July 22, 1964 - The United States is expanding news coverage facilities in Saigon and encouraging newsmen from through the world to come and see for themselves how South Vietnam, with American assistance, is battling for its life against Communist insurgency.
Officials in Saigon refer openly to a “crisis of credibility” that has developed. They are troubled by demands for the “truth” about the war in South Vietnam.
To re-establish confidence in its policies, the U.S. has undertaken to bring many more American correspondents to South Vietnam.
There are now about 10 resident press and television correspondents for U.S. agencies and publications with an additional 10 dropping in from time to time.
One recent improvement was the assignment of a helicopter to be available to foreign newsmen in Saigon at all times. Thus they can go at once to the scene of important developments.
Today, in order to permit swift press coverage of a Viet Cong raid on a village in the Delta area, a second helicopter was assigned and two helicopter loads of correspondents — five in each — were flown to the scene.
Officials in Saigon say the new program of expanded press facilities was worked out in detail with the Pentagon and State Department as an effort to permit the world to get a “balanced” picture.
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