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TELNO 1212
OF 111304Z MAY 88
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101
005231 MDLOAN 8155
FROM HEAD OF NEWS DEPARTMENT
YOUR TELNOS 1699 AND 1767: SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT: PRESS
ARRANGEMENTS
1.
ARRANGEMENTS IN YOUR SECOND TUR ARE FINE. THE FOLLOWING
ADDITIONAL POINTS OCCUR TO ME.
2. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PRESS CONFERENCE WE NEED A 20-30 MINUTE SLOT SET ASIDE FOR POSSIBLE INTERVIEWS WITH BRITISH TELEVISION AND RADIO. AT THIS RANGE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT WHETHER THE PRESS CONFERENCE ITSELF WILL SATISFY BRITISH MEDIA APPETITES OR WHETHER TELEVISION AND RADIO WILL WANT SHORT SEPARATE INTERVIEWS AFTERWARDS. NORMALLY THEY DO. IF SO THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S USUAL PREFERENCE IS TO DO THEM. SINCE IT WILL PRESUMABLY TAKE TIME TO CLEAR THE PRESS CONFERENCE ROOM, CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO PROVIDING SMALL SEPARATE ROOMS WHERE RADIO AND TELEVISION RESPECTIVELY CAN SET UP AND DO THE INTERVIEWS.
3.
SINCE THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS TRAVELLING COMMERCIALLY THE USUAL INVITATIONS TO BRITISH CORRESPONDENTS TO ACCOMPANY HIM DO NOT APPLY. THERE IS NOT A GREAT DEAL OF INTEREST HERE IN THE VISIT AT PRESENT. BUT THIS COULD CHANGE NEARER THE TIME. WE WILL LET YOU HAVE ANY NAMES AS SOON AS THEY BECOME KNOWN TO US.
4. I WILL BE READY TO BRIEF UNATTRIBUTABLY UK MEDIA (LOCALLY AND LONDON-BASED). AS USUAL I DO NOT WANT TO BE PINNED DOWN IN ADVANCE ON TIMINGS AND WILL SORT THIS OUT ON THE SPOT WITH ANY INTERESTED JOURNALISTS.
5. IT WOULD BE MOST USEFUL TO HAVE A TELEGRAM GIVING AN INDICATION OF THE GENERAL AREAS OF INTEREST LIKELY TO FEATURE IN PRESS QUESTIONS. GRATEFUL TO HAVE THIS DESKBY 13093OZ.
6.
COI TECHNICIAN. PLEASE NOTE THAT MARTIN SMITH IS EFFECTIVELY A MEMBER OF NEWS DEPARTMENT FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE VISIT AND NOT/NOT A JOURNALIST.
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