Edward Hunter on Brainwashing (Exploring My Reel-to-Reel Catacombs, Volume Seven)

Here's a tape which found it's way into my collection some years ago, featuring a broadcast of an interview with Edward Hunter, featuring discussions of both his background and his knowledge of brainwashing. It appears that his he really was, as he claims here, the person who first brought the word "Brainwashing" to the English language. Although he is presented here as an author, a few online sites state that he may have actually been a CIA operative at this time.

This interview was broadcast on WJW, Cleveland, no doubt sometime in the mid 1960's, based on the content of the interview. A decade earlier, WJW had been the home of Alan Freed, and, a bit later, of Casey Kasum, but by the time of this broadcast, had become a news/talk station.

I find this recording to be both peculiar (mostly because of Mr. Hunter's accent - which is of a type I can't say I've heard before - and manner of speaking) and fascinating, as an historical document. I also get a kick out of the name of this program - "The Important Show".

The very start of this interview has the unmistakable sound of someone having made an attempt at bulk erasing this tape. Thankfully, the effort failed, but there is an annoying fading in-and-out at first. This becomes less noticeable after the first couple of minutes, and disappears completely not long after that.

Edward Hunter Interview on Brainwashing (MP3)

Tape Box (JPG)

Comments

[Kip W]

I heard somebody like him talking about how his communist captors kept the prisoners informing on each other for the slightest infraction. He said something like, "Informing is the lowest possible activity human beings can engage in." That was in the 70s, and I said Amen to that.

[Walter Brennan]

Yes what an odd little munchin of a man Mr Hunter sounds. He seems to get more munchin-like the more the interview progresses.

Interesting listen. Interesting too about the Afghanistan bit he mentions.

[Gary Pansey]

Thanks for posting. I am reading three of his books now.
He was very interesting!!!

His comments about what a real newsperson does versus
"press management" are important!

The Chinese communists sent me computer viruses for over 5 years when they found out that I expose slave labor atrocities like Organ Harvesting from Live Political Prisoners.

Thanks again!
Gary in FL

[Maria Aliberti Lubertazzi]

Whoa. Bob Purse, how can I get in touch with you??? This was the 2nd link that came up when I googled "brainwashing edward hunter", having found a reel-to-reel of my grandfather's (1897-1979) that has, among other things, ""Brain Washing" - Edward Hunter, Port Washington, L.I., New York.", written on the box (and based on the other things, it appears that this is 1960). LOTS more to explain here, but I'll need to get in touch with you, if you are interested... And also...are you interested in more reel-to-reel tapes, especially with dramatic, far-right politics involved? I'm having a fascinating time with Grandpa's tapes, etc.