News In Brief

USIA says blacklist papers destroyed to end practice

An agency official says documents related to the US Information Agency's ''blacklisting'' of American liberals were destroyed to prevent the practice from being continued.

Leslie Lenkowsky, the agency's acting deputy director, denied Sunday that the destruction had anything to do with press inquiries about the agency's practice of keeping a list of Americans it did not want to take part in its overseas speakers program.

The list of 84 prominent politicians, scholars, and journalists the agency did not want speaking to audiences overseas included television newsmen Walter Cronkite and David Brinkley.