Just in case anyone thought Bush was being original with the short-lived Office of Strategic Influence, we have this memory from the Foreign Relations of the United States series:
National Security Action Memorandum No. 63
Washington, July 24, 1961.
TO The Secretary of State The Secretary of Defense Director, U.S. Information Agency Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT Policy Guidance and Preemption of U.S. Government-Controlled Broadcasting
After consultation with the heads of Departments and agencies concerned, the President has approved the following:
1. The Department of State shall provide foreign policy guidance to all international radio broadcasting and television stations controlled by U.S. Government agencies. This includes stations of the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service and the Voice of the United Nations Command in Korea, operated by the Department of Defense, and those stations [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] influenced or financed by the Central Intelligence Agency.
2. This guidance shall be relayed through the U.S. Information Agency, which will provide supplemental information policy guidance as required. The Director, U.S. Information Agency shall establish appropriate procedures for conveying guidance.
3. The Director, U.S. Information Agency is authorized to preempt time on any of these radio and television stations for special programs when he deems it to be in the national interest. The Director, U.S. Information Agency shall establish appropriate procedures for arranging for such special programs.
4. Every effort shall be made to avoid public awareness of the relationship between the various ostensibly non-governmental broadcasting stations and the U.S. Government.
McGeorge Bundy
[via Secrecy News]
