Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh spoke at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center Recital Hall Nov. 7 about self-censorship and the effects of Sept. 11 on the media.
Th etalk, entitled ‘Getting Behind the News,’ was sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Round Table, co-sponsored by the President’s Office and the School of Professional Development, and was part of the Fourth Annual George Goodman Memorial Symposium.
Aftera welcome by Associate Provost David Hicks and Richard Cunningham, the president of the Round Table, Hersh took the stage.
He began with an anecdote of a story he had written aboutAttorney General John Ashcroft’s treatment of Zacarious Moussoui, thesuspected 20th hijacker who was arrested before Sept. 11. Hersh was on his wayto CNN to promote his story, he said, and was having doubts about what to say.He was not sure whether he should ‘wimp out’ and give a disclaimer before his promotion that said, ‘I’m not for Moussoui.’
In the end, Hersh said he decided to do the right thing actively speak out against Ashcroft’s tactics. ‘Look at the self-censorship we get into because of 9/11,’ Hersh said. ‘The press really isn’t holding the government to the standard theyshould.’
He cited the fact that no one questioned who else,besides an al-Qaeda leader, was killed by the Predator missile in Yemen. Healso highlighted public failure to question Vice President Dick Cheney’smany public misstatements.
Hersh said that he believes President Bush is not on the brink of a war with Iraq. Bush will not be able to go into Iraq with a small force, Hersh said, but thereare no signs that major forces are building up.
Accordingto Hersh, going to war with Iraq for the reason Bush has given—that Iraq is violating many UN resolutions—is ludicrous. To emphasize this, Hersh pointed out that Israel is violating 26 resolutions, Turkey is violating 21 and Morocco is violating 17, but there are nomovements toward war with any of these countries.
After his presentation, Hersh opened the floor to questions from the audience. A few questions were asked about other possible causes for the timidity of the media, such as national confusion or centralized control of the press.
‘The reporters can still do more,’ Hersh said. ‘No one should ever feel they can’t get the story done.’
Hersh closedthe night with two stories of his personal experiences, one recalling how he got his initial information about Henry Kissinger’s illegal wiretaps andthe other about how he reported his famous expos’eacute; of the My Lai massacrein the Vietnam War.
