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Conversation 006-143

TapeTape 6StartMonday, July 5, 1971 at 7:21 PMEndMonday, July 5, 1971 at 7:25 PMTape start time02:53:11Tape end time02:58:26ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AudioNARA Description

On July 5, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 7:21 pm to 7:25 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 006-143 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 6-143

Date: July 5, 1971
Time: 7:21 pm - 7:25 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

     Television coverage of President's certification of 26th amendment
          -Haldeman's conversation with Ronald L. Ziegler
          -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
          -American Broadcasting Company [ABC]
          -National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]

          -CBS
          -Robert Pierpoint
          -Administration response
          -Fairness of reporting
                -Charles W. Colson, Herbert G. Klein
                -Julian Goodman, Frank Stanton, James C. Hagerty
          -Eighteen year-old vote, Gallup poll
          -Review of tape
                -Colson
                -William S. Paley
          -Ziegler's forthcoming meeting with Pierpoint and Tom Jarriel
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Well, we didn't do too well on the networks.
That's what Ron said.
CBS was particularly bad.
ABC had a little bit of a feel of it, and NBC was not bad either.
But basically, now understand, the whole thing is a plus.
Oh, yeah.
But the point is, CBS really jobbed us, and they didn't get the feel of it.
I think they're sort of being a sort of...
Give Ron a little crap.
Proceeds to butter up.
Well, I don't know.
It could be.
And also, though, they apparently didn't give him time.
Well, anyway, it's worth doing.
Well, I'll tell you what I think we ought to do on this one.
And maybe Charter or Herb ought to follow up on it rather than Ron.
Oh, not Ron, no.
to sit down, to go to the trouble, just once, sitting down and streaming the entire footage that they shot of that thing, their own guy shot.
Just run the whole thing for them.
And then immediately afterwards, look at what they put on the air.
And ask yourself, was this really fair coverage?
Now, I tell you the one to do it, not Herb, because poor Herb, he isn't got the strength.
But have Colson do it.
We've got it to him.
So now look.
We're not complaining about it.
Except that we say, do you think it reflected what was there?
Was it accurate?
Were you told?
at that whole event.
They can't come off thinking they didn't do it right.
Well, the footage is only 20 minutes, you know?
Yeah.
But they don't have too much to look at.
That's right.
Well, then be then.
Let them see what it was.
That's right.
I don't want to see it.
I don't want too many kneeling.
Keep Herb out of it, because he doesn't know how to do it.
I mean, he doesn't really get through Bob on these, I don't think, because he's too nice.
This is one where we can make it just on the point that this isn't a hard news thing.
It is a matter of interpretation.
We don't have any complaints.
We don't have any complaints.
There's nothing inaccurate.
Your coverage was good.
That's right.
But we just wonder.
You look at it to see whether you really think that this reflected the feeling.
But they were doing their best with it.
They knew it was good.
They were doing their best with it.
Did you see any of them?
No.
But give that as a closing assignment.
Let's see if we can follow up on each one.
Well, can he get the tape himself?
Maybe we tape it.
Rather than what they did.
You may have.
All right, get to Nathan.
Then let him go, and then let him sit with Taylor.
But sir, for them to look at their own tape stuff.
God damn it, they won't do it.
Yeah, but okay, let him go into the tape, but ask him to do it with their film.
He can have ours long too, but ask him to look at theirs.
Because theirs will be the same as ours.
Mm-hmm.
They film this, they have the whole thing.
Mm-hmm.
Brown might ask their cameraman if they thought they did a fair job.
He'd say, look, what do you think of the coverage, fellas?
Honestly, when to do that?
He's going to need a third point a little anyway.
But the whole thing was basically exactly what I expected.
What was what I say, what you said earlier, that this had been done by somebody that wanted to help it around five to eight minutes.
Jesus Christ.
There's nothing else in the news tonight.
Nothing.
Dull as hell.
Dull as hell.
Not a damn thing.
And so, except negative stuff.
Now, here's a chance to run something positive, upbeat, American, on the 4th of July.
And they didn't do it.
And they didn't do it deliberately.
I think they goddamn well ought to be called on this.
I'm sure of it.
Because we don't have many clear ones like this, do we?
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