9 5 a Z 6 = 5 7 =~ N S 8 N Oo a 9 Z g & 10 Z . a V1 4 a @:* faa] Bed & a= 15 cay jon} J 16 iv] E17 <3 loa] 618 S F419 % 20 21° @ 22 23 24 25 27 Gf ur. Edgar. Just one point of emphasis. I think on page 2 where it says, "The committee should avoid giving out the names of witnesses before they appear," I think that should be under- scored and be an absolute policy because if some of the members give out the names and others don't Wr I.would..really think that that has to be an absolute kind of thing. I guess my only major __ point is the suggestion that we holdSprior to the 14th)a major press briefing... Mrs. Burke. Would this be to discuss the witnesses or what would the press briefing cover? Mr, Edgar. I think the press briefing would be to say we are beginning/fon the 14th\our public sessionsf£ We plan to have public hearings and then go into the September and October time -€rame. I think we could share with them kind of an overall theme ‘of what we are about without giving specifics. I think we could go through the third draft of this memorandum point by point so that the press fully understands and we can have some dialogue back and forth with them. Fourth, it would be to try to get them feeling that we want to harmoniously work with them. We might be able to announce at that time, the first week of activities, what we see as a step by step because it does not seem to me that our first week is that secretive in terms of F Mrs. Burke. Has it been announced to the press? Mr. Blakey. The themes were mentioned in remarks by the fnairman on the floor when the dates were announced. ALDERSON REPORTING COMPANY, INC. Docld: 3277666586 Page 29
; 28 — G mr. Edgar. I think that serves as a kind of opening statement 2 | to the press. 3 I guess I just want to see us in a setting with the press @ 4 | where we are smiling and where we can talk about the kind of work 5 that we have done and the reasons why we have had to be in execu- 6 | tive session and the reasons why we are now going to open session 7 | and the reasons now why we are going to not be able to comment on 8 | the substance of the investigation because we are still receiving 9 | input but that we will be able to comment on structure and we do 10 | now have a press policy that would give them information in enough “11 | advance time for them to be prepared to cover our hearings and we -.12 | urge them because of the interest of the American people to cover -13 | our hearings.) 14). My. McKinney. If the gentleman will yield, I would like to -15 | emphasize that. It seems to me even though this would not be the . 16 policy for later on that since the first week I think one is in 7 prison and the others we know they are the kind that we would set 18 | a petter mood if we did announce on Thursday exactly what the 19 schedule was going to be. 300 7TH STREET, S.W., REPORTERS BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20024 (202) 554-2345 20 _ Mr. Blakey. Except for the witness James Earl Ray. . For 21 example, you know exactly what would happen if we announce the Y 22 | witnesses in advance. 23 Mr. McKinney. There is nothing confidential: | 24 Mr. Blakey. They will go to them and interview them in 25 | advance and then the focus of attention will be what they said ALDERSON REPORTING COMPANY, INC. Docla:32266686 Page. 30
10 a 16 18 19 300 7TH STREET, S.W. , REPORTERS BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20024 (202) 554-2345 20 a @ 22 23 24 25 Docld: 322766636 29 before they came and what they said after they left rather than what they said before the committee. Df wr. Edgar. The only witness that they could interview would be Dr. Abernathy. Mr. Blakey. They could interview Dr. Baden, they could not interview James Earl Ray. Mr. Sawyer. I think it is very important, though, what Bob said, that we make it clear to them that we are not going to comment on the thing as it is developing because your local press is going to take umbrage at this if that is not explained in advance, and the reasons for it. Mr. Blakey. — That is an excellent suggestion. Mr. Edgar. The other problem I have is that the press can go and interview Dr. Abernathy already. Mr. Blakey. But they don't know he is coming here and therefore they have not gone to him and asked him questions about what we have talked about with him or what he may testify about up here. If they go to him, I am sure he will talk to them. Mr. Edgar. Well, I can understand that not naming names other than James Earl Ray the first week and that Monday and Tuesday will be setting a stage for James Earl Ray's visit, anG=E expauaderstand=that: but I guess my feeling is that the press briefing that we would have would be not just to get the TV cameras focusing on the ghairman but also to educate the press as to the style and the way we are going to operate with the ALDERSON REPORTING COMPANY, INC. Page 31
18 19 300 7TH STREET, S.W.,, REPORTERS BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20024 (202) 554-2345 20 21 @ 22 23 24 25 30 intention of trying to help them understand we want to work with themahseause I think in the past they have had the feeling that we have tried to manipulate them or we have tried to put them in a box, and I think our new policy is we are going to now try to work with them in a harmonious way so we get the facts as I previously described to the American public. as well as possible. TY chairman Stokes. I think the gentleman's suggestion is an excellent one. Just to comment on one phase of it, it does seem to me that the press could probably accept some standardized polic with reference to not releasing the names of witnesses. I think if we explained it in as iia context pawotiy we cannot tell PRA about weilprnas some,and not tell oy about others without it being too onerous, ma they probably can accept that,fewerkd-thinis I think your suggestion is excellent. | Mr. Fithian. Mr. Chairman. Chairman Stokes. Mr. Fithian. Mr. Fithian. We are working on it,I hope, within the perimeters of reality and that is that any witness that Mark Lane is bringing before this committee, or a number of other witnesses, will indeed make it known to the press that they are coming, so I hope we are not assuming that we. will be able to walk a well known American into our hearings without the press already knowing it. “Mr. Blakey. I think that is true. For example, somebcdy Like Governor Connelly if he comes on the Kennedy side, I am sure: he will tell the world he is coming first and there is nothing we ALDERSON REPORTING COMPANY, INC. Docld: 3272766656 Page 32
ro 5 a B 6 Sy 8 7 a Ss 8 S q 9 Z & & 10 z gil = g 12 . 8 @ 233 . jon] wn z 14 [oa] 2 15 fa foe} : 16 WM g 17 jeat [ao] A 68 x & 5 19 % 20 21 23 24 25 Docld: 322766636 31 can do about that anyway but there is very little that he could say to the press that he has not already said anyway. If I said anything about Governor Connelly's appearance it would be question we ask him in the context of the evidence to be shown when he appears and that is something that it is unlikely that he would be able to comment on until he gets here although there will be a pre-appearance interview with the Governor. Y ue. Edgar. When will be the first time the press will know — the name of the witness? Mr. Blakey. That. morning when they receive the background booklet which will contain the narration, the name and address of the witness and the exhibits of that day. urs. burke. When will we receive that material, the day before? Mr. Blakey. The committee will get it as soon as we know. The actual booklet will be prepared and given to your staff the day before. Indeed the whole staff should know just as soon as it is finalized as to which witnesses are appearing on which days put that actual booklet will be given to the staffs the day before, Mr. Sawyer. Are you making any differentiation between the press and the electronic media? You know, the press have deadlines and they don't like to publish something hand-<ef a day after everyr body has seen it on TV. They like to windea# come out with their evening paper with the same thing. 2 Mr. Blakey. They will get it at eight in the morning with an ALDERSON REPORTING COMPANY, INC. Page 33