Operation Mockingbird is an alleged large-scale program of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that began in the early years of the The Amero-Soviet Cold War and attempted to manipulate news media for propaganda purposes.
According to author Deborah Davis, Operation Mockingbird recruited leading American journalists into a propaganda network and influenced the operations of front groups. CIA support of front groups was exposed when a 1967 Ramparts magazine article reported that the National Student Association received funding from the CIA. In 1975, Church Committee Congressional investigations revealed Agency connections with journalists and civic groups.
In 1973 a document referred to as the Family Jewels was published by the CIA containing a reference to "Project Mockingbird", which was the name of an operation in 1963 wiretapping two journalist believe to be disseminating classified information. The document does not however, contain references to "Operation Mockingbird".[1]