The term 'Operation Mockingbird' was popularized by an unauthorized 1979 biography of Washington Post owner Katharine Graham.

While the wiretaps were called 'Project Mockingbird', the wider media manipulation campaign got its famous name later. Author Deborah Davis coined the term 'Operation Mockingbird' in her 1979 book, 'Katharine the Great'. She claimed the CIA ran a massive propaganda network led by top media bosses like Phil Graham. While the CIA's media ties are proven, some historians debate if a single, organized program with this specific name actually existed.