Economic Information Unit

The Economic Information Unit set up under Herbert Morrison and headed by his PR chief, Clem Leslie, offered government film footage and subject ideas to the British newsreel companies – Movietone, Paramount, Pathe, Universal and Gaumont-British News. Most of them were evidently receptive to free footage and subjects offered by the government – just as they had been in wartime – because it could help keep their production costs down.

By October 1947, Leslie was already able to report to the Economic Planning Board that “a method of liaison is now in operation which enables the newsreels to draw fairly widely on official suggestions about material and enables departments and the Economic Information Unit to put their proposals forward effectively. In one week recently the newsreels contained eight different items on industrial and economic subjects, all originating from departments”.

Through Leslie’s Economic Information Unit, the Government was now able – without public knowledge – to [covertly] insert stories into the commercial newsreels being shown to millions every week in local cinemas throughout the country without the source being revealed.

http://www.ministry-of-information.com/the-silver-screen/ .

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