Fox News host Jesse Watters recently shed light on Operation Mockingbird, an undercover Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) initiative aimed at manipulating public perception through the media.
This operation involved the infiltration of journalists and informants into prominent U.S. media outlets, to advance the federal government’s viewpoints and political agendas. (Related: MEDIA MARCHING ORDERS: White House orders media to cover up Joe Biden’s corruption bombshells.)
“Langley was laundering narratives to the press and into the public’s veins,” Watters remarked, emphasizing the extensive influence of the CIA on the media landscape. According to Watters, at least 22 American news organizations, including the New York Times, Life magazine and CBS, had individuals on the CIA payroll, serving as conduits for disseminating disinformation, whether knowingly or unknowingly.
The discussion on Operation Mockingbird was sparked by a recent acknowledgment from the New York Times, which acknowledged the existence of a “Deep State” network—a term often used to describe a clandestine group of government and media personnel working to undermine elected officials or promote specific agendas.
The newspaper portrayed this network positively, suggesting it played a beneficial role within the federal government.
Watters also referenced the 1975 Church Committee hearings, a significant moment when the public became aware of Operation Mockingbird’s existence.
During these hearings, William Colby, the outgoing CIA director at the time, testified about the agency’s efforts to embed assets within major media outlets, revealing details that shocked the American public.
This revisitation of Operation Mockingbird by Fox News underscores ongoing concerns about the relationship between the media and government agencies.
It raises doubts about the integrity of news organizations and highlights the potential for covert operations to influence public discourse and opinion. These discussions echo historical instances where the line between journalism and state influence became increasingly blurred.
The clandestine American endeavor unfolded during the early years of the Cold War.
This covert project aimed to sway the influence of major media outlets by enlisting and compensating news organizations and journalists. These individuals essentially acted as undercover operatives for their country, utilizing propaganda and subversion tactics.
Ramifications of Operation Mockingbird may still resonate within the media realm
Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases, wrote that Operation Mockingbird was indeed a real initiative orchestrated by the CIA in the late 1940s. Without veering into conspiracy territory, Kennedy said the ramifications of Operation Mockingbird may still resonate within the media realm.
One can only fathom the level of distrust that arose when this covert scheme was exposed to the public. Suddenly, friends and colleagues were revealed to be operating against the very principles of journalism they purported to uphold.
It’s akin to the fallout experienced when journalists like Stephen Glass are unmasked. The public’s already fragile trust in journalists is further eroded when impostors and wrongdoers are uncovered among the hardworking ranks.
What the government perhaps failed to consider at the time were the enduring effects of planting deceptive journalists to advance their agendas.
PERCEPTION RESET 