Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 466 › Conversation 466-017

Nixon & Ziegler on Press relations and Transcripts

Thursday, March 11, 1971 · 6:20 PM–6:25 PM ET · Oval Office ·2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation466-017 onTape 466 (tape position 05:45:03–05:47:04)StartThursday, March 11, 1971 at 6:20 PMEndThursday, March 11, 1971 at 6:25 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 466-017 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler discuss the dissemination of a recent informal presidential interview. Nixon decides against releasing a verbatim transcript, fearing that the conversational tone will be misinterpreted in written form. Instead, they determine that reporters will be allowed to listen to the recording and take their own notes, effectively shifting the burden of transcription to the press while maintaining the White House's refusal to provide an official written record.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I don't want to release the transcript of this.
I talked very informally, so I'm just not going to release the transcript.
They made the notes.
What we're going to do is play the tape, but it sounds wrong.
I don't want to.
I'm not going to release the transcript.
this sort of thing.
So don't play the tape.
We just put it out.
Sir, we proceed on the basis of playing the tape.
There are about 20 of us now in the lobby now for a piece on this.
If we say we won't play the tape, it's going to be a
Well, if you do it, you're not going to erase the transcript.
Yes, I listen to the tape.
It sounds good on tape.
And I listen to it like that.
And you understand that you're not taking it out verbatim.
Yes, I understand that.
I don't even know what he's saying, but it's on one of the transcripts.
It's kind of an informal conversation put out on a paper.
It's on his hands.
How are you going to avoid that?
What am I just playing the tape?
In other words, as we play the tape, the people who take the notes in the lobby will...
have the same deficit as the people who had it here in the interview.
But we will not release the written word as it doesn't play on paper.
We did not put it for that purpose.
Now, would people want to come in and check the court?
Take that way of taking this stuff.
But don't give them a transcript.
There's no transcript.
We didn't make a transcript.
But you can place the tape back in the arm.
Thank you very much.

NARA Description

On March 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:20 pm to 6:25 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 466-017 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 466-17

Date: March 11, 1971
Time: 6:20 pm - 6:25 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler

     President’s previous interview
          -Possible release of a transcript

                -President’s view
                -Reason
           -Possible playing of a tape
                -President’s view
           -Possible release of a transcript
           -Possible playing of a tape
                -Ground rules
                -Other reporters
                -Possible transcript
                -Note taking
           -Possible release of a transcript
                -Reason
           -Format
           -Playing of a tape
                -Reporters’ note taking compared with White House release of transcript

Ziegler left at 6:25 pm

Also recorded on March 11, 1971

  • 466-016 6:17 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:17 pm to 6:20 pm.
  • 466-018 6:25 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:25 pm and 6:35 pm.
  • 466-019 6:25 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:25 pm and 6:35 pm.
  • 466-020 6:35 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 6:35 pm.
  • 466-021 6:35 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 6:35 pm.
  • 466-022 6:35 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:35 pm to 6:36 pm.
  • 466-023 6:41 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Warren E. Burger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:41 pm and 6:44 pm.
  • 466-024 6:44 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:44 pm and 6:48 pm.

All 25 conversations from March 11, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 466-017, March 11, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/466-017 (accessed September 18, 2026).