Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 43 › Conversation 043-052

Nixon phone call with Allin on Media relations and Time Magazine

Thursday, February 8, 1973 · 9:52 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Allin, Lyndon K.Conversation043-052 on Tape 43StartThursday, February 8, 1973 at 9:52 PMEndThursday, February 8, 1973 at 9:52 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 043-052 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon telephoned Lyndon K. “Mort” Allin to offer birthday greetings and express appreciation for his strenuous work in managing media relations. The pair discussed the administration's adversarial relationship with outlets like Time and Newsweek, with Nixon emphasizing that the media bears a responsibility to understand the administration's perspective. The conversation concluded with a brief exchange regarding Allin's recent attendance at a Debbie Reynolds performance.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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hello hello they tell me because your job is so rough that you're 64 years old today yes there's something like that right right up there well congratulations and uh i uh don't see much of you but i know you work night and day and and that uh in terms of the media nobody understands them better than you do i don't know if we understand them but uh
we got something going on one of these days we're going to try and understand them well there as i say mark it's there you know sometimes you know we say how can we do what can we do to uh that somebody has healed the wounds or what can we do to uh to win the media but i think we should always look at this now what can they do yes to come to our way isn't that it they have they have a little responsibility this little kick that uh that they're the ones that are representing what the viewpoint of the country is that's right and uh well of course this week
Both time and news week.
I know.
I saw your memo.
It was just great.
Well, you get out and take off early today and get a good rest.
We went and saw Debbie Reynolds play last night.
It was just tremendous.
Great.
Irene, a little no-no in the net style.
Oh, great.
Great, great.
Okay, well, thank you very much.

NARA Description

On February 8, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Lyndon K. Allin talked on the telephone at 9:52 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-052 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 43-52

Date: February 8, 1973
                                               -28-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                            Conversation No. 43-52 (cont’d)

Time: 9:52 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Lyndon K. (“Mort”) Allin.

       Birthday greeting
             -Meetings
             -Media relations
                   -Time, Newsweek
             -Debbie Reynolds
                  -Entertainment

Cite this conversation

Conversation 043-052, February 9, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/043-052 (accessed October 1, 2026).