Information Department

This article is part of the Propaganda Portal project of Spinwatch.

The successor to the Overseas Information Department (which was in turn the successor to the Information Research Department) of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, created in 1980 and dissolved in 1999/2000 with the creation of the Public Diplomacy Department.

Background Brief

The Background Brief was a series of unattributed informational documents produced by the Information Research Department (IRD) of the British Foreign Office, primarily during the Cold War era. These briefs were designed as factual but selectively slanted reports on international topics, often highlighting perceived threats from communism, colonialism, or other ideological adversaries. They were distributed confidentially to journalists, politicians, trade unionists, and foreign diplomats to influence public discourse without revealing their government origin. The briefs typically covered themes like Soviet human rights abuses, economic failures in communist states, or anti-colonial movements, aiming to counter hostile propaganda through "grey" information—truthful data presented in a biased manner to support British foreign policy objectives. Following the IRD's dissolution in 1977, similar unattributed informational activities were absorbed into the Overseas Information Department (OID) and later the Information Department (ID), though the specific "Background Brief" format appears to have been phased out or rebranded under these successors, which focused on broader public diplomacy, bulletins, and information dissemination. In the ID era, roles like "Background brief writer" persisted, as evidenced by staff such as Theresa Bubbear who held that position in the Information Department from 1993 to 1995. A 1989 parliamentary written answer from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) confirmed that "FCO background briefs are produced for use overseas. However, a small number are distributed in the United Kingdom, principally to members of both Houses of Parliament, journalists, academics, specialists in certain areas, certain institutions and libraries. Members of the general public may obtain copies through their local public library from the British library lending division." This indicates continued production and limited domestic dissemination of background briefs by the FCO's successors to the IRD, even into the late 1980s. In the context of Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) produced similar unattributed briefing documents, often referred to as "Northern Ireland Brief", "Greyband Brief" (or variants like "Greybeard Brief" in some references), and related materials. These were part of the NIO's propaganda and information management efforts during The Troubles, providing selective background material to journalists and others to shape narratives around issues such as fair employment, republican movements, prison protests, and IRA activities. They mirrored IRD-style "grey" propaganda by presenting official perspectives without direct attribution. David Miller's research and publications have extensively documented these NIO materials. In his work, Miller references specific Greyband Briefs and Northern Ireland Briefs produced by the NIO, such as:

• "Fair Employment in Northern Ireland," Greyband Brief, October (revised).
• "The Provisional Republican Movement: Sinn Fein," Northern Ireland Brief, November (revised).
• "The IRA and Noraid," Greyband Brief (1983).
• "Protest Campaign In Northern Ireland Prisons," Greyband Brief, October (revised).
• "Libya and Irish terrorism," Background Brief, June (1984).

These documents were critiqued by Miller as part of a broader system of media manipulation and propaganda in Northern Ireland, where official sources used unattributed briefs to influence reporting on conflict-related issues without overt government branding.

A significant scholarly addition to understanding the IRD's specific role in Northern Ireland comes from Rory Cormac's detailed analysis in his 2016 article. The piece examines the IRD's unattributable propaganda operations in Northern Ireland from 1971 to 1973, a period of escalating violence and deteriorating security. Cormac argues that the IRD's involvement was driven by high-level government decisions amid financial constraints, worsening conditions on the ground, and an established British tradition of domestic propaganda. The department operated on British soil despite its Foreign Office origins, integrating into the wider state apparatus in Northern Ireland.

Cormac details how the IRD advanced four core themes: exploiting internal divisions within the IRA; eroding the IRA's credibility among local populations; associating the IRA with international terrorism; and depicting the IRA as communist-influenced. These efforts included the production and dissemination of unattributed materials to media, politicians, and other influencers, both domestically and internationally. Despite initial promises of impact, the campaign ultimately faced significant challenges—including limited reach, skepticism from recipients, coordination issues with other agencies, and the inherent difficulties of covert propaganda in a domestic conflict—which led to its limited effectiveness and eventual scaling back.

The article provides a nuanced assessment: "The IRD sought to advance four key themes: exploiting divisions within the IRA; undermining the IRA’s credibility amongst the population; linking the IRA to international terrorism; and portraying the IRA as communist." It concludes that while the operations offered potential "salvation" through non-kinetic means, they ended in relative failure due to structural and contextual constraints. This work draws on declassified archives to offer one of the most comprehensive accounts of how Cold War-era covert propaganda tools were adapted for a UK domestic crisis, highlighting ethical and operational tensions in state information warfare.

Further insights from Giselle Gwinnett's 2021 PhD thesis emphasize the IRD's evolution and domestic extensions. The thesis describes the IRD's reconceptualization in 1972 as "IRD Mark II" to address non-communist threats, including the IRA, with operations extending domestically through a "psy-war outfit" in Northern Ireland that "got out of hand and did some very foolish things," leading to its abolition. It highlights the IRD's use of unattributable (grey) and black propaganda, including forgeries and media planting, to counter subversion. Key quotes include: "factual and as accurate as we can make it," for passage to "local leaders of opinion" as "ammunition to help them fight the threat of Communist subversion" (TNA: FCO 1110/1355, Memo by L.C. Glass, 28 November 1961). The thesis notes the department's domestic "Home Desk" or "English Section" handling subversion, and post-1977 dispersal to OID for continued monitoring of groups like CND. Controversies include ethical concerns over funding (£978,000 in 1976) and lack of justification for non-communist targets, with the thesis arguing that IRD's NI involvement blurred foreign-domestic lines and risked scandals akin to the CIA's "Ramparts" exposure.

Omar Malik's PhD thesis from the University of St Andrews provides additional context on British intelligence and propaganda, though specific quotes on Background Briefs or Northern Ireland are limited in the available extract; it discusses broader IRD-related themes in covert action and political warfare during the Cold War and beyond.

The FCO archive inventory lists extensive IRD records, including "Information Research Department (IRD) Northern Ireland files" (1969–1975, 1990), IRD registers ('O' and 'V' series, 1963–1977), and IRD/OID/ID publications (3600 items of leaflets, pamphlets to counter communism abroad). No direct mentions of specific "Background Brief" titles appear, but it confirms archival holdings on IRD Northern Ireland files and publications. The book British Intelligence and Covert Action details IRD's unattributable propaganda hierarchy, including Category A (secret, high-level) and Category B (less classified, to editors/professors without attribution). It mentions outputs like Background Briefing, loose-leaf files on the IRA, and IRD's role in NI psyops, with successors like the Institute for the Study of Conflict producing NI studies and psyops training. It notes IRD personnel seconded to NI Office (e.g., Christopher Francis Robert, Head IRD 1972, seconded Under-Secretary NI Office Belfast 1976).

Press Coverage

Press coverage of the Background Briefs was limited during the IRD's operational years due to their secretive nature, but revelations about the department's activities emerged in the late 1970s. In January 1978, investigative journalist David Leigh published an exposé in The Guardian detailing the IRD's role in producing and distributing unattributed briefs to media outlets, describing it as a "secret propaganda machine" that influenced journalism without disclosure. This sparked broader media scrutiny, including discussions in outlets like The Observer and New Statesman, which criticized the briefs as manipulative tools that blurred the line between information and propaganda.

More recent coverage has revisited the briefs in the context of modern disinformation debates. For example, articles in The Guardian (2022) and Declassified UK have portrayed them as precursors to contemporary "black propaganda" operations, while highlighting ethical concerns over government influence on the press.

Coverage of the NIO's Greyband/Northern Ireland Briefs has appeared in academic and media analyses of propaganda during The Troubles, often cited in Miller's books and related works on media coverage of Northern Ireland. Cormac's article has been referenced in historical discussions of British covert operations, contributing to scholarly debates on propaganda efficacy in counter-insurgency.

Controversies

The Background Briefs were embroiled in several controversies, particularly regarding their use in suppressing anti-colonial and independence movements. In Ireland, during The Troubles, the IRD deployed briefs to fabricate or exaggerate stories aimed at discrediting Irish republicans, including false claims that they were setting dogs on fire or committing other atrocities. These were part of a broader psychological operations campaign in Northern Ireland, where the IRD collaborated with the British military to produce anti-IRA propaganda, often disseminated through local media to undermine support for republican causes. The NIO's Greyband Briefs and Northern Ireland Briefs extended similar practices into the 1980s and beyond, providing slanted material on topics like Sinn Féin, IRA funding (e.g., Noraid), prison protests, and Libyan links to Irish terrorism. Miller's analyses highlight how these unattributed documents contributed to biased media framing of the conflict, raising ethical questions about state propaganda in a domestic UK context. One notable incident involved an IRD-produced briefing titled "The IRA: Aims, Policy, Tactics," sections of which were incorporated into David Barzilay's four-volume study of the British Army in Ulster (Barzilay 1973, pp. 119-124). Once published in such independent works, official sources could cite them as impartial commentaries, with authors potentially serving as 'experts' on terrorism for journalists. Another controversy arose from a January 1988 FCO Background Brief titled "The Provisional IRA: International Contacts Outside the United States" (FCO 1988), which was drawn upon by counter-insurgency journalist Christopher Dobson (Irish Independent 2 May 1988; Daily Telegraph 3 May 1988; cf. Dobson and Payne 1982). Much of the information was inaccurate, leading to legal action that forced the Foreign Office to withdraw some content. British author Liz Curtis was among those named in the document as an 'international contact' of the IRA. However, the Foreign Office refused to remove her name, effectively labeling her as such (Guardian 11 May 1988; New Statesman and Society 1 July 1988).

Cormac's study adds depth to these controversies by showing how top-level government authorization enabled the IRD's domestic operations despite legal and ethical gray areas, yet operational limitations—such as recipient distrust and coordination failures—undermined their impact. This underscores broader debates on the legitimacy of unattributable propaganda in internal conflicts.

Gwinnett's thesis further highlights controversies over IRD's domestic NI psy-war unit, which "got out of hand and did some very foolish things," blurring foreign-domestic lines and risking scandals. It notes ethical concerns over funding (£978,000 in 1976) and lack of justification for non-communist targets, with post-IRD continuation under OID raising transparency issues.

Similar tactics were used elsewhere: in Cyprus, briefs falsely accused EOKA fighters (anti-communist nationalists) of raping schoolgirls; in Malaya and Indonesia, they targeted anti-colonial revolutionaries with slanted narratives to justify British interventions. Critics, including historians and declassified documents, argue these briefs violated ethical standards by spreading disinformation under the guise of factual reporting, contributing to prolonged conflicts and human rights abuses. The IRD's (and later NIO's) domestic operations also raised concerns about influencing British public opinion covertly, leading to calls for greater transparency in government information activities.

People

Head

• Keith G. MacInnes, C.M.G.: 1980-3
• Sir Terence J. Clark, K.B.E., C.M.G., C.V.O.: 1983-5
• Peter R.M. Hinchcliffe, C.M.G., C.V.O.: 1985-7
• Richard J.S. Muir, C.M.G.: 1987-90
• Anthony D. Harris, C.M.G., L.V.O.: 1990-93
• Sir John C.J. Ramsden, Bt.: 1993-6
• Peter J. Dun:1996-2000

Others

• Nicholas Paul Astbury
• Iain Kelly
• John Grant
• David Snoxell
• Georgina Butler
• Jim Malcolm
• Brian Donaldson
• Timothy Brownbill
• Robin Lamb
• Warwick Morris
• John Ramsden
• Alan Jones

Overseas Information Department (successor to IRD ~1978; reorganized into Information Department early 1980s)
Name	Dates of service	Other roles	Notes
Ray Whitney	1976–1978	Head of Department	Previously the last head of the Information Research Department; later became a Conservative MP and minister. Involved in anti-communist propaganda efforts.
James N. Allan	1978–1980	Head of Department	Held honors C.M.G., C.B.E.
Aubrey Essex	c. 1950s–1970s (IRD and OID)	Staff member	20 years' experience in IRD and later OID; emphasized accuracy in propaganda material.
Information Department of the Foreign Office (created 1980; dissolved ~1999/2000 into Public Diplomacy Department)
Name	Dates of service	Other roles	Notes
Keith G. MacInnes	1980–1983	Head of Department	Held honor C.M.G.
Terence J. Clark	1983–1985	Head of Department	Sir; held honors K.B.E., C.M.G., C.V.O.
Peter R.M. Hinchcliffe	1985–1987	Head of Department	Held honors C.M.G., C.V.O.
Richard J.S. Muir	1987–1990	Head of Department	Held honor C.M.G.
Anthony D. Layden	1990–1992	Head of Department	Held honor C.M.G.
Sir John C.J. Ramsden	1993–1996	Head of Department	Sir, Bt.
Peter J. Dun	1996–2000	Head of Department	Final head before dissolution.
Nicholas Paul Astbury	post-2000	Spokesman on EU issues	Ambassador to Eritrea (2006); Private Secretary to Baroness Valerie Amos (2001-2002); Number two FCO visa department; Number two anti-drug team Kabul. Notes: Entered FCO 1994; Desk officer EU department (1994-1995); Second Secretary Colombo (1995-1999); Head of EU section (1999-2000); Spokesman on EU issues at FCO Information Department (post-2000).
Iain Kelly	1982	Staff member	Ambassador to Belarus (appointed ~1999); Consul General Amsterdam (1996-1998); First Secretary Commercial Moscow (1992-1995); Vice Consul Commercial Los Angeles (1990-1992). Notes: Entered FCO 1974; Caribbean Department (1974-1975); Third Secretary Commercial Moscow (1976-1979); Third Secretary Chancery Kuala Lumpur (1979-1982); Information Department (1982); Eastern Europe and Soviet Department (1983); Middle East Department (1983-1984).
John Grant	1986–1989 (News Department); 1989–1993 (First Secretary Information, UKRep Brussels)	Staff member	Sir; Ambassador to Sweden; Permanent Representative to the EU (2003-2007); Principal Private Secretary to Secretary of State (1997-1999). Notes: Entered FCO 1976; West Africa Department (1976-1977); Third/Second Secretary Chancery Stockholm (1977-1980); First Secretary Commercial Moscow (1982-1984); News Department (1986-1989); First Secretary Information UKRep Brussels (1989-1993).
David Snoxell	1970–1973	Staff member	High Commissioner to Mauritius (2000); Ambassador to Dakar (1997-2000); Director at British Information Services, New York (1986-1991). Notes: Entered FCO 1969; United Nations Department (1969-1970); Information Department (1970-1973) (predecessor/related functions pre-1980 creation).
Georgina Butler	1985–1987	Head of BBC World Service then Assistant Head	Ambassador to Costa Rica and Nicaragua (2002-2006); Deputy Head, Latin America and Caribbean Department (1999-2002); British Consul in Tangier (2007-2009). Notes: Entered FCO 1968; Information Department (1985-1987: Head of BBC World Service then Assistant Head).
Jim Malcolm	1995–1997	Staff member	OBE; Ambassador to Panama (2002); Deputy High Commissioner in Kingston (1997-2001). Notes: First Secretary in Jakarta (1987-1994).
Brian Donaldson	1997–1998	Deputy Head of Department	High Commissioner to Windhoek (1999-2002); Ambassador to Madagascar (2002). Notes: Deputy Head of Mission in Yaounde (1989-1992).
Timothy Brownbill	1990–1992	Desk Officer	Ambassador to Managua (2002); Deputy Head of Mission in Vilnius (1992-1994); Second Secretary Commercial in Havana (1996-1999).
Robin Lamb	1997	Deputy Head of Department	Ambassador to Bahrain (2003); Deputy Head of Middle East Department (1997-1999); First Secretary, Head of Political Section in Cairo (1993-1996).
Warwick Morris	1969–1971; 1972–1974 (3rd Secretary Information, Paris)	Staff member	Ambassador to Seoul (2003); Ambassador to Hanoi (2000-2003); Counsellor Economic & Commercial in New Delhi (1995-1998). Notes: Early postings in Information-related roles (predecessor functions).
Alan Jones	1971–1975	Staff member (likely predecessor IRD/information functions)	High Commissioner to Belize (2004); High Commissioner to Freetown (2000-2003); Deputy High Commissioner in Dar es Salaam (1996-1999).
Theresa Bubbear	1993–1995	Background brief writer	Ambassador to Finland (2021-2024); Ambassador to Estonia (2016-2021); Chargé d’Affaires Budapest (2015-2016); Second Secretary Helsinki (1996-2000). Notes: FCO Information Department role focused on background briefs.
Geoff Wain	1985–1986	Head of Registry	British Deputy High Commissioner Ahmedabad; various later FCO roles including Non-Proliferation/Defence Dept. Notes: Head of Registry in Information Department.
Edward Hobart	1998–2000	Public Diplomacy Officer	HM Ambassador to UAE (2023-); Director Estates/Security/Network FCDO (2017-2023); Consul General Dubai (2012-2015); Head Multimedia Unit (2000-2003). Notes: Public Diplomacy Officer in Information Department (late period before dissolution).
Lindsay Skoll	c. 1990s–early 2000s	Information and Visits Officer	CMG; HM Ambassador to Austria/UK Perm Rep to UN Vienna (2021-); various FCO roles including prior postings. Notes: Information and Visits Officer in Information Department (exact dates unspecified in bio).