Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 145 › Conversation 145-021
Nixon phone call with Colson on Media bias and Spiro Agnew
Monday, October 2, 1972 · 8:39 PM–8:43 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 15 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon and Charles Colson evaluated the evening news coverage provided by major television networks, specifically focusing on the biased reporting regarding Vice President Spiro Agnew and Democratic challenger George McGovern. Colson critiqued the perceived hostility of CBS toward the administration while highlighting the relative coverage of news editors and networks. The conversation also touched upon the political implications of AFL-CIO polling in Connecticut and included mention of a meeting with Andrei Gromyko at Camp David.
- Media bias
- Spiro Agnew
- George McGovern
- Television news
- AFL-CIO
- Andrei Gromyko
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On October 2, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 8:39 pm to 8:43 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 145-021 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 145-21
Date: October 2, 1972
Time: 8:39 pm - 8:45 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table
The President talked with Charles W. Colson.
*****************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 08/21/2018.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[145-021-w001]
[Duration: 3m 35s]
Charles W. Colson's assessment of evening television news coverage
-National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]
-Negative coverage
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Hatred towards Spiro T. Agnew
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-American Broadcasting Corporation [ABC]
-George S. McGovern
-Charles W. Colson’s opinion
-Audience Response
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Charles W. Colson’s opinion
-National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]
-George S. McGovern
-Spiro T. Agnew
-John W. Chancellor
-News editors
-Reuven Frank
-Camp David
-Andrei A. Gromyko meeting
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
American Broadcasting Corporation [ABC]
-Spiro T. Agnew
-George S. McGovern
-Camp David
-Andrei A. Gromyko meeting
Henry Kissinger entered at an unknown time after 8:39 p.m.
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-American Broadcasting Corporation [ABC]
-Spiro T. Agnew
-George S. McGovern
-National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]
-Camp David
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Positive reception
Jay Lovestone
-American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations [AFL-CIO]
-Polls
-Connecticut
*****************************************************************Also recorded on October 3, 1972
- 145-019 8:30 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone at Camp David from 8:30 pm to 8:36 pm.
- 214-031 8:30 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 8:30 pm to 8:36 pm.
- 145-020 8:36 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:36 pm and 8:39 pm.
- 214-032 8:36 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:36 pm and 8:39 pm.
- 214-033 8:39 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 8:39 pm to 8:43 pm.
- 145-022 8:43 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:43 pm and 8:51 pm.
- 214-034 8:43 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:43 pm and 8:51 pm.
- 214-035 8:43 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:43 pm and 8:51 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 145-021, October 3, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/145-021 (accessed October 12, 2026).