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White House Press Service

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The White House’s establishment of its own press service is a disturbing reflection of the amount of trust Mr. Reagan places in the American people’s ability to understand the issues that face this nation. At the same time, I believe that it shows a certain amount of fear that the American people do understand that the rosy campaign rhetoric was just that.

Those in power (and those who would share it) can accept only their own official versionof truth and fear any other interpretation. Let us not let down our guard against “officialspeak” and those who would lead us to believe that the state is truth and that the President is never wrong.

JIM POWELL Fullerton I read this morning that the White House will launch its own news service because President Reagan feels that his views are often distorted. Often in the last four years I have listened in disbelief as Reagan denied he ever said things that I, and the rest of the television audience, had clearly heard him say.

As for the White House disseminating its own view of the way things are and should be . . . how does this practice differ from the way we have said things are in Russia? We call it the party line or just plain old propaganda.

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The media, with all their warts and excesses and with every judgment that could be made against them, are still our last best hope for democracy and freedom.

NATALIE BROWN Beverly Hills Pravda (U.S.A.) and Tass (U.S.A.) are alive and well in Washington, D.C. The White House has acquired franchise rights to the Soviet newspaper and news service: The Reagan Administration now will issue its own peculiar brand of propaganda through its newly established “White House News Service.” Orwell’s 1984 has a new lease on life in 1985. JOSEPH C. SASWELL Los Angeles President Reagan claims that his views are often distorted by reporters, so the White House has established its own news service to provide the American people with the truth.

Tass has been reporting the undistorted views of the Kremlin for years. I understand that Tass is so effective in relaying the truth that other news services are unnecessary in the Soviet Union.

If this is the type of truth that the White House hopes to transmit to the American people, perhaps Reagan’s news service should contact Tass for some advice in this area.

ROGER A. EVANS Redondo Beach

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