Operation Mockingbird

Operation Mockingbird was a covert Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) program that began in the late 1940’s and continued through the 1970’s. The program aimed to influence and manipulate media organizations and journalists to promote the CIA’s views and objectives.

Under Operation Mockingbird, the CIA recruited and sometimes funded journalists from major news outlets, including newspapers and magazines. The agency sought to use these connections to shape public opinion and control the narrative, both domestically and internationally. The extent of the program’s success and its impact on journalism and public perception remain subjects of debate.

In the mid-1970’s, the United States Congress conducted investigations into intelligence community activities, leading to the Church Committee hearings. The Church Committee revealed information about Operation Mockingbird, bringing it to public attention and sparking concerns about the relationship between the intelligence community and the media.

While “Operation Mockingbird” may not have been a specific, officially documented program with that name, the concept it represents, covert efforts by the CIA to influence the media, was confirmed by the Church Committee and corroborated by the accounts of former CIA officers and journalists. The lack of a specific term in official documents does not negate the broader reality of the CIA’s historical involvement with the media.

Philip Agee

Agee became a whistleblower and wrote a book titled “Inside the Company: CIA Diary”, in which he exposed what he claimed were covert CIA activities.

John Stockwell

Stockwell spoke out against what he perceived as abuses by the CIA during the 1970s. In interviews and writings, he discussed covert activities, including efforts to manipulate public opinion.

Carl Bernstein

Bernstein, a journalist known for his role in breaking the Watergate scandal, wrote an article for Rolling Stone in 1977 titled “The CIA and the Media.” In the article, he discussed the agency’s use of journalists for intelligence purposes. While not explicitly using the term “Operation Mockingbird,” Bernstein’s work contributed to public understanding of the CIA’s relationship with the media.