Operation Mockingbird was a clandestine program of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that began in the early 1950s and continued for several decades. The goal of the operation was to influence and manipulate the media in the United States and abroad in order to promote the CIA’s agenda and shape public opinion.

The operation involved the recruitment of journalists, editors, and other media professionals who were willing to cooperate with the CIA. These individuals were given information and propaganda to disseminate through their media outlets, sometimes without their knowledge or consent.

The operation was part of a broader effort by the CIA to influence public opinion and shape foreign policy. It was believed that by controlling the media, the CIA could shape public opinion in favor of its own interests and prevent the spread of communist ideology.

Operation Mockingbird was exposed in the 1970s during congressional investigations into the activities of the CIA. The program was criticized for violating the principles of a free and independent press, and it is believed to have had a significant impact on the media landscape in the United States and beyond. However, the full extent of the operation remains unclear, as many of the documents related to it remain classified.