Operation Mockingbird was a CIA campaign attempt to control the media. It started back in the 1950s and was run by Cord Meyers, Allen Dulles and then Frank Wisner after Dulles became head of the CIA. According to wordpress.com the organization recruited journalists that helped to present CIA information. As a front they funded student, cultural and magazines. This caused a major influence on foreign media and political campaigns.

One goal of this operation was to bribe writers to make people fear communism and suppress any left wing political writing, which is when people believe in social equality.

According to freepress.org the operation was used to hide the overthrow of the democratic Iranian government in 1953 (Operation Ajax) and to control the press during the Bay of Pigs. One of the primary reasons Mockingbird was created was so that the CIA could hide covert and illegal foreign operations. One of them was the 1954 overthrow of President Arbenz and the democratic government in Guatemala.

After it was underway Operation Mockingbird had influenced over 25 newspapers and wire agencies. Wisner could bribe journalists or editors to not run certain stories, like the CIA plots to overthrow the Iranian and Guatemalan governments.

According to Alex Constantine (Mockingbird: The Subversion of The Free Press By The CIA), “some 3,000 salaried and contract CIA employees were eventually engaged in propaganda efforts”.
After the operation was compromised George Bush, who was recently appointed Director of the CIA in February 1976 said: “Effective immediately, the CIA will not enter into any paid or contract relationship with any full-time or part-time news correspondent accredited by any U.S. news service, newspaper, periodical, radio or television network or station.” In addition to this new policy he stated that they will accept any voluntary work of journalists.