The CIA’s 1951 Document Comparing American and Soviet Cold War
Propaganda, “Similarities” and “Resemblances”
Agency memo found 33 similarities between Voice of America and its USSR
counterparts
By Alec
Shea
Global
Research, July 11, 2017
Muckrock 30 June 2017
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1951, as the Cold War was intensifying, the CIA decided to see how Voice of
America radio broadcasts into Eastern Europe compared with Soviet efforts.
In a remarkably candid document, the Agency
critically assessed the similarities and differences between U.S. and Soviet
propaganda.
Today, VOA
claims that it was founded during the Second World War to
provide “Unbiased and accurate information.” The CIA officers assessing VOA in
1951, though, saw the service as essentially similar to Soviet propaganda,
going so far as saying that most Americans would be surprised by the
similarities between the two.
The document proposes that similarities
could be the result of opposing countries imitating the propaganda put out by
their rivals, and even posits the existence of an “international propagandists
culture” that tended to produce similar techniques.
The document includes a list of 33 main
similarities between Soviet and American propaganda, including the “impression
of objectivity,” “avoiding obvious lying on tangible facts,” blurring
distinctions within enemy camp,” and “not dignifying opponent’s position by
quoting it.”
However, it was in identifying where
the two styles differed that the Agency saw the most strategic value.
Some of the differences that the CIA
identified included “Soviet Conflict-Mindedness” …
which was directly opposed to “Greater
American Fact-Mindedness”
Changes in the National Defense Authorization Act this
year ignited fears that VOA could be marketing itself to an American audience.
If it does, the American public may get a direct demonstration of exactly what
the “international propagandists culture” looks like today.
Featured
image from United Artists
The
original source of this article is Muckrock
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