Seymour Hersh’s New Memoir Is a Fascinating, Flabbergasting Masterpiece

by | Jun 4, 2018

Seymour Hersh’s New Memoir Is a Fascinating, Flabbergasting Masterpiece

by | Jun 4, 2018

At the beginning of Seymour Hersh’s new memoir, “Reporter,” he tells a story from his first job in journalism, at the City News Bureau of Chicago.
City News stationed a reporter at Chicago’s police headquarters 24 hours a day to cover whatever incidents were radioed in. Hersh, then in his early 20s, was responsible for the late shift. One night, he writes, this happened:

Two cops called in to report that a robbery suspect had been shot trying to avoid arrest. The cops who had done the shooting were driving in to make a report. … I raced down to the basement parking lot in the hope of getting some firsthand quotes before calling in the story. The driver – white, beefy, and very Irish, like far too many Chicago cops then – obviously did not see me as he parked the car. As he climbed out, a fellow cop, who clearly had heard the same radio report I had, shouted something like, “So the guy tried to run on you?” The driver said, “Naw, I told the nigger to beat it and then I plugged him.”

What happened then? Did Hersh, who would go on to uncover the My Lai massacre in Vietnam and become one of the greatest investigative journalists in U.S. history, sprint to his publication and demand that it run this explosive scoop?
Read the rest at theintercept.com.

A. Trevor Thrall and Erik Goepner

A. Trevor Thrall and Erik Goepner

View all posts

Our Books

Shop books published by the Libertarian Institute.

libetarian institute longsleeve shirt

Support via Amazon Smile

Our Books

libertarian inst books

Recent Articles

Recent

The Man Who Can Help Trump Bring Peace to Korea

The Man Who Can Help Trump Bring Peace to Korea

Columbia Professor of Genetics Joseph D. Terwilliger has an exceptional resume. Along with his post at an elite institution, he is an accomplished tuba player, speaks a multitude of languages, has traveled to nearly every country on Washington’s official enemies list,...

read more
In Defense of Huemer’s ‘Progressive Myths’

In Defense of Huemer’s ‘Progressive Myths’

In a blog post last month, Dr. Tyler Cowen listed a number of books he is currently reading, and specifically mentioned a book which I think is one of the greatest intellectual achievements of all time. Here is what Cowen said: "Michael Huemer, Progressive Myths. ...

read more
TGIF: That Was the Election that Was

TGIF: That Was the Election that Was

One can be overjoyed by the repudiation of a candidate without being pleased with the opposing candidate's victory. This election is an occasion for that reaction. An American (or anyone actually) is perfectly justified in taking pleasure in Kamala Harris's...

read more

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This