policy - The Black Vault

THE BDM CORPORATION
news story. There is always a private story behind the
public story. And if you don't cor.trol the strings to
that private story, you'll never get good coverage no
matter how many great things you do for the masses of
the people. There's only one sure way of getting
favorable stories from reporters and that is to "'eep
Stheir daily bread - the information, the stories, the
"plans, and the details they need for their work - in
your hands, so that you can give it out when and to
whom you want. 30/
Johison sought to orchestrate the media coverage of his presidency
by strictly cortrolling media access to him.
Personal interviews
were granted as rewards for favorable reporting whereas interviews were
denied as punishment for reporting which was critical of Johnson and his
policies.
Despite Johnson's uneasinass with the press, his first year in
office produced remarkably sympathetic treatment from tne press. Shortly
after assuming the presidency, Johnson embarked upon a campaign to gain the
friendship and respect of the press.
inviting newsmen to his ranch in Texas,
He courted the favor of the press by
by holding lengthy lurcheon sessions
and by spending hour5 with media executives. One year after he
entered the White House, however, the honeymoon ended as Johnson criticized
the press for accentuating the negative aspects of his relations with our
NATO allies. He intimated that this sort of coverage was endangering US
national security interests. 31/
Johnson was extremely sensitive to 'negative' stories and he took
great offense when the press criticized him or his policies. He responded
U•,-
to the press criticisms of i965 with increasing anger.
Irritations continued
to mount throughout Johnson's administration as he administered
personal slights to reporters and spurned their criticism of him Znd his
policies. 32/
August 1965 marks a watershed in the history of media coverage of
the war as well as in the deterioration of government-media relations.
Morely Safer's on-the-scene film story of the US Marines burning the huts
of villagers at Cam Ne and surrounding areas drew a strong reponse from the
administration. According to Safer, the US Marines had orders to burn the
hamlets to the ground if they received so little as one volley of fire from
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