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The CIA's Cultural War: how the CIA secretly funded the magazine Encounter

In autumn 1953 a new literary magazine, Encounter, was launched that would become hugely influential. Later, it emerged, it had been funded by the CIA as part of the Cold war.

In autumn 1953, a new literary magazine was launched in London that would become the magazine of choice of the English-speaking liberal intelligentsia. The magazine was called Encounter. And fourteen years later, it would emerge, it had been funded by the CIA as part of a cultural Cold War.

Photograph: British poet Sir Stephen Spender, co-editor of Encounter, a year after he resigned when it became clear the magazine had received CIA funding (credit: Evening Standard/Getty Images)

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9 minutes

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  • Thu 19 Nov 2015 08:50GMT

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