Conversation No. 751-12

Date: July 24, 1972
Time: 3:44 pm - 4:13 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Patrick J. Buchanan, Lyndon K. (“Mort”) Allin, Sandra I. Kiely, Jon D.
Hoornstra, Lotus Anne Wagner, W. Bruce Weinrod. Stephen B. Bull and the White House
photographer were present at the beginning of the meeting.

      Introductions
           -News summary
           -Allin’s weight
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                NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. Mar-02)


Seating arrangements for photograph session

White House news summary
    -Importance
    -Distribution
          -Congress
          -American Enterprise Institute [AEI]
                -Alternative to Washington Post, New York Times, Washington Star
                -Television news
                -Local newspapers
                -Balanced reporting

Washington Post reporting
    -Youth
         -George H. Gallup Poll
         -George S. McGovern

White House News Summary staff
    -Working hours
    -Workload
    -1972 election
         -Instructions for Buchanan and Allin
               -Additional staff
         -Edith Efron analysis of media fairness
               -Networks
                   -McGovern, the President
                   -1968 campaign
                   -Word counting
               -September 1972
    -American Institute of Political Communications survey
         -McGovern
         -Ed Barrett
         -Sig Mickelson
               -Resignation

1972 campaign
    -McGovern
         -White House response

White House News Summary staff
    -Workload
         -Analysis of media coverage
              -New York Times, Washington Post
                                              19

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. Mar-02)


                     -Wire services
                     -Columnists
                         -Effect on opinion makers
                         -Mary McGrory
                         -William S. White
                         -Effect on voters
                     -Distribution
                         -Charles W. Colson, H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                     -Secrecy
                     -Importance

Bull entered and left at an unknown time before 4:13 pm.

     The President’s schedule

     Media relations
         -1968 and 1960 elections

     Newspaper Guild
         -Endorsement of McGovern
              -New York
              -New York Daily News, Washington Post
              -Significance

     1972 campaign
         -McGovern
              -Comments
                    -News summary
         -Support for the President
              -Frank E. Fitzsimmons, Peter J. Brennan, Thomas W. (“Teddy”) Gleason

     White House News Summary staff
         -Workload
              -Analysis of media coverage
                   -McGovern

     John B. Connally
          -Washington Post editorial
               -Forced labor

     White House News Summary staff
         -Workload
              -Analysis of media coverage
                                             20

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. Mar-02)


                   -Polls
                       -Networks, columnists, wire services
                   -Chicago Tribune
                   -News magazines
                       -New Republic
                       -Human Events
                       -Life
                   -Ronald L. Ziegler
                   -Daily appraisals
                   -Harry Reasoner's statement
                       -McGovern, George Meany
                   -Newspaper Guild
                       -Endorsement
                              -Reaction
                       -1968 campaign
                              -Efron’s book [The News Twisters]
                   -Television

    1972 campaign
        -McGovern
             -Network correspondents
                  -David Schoumacher, Jack Perkins

    Perkins
         -National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
         -Coverage of Ronald W. Reagan in 1970
               -Student riots
               -Compared to advertisement

    Washington Post
        -McGovern

    Channel 9
        -Reporting of labor
              -Camp David
              -Leaders
                   -View of administration


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
                                             21

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Mar-02)


[Duration:   2m 7s   ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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     White House News Summary staff
         -Workload
              -Analysis of media coverage
                   -Networks
                       -Radio
                   -Wire services
                       -McGovern
                       -John V. Lindsay, [Forename unknown] Rosenthal
                              -Associated Press [AP] story

     Labor story
         -Daniel L. Schorr, Douglas Kiker, Roger H. Mudd
                -Quality of reporting
                    -McGovern
                    -The President and Meany
                          -[American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations
                               [AFL-CIO] convention, Bal Harbour, Florida, November 1971

     Newspaper Guild endorsement
         -Publicity
               -Barry M. Goldwater's comment
                    -Distribution by Colson
               -Networks
               -New York Times
               -Compared to Efron’s book
                    -Efron’s testimony

     1972 campaign
         -Press coverage
               -Media flap
               -The President's meeting with Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
               -Time, Newsweek, New York Times, Washington Post
               -Wire services
                    -Effect on local news, radio
                                               22

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. Mar-02)


      White House News Summary staff
          -Workload
               -Analysis of media coverage
                    -Republican National Convention
                    -Washington Star

      Unknown man
          -Book
          -Experience in Cambodia
          -Book
               -Quotation
                    -Karl E. Mundt
               -Reviews
               -The President’s instruction

      Presentation of gifts by the President
           -Pins, cufflinks

      White House News Summary
          -Importance

      Washington area residents
          -New York Times, Washington Post

Buchanan et al. left at 4:13 pm.