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Conversation 514-019

TapeTape 514StartTuesday, June 8, 1971 at 5:22 PMEndTuesday, June 8, 1971 at 5:31 PMTape start time05:14:09Tape end time05:21:14ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob");  Sanchez, Manolo;  Bull, Stephen B.Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman debriefed on a recent meeting with NBC executives, focusing on Nixon's efforts to confront the network's perceived bias and unfair coverage of his administration. Nixon emphasized his strategy of maintaining a cold, firm demeanor during the encounter to signal his effectiveness as an adversary, while refusing to apologize for the critical rhetoric of Vice President Agnew. The discussion also covered the administration's stance on equal-time requirements for campaign coverage and the president's decision to control the scheduling of his own press conferences rather than bowing to network convenience. Following this, Stephen B. Bull briefed the president on a logistical issue regarding the attendance of members of Congress for an upcoming meeting with Peter G. Peterson.

Media relationsNBCPress biasExecutive strategyEqual time doctrinePolitical communication
AudioNARA Description

On June 8, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Manolo Sanchez, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:22 pm to 5:31 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 514-019 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 514-19

Date: June 8, 1971
Time: 5:22 pm - 5:31 pm
Location: Oval Office

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

     Meeting with National Broadcasting Company [NBC] executives
          -Charles W. Colson reaction

An unknown person [Manolo Sanchez?] entered at unknown time after 5:22 pm

     Refreshments

The unknown person [Sanchez?] left before 5:31 pm

     Meeting with NBC executives
          -Rebuttal to press abuse
               -Need for honesty
                     -Press honesty
                     -Herbert G. Klein, John A. Scali, Ronald L. Ziegler
                     -Criticism of President
                           -Press view
               -President’s effectiveness as an adversary
               -Handling of executives
                      -Reaction of executives
               -Other attacks on press
                      -Spiro T. Agnew
                      -Robert J. Dole
                      -Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
                           -Apologies

     Press coverage
           -Curtis W. Tarr story
           -Economic stories
                -Figures
           -Haldeman
                -Conversation with newspaper employee
                      -Background of economy story
                            -Presentation
                                 -Hobart Rowen versus author
           -Washington Star economic coverage

           -NBC economic coverage
           -NBC war coverage
           -President’s demeanor
                 -Bias discussion
                       -Other approaches
                            -Drawbacks
           -Contact with other media people
           -Election coverage
                 -1966 campaign
                 -President’s desires
                       -Equal time
                            -Criteria for equal time
           -Timing of press conferences
                 -Network view
                 -President’s view
                       -Administration needs

Stephen B. Bull entered at unknown time after 5:22 pm

     President’s schedule
          -Peter G. Peterson briefing
                -Attendance
                      -Members of Congress

The President, Haldeman, and Bull left at 5:31 pm
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.

I'll tell you, I made a technical mistake.
Well, I think it was good work.
It was really good work.
I just, you know, I'm going to sit there day after day after day, week after week, taking that shit from the press, just being abused, and never saying anything about it.
And it was needed to be said, and I said it nicely, and it was done.
I'll lay it right there.
I'll leave it lay.
But you see, we cannot be so dishonest, Bob.
We cannot be so dishonest and be shot with our own selves.
I'd say this to Herb, and I'd say it to Scali, and I'd say it to Ron.
to say the press is fair and tries to be fair.
They are not.
That's right.
They're trying to screw us.
And it's more than they try to screw others.
Because they disagree.
Correct?
Not personal.
They're violently opposed.
They're a nice hand for us.
Correct.
That's right.
And that is it.
It's a...
So why, why, why, why do you bullshit about it?
Also, I think they're stronger against you because they know
that you're more effective in doing what they don't want done?
I'm a formidable adversary, right?
I think so.
I think it really bothered them.
I'm not saying, I don't know what I'm trying to say.
I really think they were more bothered by the fact that I was goddamn cold about them.
Cold, smiling all the time.
You know, I bet it did.
I was just cold, a soft voice.
I just gave it to them up and down on one side and sliced them up.
About time.
Time to end.
What happens is this, that our other people have to go in and suck our people.
And I know we all try and complain about this or that, but generally you're fair, and Agnew is sort of in charge.
I didn't, I didn't apologize for Agnew.
Not a bit.
You should.
I didn't apologize for the old man and all the rest of them.
I just said, well, now, you should start on your credibility without having yours in charge.
Well, they know down deep that you're right, too.
They have a... Sure.
Well, at the end of my son's graduation, my son was out at his daughter's couch, and I said, that was Saturday, and they had a damn good front page Saturday.
They had that big picture of who's this Curtis Tarr knocking that kid down.
And then they had a good story on the economy.
They had the figures on the unemployment.
They had the figures.
They played it the right way.
And some other good story.
I said something about, I was kidding, you know, it was kind of, enjoyed reading your paper this morning for a change.
And he laughed and he said, you know, I know exactly what you mean.
It must be depressing as hell to pick up our paper every morning for you.
I said, it normally is, but today for some reason you had a couple good days.
good stories, and he said, well, we had a fight on that economic story.
Mark Rowland said we were doing something wrong, and the guy that wrote it said we should present it this way, and we fought it through, and I put it in this way.
And this is the essence of it.
And any question about it.
The Stars played it wrong.
The Stars, the night before, played it badly.
They always, the Stars, they had to be very bad on economics.
Always bad.
They never failed at anything, always.
And they always played down our game against them.
That's right.
Consistent.
Just like NBC.
NBC is always bad on the economic track.
Worse than they are on the war.
CBS had a worse order.
Well, I made a cry.
I said, I don't mind reading about it.
I said, but listen, I'm kidding each other.
I said, they are.
I said, I know.
You can't get around it.
That's what got us.
I said, I don't mind it.
I know it.
I'm not complaining about it, boys.
There it is.
God damn, that kills me.
I said, you're biased.
I want you to do something about it.
It's all much better.
Yeah, well, then they could have leaped up and said, you know, that's a terrible thing.
The president's telling us how to run the network.
You didn't tell her that.
You commiserated with them in the problem they have.
That's good.
Friendly in those people.
Sure.
They all have fun together.
Exactly.
I said, you'd be out of your mind just talking to your employers about this.
They would say, oh yes, we do.
I didn't say it.
They didn't say it.
What did I say?
I laid them on the building, of course.
I said, you can't do that.
You shouldn't.
I said, I understand that.
That's what God would just say, you know, that they were going to be so totally helpless.
Help us with our legal conditions.
I understand that.
But also, we were not worried.
We were going to continue to fight directly and I laid them in hard.
And so they had equal time.
And I'm not going to let them come up because they said they had, because we got closer to the election, they might not be there in equal time.
I said, now wait.
You just do exactly the same you did with our request for equal time.
I said, I remember in 66, I got one.
You easily get half an hour.
And I said, I remember right in the middle of the afternoon, a little football game.
But I said, but I will take that in, and then I'll talk with you.
So they attacked me personally in a press conference.
That's what he did.
I said, I'm not going to make that mistake.
If I do, you give equal time.
But that's the only basis for giving time.
I don't have a lot of chance on that, too.
Why bullshit them up on that?
They're only going to hold it.
Absolutely right.
They were going to raise time at press conferences.
Did they get into that?
Yeah.
What time do they want?
They want to be talked to, sort of.
They said they're very serious.
Yeah, they said, well, we've always done that.
Corrected.
We've always done it when we wanted to do it, but we've always talked to them and always screwed them.
God's good.
We'll continue to do it just the way we want.
It suits our own convenience.
They might put us at 11 o'clock at night or maybe noon.
Fine.
We're going to do it just when we want to.
You're not going to shoot me, I'm afraid.
Too bad, man.
You're so true, I love you so much.
Pete isn't expecting you.
Mr. President, there are, well, Mr. Peterson would like to come now and do it, sir, but there will be no senators present here on the Hill for the two votes on the out amendment.
And out of the 30 members who were invited, 20 are present, sir.
Just give it to the House.
Yes, Senator.
Senators are not coming at all.
Not at all, sir.
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