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From Tom Lias to Harry Dent and Harry Flemming RE: Lias relating who he saw at a Black Silent Majority luncheon. Names mentioned include Clay Claiborne, Bob Wilson, Hugh Scott, George Bell, Murray Chotiner and Joe Robertson. 1 pg. [Subject: Personal] [Memo], 10/12/1970
Copy of letter from David R. Derge, President of Behavioral Research Associates, to Jeb Magruder RE: assessement of National Media Analysis' proposal, methodology and fees. 2 pgs. [Subject: Foreign Policy] [Letter], 6/9/1970
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WHSF: Contested, 5-35
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26144793
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WHSF: Contested, 5-35
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This file contains:
From Tom Lias to Harry Dent and Harry Flemming RE: Lias relating who he saw at a Black Silent Majority luncheon. Names mentioned include Clay Claiborne, Bob Wilson, Hugh Scott, George Bell, Murray Chotiner and Joe Robertson. 1 pg. [Subject: Personal] [Memo], 10/12/1970
Copy of letter from David R. Derge, President of Behavioral Research Associates, to Jeb Magruder RE: assessement of National Media Analysis' proposal, methodology and fees. 2 pgs. [Subject: Foreign Policy] [Letter], 6/9/1970
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Richard M. Nixon's Returned Materials Collection
Contested Materials Files
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Richard Nixon Presidential Library
Contested Materials Collection
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Document Description
5
35
10/12/1970
Personal
Memo
Memo from Tom Lias to Harry Dent and
Harry Flemming RE: Lias relating who he
saw at a Black Silent Majority luncheon.
Names mentioned include Clay Claiborne,
Bob Wilson, Hugh Scott, George Bell,
Murray Chotiner and Joe Robertson. 1 pg.
5
35
6/9/1970
Foreign Policy
Letter
Copy of letter from David R. Derge,
President of Behavioral Research Associates,
to Jeb Magruder RE: assessement of
National Media Analysis' proposal,
methodology and fees. 2 pgs.
Friday, March 05, 2010
Page 1 of 1
shell
October 12, 1970
TO:
Harry Flemming
Harry Dent
FROM:
Tom Lias
On Saturday, I attended a luncheon at the Washington
Hilton given by the Black Silent Majority Committee,
which is a Negro Republican front group put together
by Clay Claiborne with Bob Wilson's aid and assistance.
Hugh Scott got an award, as did Bob Wilson, and some
others - George Bell and Murray Chotiner were also
there from the White House. Sitting next to me, at the
head table, representing the Secretary of Agriculture
was Joe Robertson 111111
BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATES
DAVID R. DERGE, President
WOODRUFF LANE, BITTNER WOODS
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA 47401
(812) 336-5564
June 9, 1970
Mr. Jeb MaGruder
The White House
Washington, D. C. 20500
Dear Jeb:
This is in response to your letter of June 1, 1970, concerning the
National Media Analysis proposal. Discussions with FitzGerald and several
RNC people took place earlier this year and my recommendation at that time
was negative.
I have two basic objections. First is that FitzGerald declines to reveal
his techniques and methodology, asking that they be accepted on the basis
of prior successes. Under these circumstances it is impossible to reach
a professional judgment on the adequacy, reliability and validity of his
assumptions and analytical tools. I judge this to involve too many risks
and too much mystery. I did propose that FitzGerald conduct a simultaneous
test with our last field survey to compare the results of his undisclosed
methods with our standard survey research techniques. FitzGerald at first
agreed, then declines to participate.
My second objection goes to the basic assumption underlying the measurement
of public opinion through media analysis. Put simply, FitzGerald assumes that
the mass media deliberately structure content to please the reader. That is,
the media "market" the news that the "consumer" wants to have. If this is true,
what appears in the media would be a good reflection of what the people are
thinking. I doubt that this assumption is valid enough to base policy decisions
upon it.
I suggested to RNC that FitzGerald might provide another service--content
analysis of media to provide accurate information about what is being purveyed
by the press. You undoubtedly know more about content analysis techniques than
I do and can judge whether such a service would be useful. There is an adequate
literature on this technique and many people believe it is better than a simple
clipping service. Even so, I balk at the leap in logic which extends content
analysis to accurate measurement of public opinion. Thus, I conclude that
content analysis should stand on its own merits and not make the added claims
FitzGerald does.
Mr. Jeb MaGruder
Page 2
June 9, 1970
If you decide to subscribe to this service as a content analysis
product, I still believe you should insist that FitzGerald reveal his
methodology and techniques to allow a comparison between what he does and
known professional standards of content analysis. While he quantifies his
data, I am certain there are built-in qualitative or value judgments. As
an example see the attached report on "military," "anti-military," and
"neutral" attitudes toward Vietnam. I object to the definitions he assigns
and would have grave objections to basing Presidential policy on these
definitions.
If I understand your letter correctly, the cost would be $5,000 per week
or $260,000 per year. This is considerably in excess of all survey research
costs we now have under way.
Finally, I am not enthused about basing our survey content decisions
on FitzGerald's judgments. These decisions should be made by White House
and RNC staff according to needs.
Sincerely yours,
HUZ David R. Derge
President
bb
bc: Mr. Bill Low