Policy by press release

Policy by press release refers to the act of attempting to influence public policy through press releases intended to alarm the public into demanding action from their elected officials. In modern times, the term is used to dismiss an opponent's claims, suggesting the arguments are lacking in substance, and are created solely to generate media attention.

Perhaps the most common use of the term refers to an infamous period during the Eisenhower administration when "leaked" documents were a common way for the various branches of the US Military to attempt to garner funding for their pet projects when traditional chains of command failed, or actively ended them. Practically any idea, no matter how outlandish, could gain some traction by simply claiming that the Soviet Union was working on a similar device.

The first, and most costly, example of this behavior was the mythical "bomber gap". After seeing the latest Soviet designs in 1955, a clamor broke out in Washington about the Soviets developing a lead in deploying strategic bombers, with estimates that hundreds would be available shortly. The result was a massive expansion of the US's own building program, which led to the eventual introduction of about 2,500 jet bombers. Although it was not revealed at the time, US intelligence services had actually made real estimates of the size of the Soviet fleet as early as 1956, placing it around twenty aircraft. Nevertheless, the tactic of claiming the gap existed, and then brushing aside any criticism as being "weak on defense", was so successful it led to a wave of similar claims.

Another famous case was a claim that suggested the Soviets were working on a global-range nuclear aircraft. An article, complete with images claimed to be leaked by a spy agency, appeared in the December 1958 issue of Aviation Week. The article described a system that was suspiciously similar to some of the designs currently under consideration by large US aviation companies. Concerns were soon expressed in Washington that "the Russians were from three to five years ahead of the US in the field of atomic aircraft engines and that they would move even further ahead unless the US pressed forward with its own program". In fact, the entire article was a hoax; the aircraft appearing in the pictures was later revealed through 3rd parties to be the entirely conventional Myasishchev M-50 Bounder, which never entered production. The rumored aircraft was a nuclear-powered version of the Tupolev Tu-95 bomber, called Tupolev Tu-119. The controversy managed to secure, for a time, continued funding of US efforts, culminating in the NB-36 testbed aircraft.

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