumvent laws like the Smith-Mundt Act, which originally prohibited the domestic dissemination of U.S. propaganda, by using indirect methods through media and religious cover.
Emergency Situations:In extreme cases like hostage crises or threats of mass destruction, the CIA believed these individuals could provide critical intelligence to avert disasters or save lives.
Execution:
Religious Institutions:
Policy and Exceptions:Despite a policy since 1977 prohibiting the use of clergy and missionaries for intelligence, the CIA maintained the right to waive this under "unique and special threats to national security."
1996 Hearing:CIA Director John Deutch confirmed this policy in a Senate hearing, essentially overruling the explicit demands of religious leaders for an absolute ban, citing national security needs.
Public Statements:Religious leaders, including the National Association of Evangelicals, vocally opposed any involvement with intelligence activities, arguing it would compromise their ethical stance and safety. However, these pleas were met with a policy framework that allowed for exceptions, thus undermining their authenticity and goodwill.
Journalists Involved with the CIA:
Execution:
Recruitment of Journalists:
Philip Graham (Washington Post): Active from the late 1940s until his death in 1963.
Joseph Alsop (New York Herald Tribune): Recruited in the early 1950s, involved until at least the mid-1960s.
Stewart Alsop (New York Herald Tribune): Similar timeframe to his brother, Joseph.
James Reston (New York Times): Active from the 1950s into the late 1960s.
Ben Bradlee (Newsweek, later Washington Post): Known for his intelligence connections in the 1950s, particularly in Paris, with influence persisting into his tenure at the Post in the 1970s.
Walter Pincus (Washington Post): His ties were noted, though specific dates are less clear, likely spanning from the 1960s.
C.D. Jackson (Time Magazine): Instrumental in the 1950s, particularly during Eisenhower's presidency.
Many other journalists:Over 400 American journalists were reportedly involved over 25 years, with activities peaking during the Cold War.
Methods:
Covert Funding:The CIA funded media operations indirectly, often through shell companies or front organizations.
Propaganda Distribution:Journalists were tasked with planting favorable stories or censoring unfavorable ones, both abroad and within the U.S. by ensuring stories from overseas were picked up by domestic outlets.
Bypassing Smith-Mundt Act:Operation Mockingbird effectively circumvented the Smith-Mundt Act by:
Using Foreign Press:Stories were planted in foreign media first, then picked up by U.S. outlets, thus not directly violating domestic dissemination restrictions.
Unofficial Channels:The CIA used journalists who were not officially on payroll but were cooperative, making it appear as if the information was independently sourced.
Book Publishing:Funding books for foreign markets that would eventually influence or be reviewed in U.S. media, thus indirectly spreading propaganda.
1970s Onward:
After public exposure in the mid-1970s, the CIA formally declared it would not enter into paid relationships with accredited journalists, but informal, voluntary cooperation was still "welcomed."
Impact:
Undermining Trust:The policy of potential use even if rare, led to suspicions among foreign populations that religious workers or journalists might be spies, thus undermining their credibility and safety.
Ethical and Moral Concerns:For religious workers, any association with intelligence operations was seen as a betrayal of their ethical principles, potentially damaging their mission and the trust they had built.
Journalistic Integrity:Journalists involved with the CIA faced criticism for compromising journalistic ethics, leading to a broader mistrust in media integrity.
Public Perception:The perceived or actual involvement of religious and journalistic figures in espionage activities could provoke hostility in countries with anti-American sentiment, endangering lives and diplomatic relations.
>the CIA formally declared it would not enter into paid relationships with accredited journalists, but informal, voluntary cooperation was still "welcomed."
The CIA willingly continued to operate illegally according to the Smith-Mundt Act until 2012 when the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 formally legalized it's activities of disseminating propaganda domestically.
Is the CIA still disseminating propaganda domestically?
What purposes does the CIA use it's propganda for?
Would you have greenlit Operation Mockingbird if you were the CIA Director?
