The Jeremiad Over Journalism

In Denmark, Information in 1975 published several articles about CIA and their agents in
Denmark. 382 The following year, the story of Arthur Opot broke in Sweden, and in late 1977 The
New York Times‘ in depth article series on the CIA‘s worldwide propaganda efforts was published.
In Denmark, the Swedish revelation of the CIA‘s attempt to recruit Opot also caught the Danish
Union of Journalists‘ attention as an article was published in Journalisten under the headline
―Scandinavian Journalists Targeted by CIA.‖ The article in Journalisten did not mention the
Information-article or refer to any Danish examples, but did conclude,
Conclusion
―That the recruitment of Opot as a CIA-agent was also aimed at him collecting information
about potential colleagues in Stockholm‘s journalistic environment is beyond any doubt. His
information to FIB/Kulturfront has not been contested [by the Americans]‖ 383
This section on Americanization from a transmission perspective has shown that American officials
working out of the American embassy in Copenhagen tried consciously to create a more favorable
image of the United States, and in their own estimation, often succeeded especially in the 1950‘s.
Through white propaganda, as exemplified by the Daily News Bulletin or press releases, the USIS
in the 1950s were able to get their message across in Danish newspapers. Through grey propaganda
the United States government was able to get their message conveyed through proxies such as Per
Hækkerup or Berlingske Tidende. And through black propaganda the CIA, according to former
NewYork Times reporter Joseph Treaster, likely infiltrated the Danish news agency Ritzaus Bureau.
Additionally, the employees at the American embassy worked diligently to cultivate personal
relationships with media employees, sponsored visits to the United States, and subsequently
discussed questions of ―balance‖ and ―objectivity‖ with Danish journalists to try and make them
382 See for example Jørgen Dragsdahl, "CIA under Anklage [CIA Face Charges]," Information, July 13-14, 1975. Page
2. Also Jørgen Dragsdahl and Poul E. Svejstrup, "Overraskende Stor CIA-Repræsentation I Denmark [Surprisingly
Large CIA-Representation in Denmark]," Information, July 13-14, 1975. Page 1.
383 Poul Smidt, "Skandinaviske Journalister Et Mål for CIA [Scandinavian Journalists Targeted by CIA]," Journalisten,
March 1976. Page 5. My translation. Original text reads, ‖At hvervningen af Opot som CIA-agent også tog sigte på, at
han i det stockholmske journalistmiljø skulle indsamle oplysninger om kolleger-emner, er hævet over enhver tvivl.
Hans oplysninger til FIB/Kulturfront er ikke blevet anfægtet.‖
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