1977 Twenty-Eighth Annual Report Recommendations, United States Advisory Commission on Information
Chairman: Hobart Lewis
- Chairman of the Board of Reader’s Digest
Summary: This was the final report of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Information before it is was reorganized into the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy.
Major Recommendations:
- Congress should reexamine the basic statues that created and contained the legislative authority for establishing foreign information and cultural programs.
- Do not return the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) to the State Department. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs should be removed from the State Department and merged with USIA.
- USIA should remain independent.
- Congress and the Executive branch should examine the issue of USIA under-capitalization.
- The whole of USIA should be housed in one building (recommended consistently).
- Voice of America should be consolidated into improved facilities.
- Review the internal structure of USIA and strengthen the research element of USIA.
- Strengthen and restructure the Office of Congressional Relations.
- Grant the Public Affairs Officer the status of career objectives currently available to the State Department’s Foreign Service Officers.
- Make Labor Information Officers available.
- Expand English teaching and increase special exhibits in all geographic areas.
- Reinstitute a Broadcast Advisory Committee and direct broadcast satellite topics.
- USIA should develop a plan for commemorating the U.S. bicentennial.