Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 628 › Conversation 628-010

Nixon & Ziegler on Public Relations and Press Relations

Thursday, December 2, 1971 · 2:03 PM–2:07 PM ET · Oval Office · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation628-010 on Tape 628 (tape position 02:33:33–02:35:06)StartThursday, December 2, 1971 at 2:03 PMEndThursday, December 2, 1971 at 2:07 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 628-010 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler coordinated public relations strategies regarding upcoming administration events, including a Business Council meeting and an appearance by Assistant Secretary of Labor Arthur Fletcher. They finalized plans for press coverage and photo opportunities, weighing the necessity of multiple media appearances against the risk of overexposure. Nixon ultimately approved the proposed schedule, trusting that the distinct nature of each event would prevent negative overlap in media coverage.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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'll sit in on the meeting and then go out and talk about the biggest sales and so forth.
I've got my line all set, which you approved.
I think it'd be good to do a press picture of them in here.
Okay.
And then on Rodney, report on him.
Then on Art Fletcher, what's your view about a press picture on him?
He's prepared to go out in the press room and say some good things, and I think we should let him.
You know, these are various stories that I think all of them will play, and none of them step on one another, because they're
So we really have those, we have three pictures this afternoon.
It's more than we normally would like to have, but I think they're so different that they're playing different sections of the paper.
You approve, sir?

NARA Description

On December 2, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:03 pm and 2:07 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 628-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 628-10

Date: December 2, 1971
Time: Unknown between 2:03 pm and 2:07 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.
     Business Council meeting
          -Gordon M. Metcalf
          -Ziegler's talk with Richard A. Moore
          -Ziegler's attendance
          -Press picture

     Dr. Arthur A. Fletcher
          -Press picture
                -Speaking for the press

     Photographs
          -Amount

Ziegler left at an unknown time before 2:07 pm.

Also recorded on December 2, 1971

  • 015-199 1:50 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:50 pm and 2:07 pm.
  • 015-200 1:50 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:50 pm and 2:07 pm.
  • 015-201 1:50 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:50 pm and 2:07 pm.
  • 628-009 2:03 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:03 pm and 2:07 pm.
  • 015-202 2:07 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 2:07 pm to 2:19 pm.
  • 628-011 2:07 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:07 pm to 2:19 pm.
  • 628-012 2:19 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 2:19 pm.
  • 628-013 2:19 PM · 32 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Gordon M. Metcalf, William M. Batten, George P. Shultz, Richard A. Moore, Ronald L. Ziegler, White House photographer, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:19 pm to 2:50 pm.

All 40 conversations from December 2, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 628-010, December 2, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/628-010 (accessed October 12, 2026).