October 30, 2020
Hello ,
Here's the latest news on my upcoming book:
Right now, it appears the title will be The Human Face of War: Catherine Leroy, Photojournalist. The book is headed to design in November!
Journalist Peter Arnett has agreed to write a foreword. You may remember him reporting for CNN during the Gulf War. He filed his first story from Vietnam for Associated Press in 1962, often crossed paths with Catherine when she worked for AP in 1966, and stayed on assignment covering the war through
1975.
Telling the Story From Vietnam
Vietnam War correspondent Peter Arnett with South Vietnamese troops.
"So you wanted to report on the war in Vietnam?" Arnett asks.
"This is what you'd need, what I needed, in 1963. Strong boots, mosquito net, rain cover, medical kit, knife, hammock, light blanket, water bottles, pack to carry it all in – and the uniform hanging up at the entrance to my Saigon apartment. And all from the Saigon black market....
And we had to carry all that stuff, along with food and our camera equipment, sometimes for days on end through Vietnam's thick, wet jungles. You had to be young and fit, and you had to keep up with the soldiers.
Returning now to our discussion several weeks ago about the 1st Amendment, fake news and President Trump's anti-journalism fervor, all of these have parallels to media coverage during the Vietnam War.
This is one reason Catherine Leroy's story is so important to me. It will help document the integrity and courage of photographers and reporters who risked their lives to confront the fake news President Lyndon Johnson was feeding the American people, and give the facts of what was happening on the ground in Vietnam.
In the early years of Vietnam, most reporters went to Vietnam believing in the cause. They'd come of age with the Domino Theory.
Then in 1963, Arnett witnessed the U.S.-backed Saigon government trying to outlaw the Buddhist religion, torturing and killing Buddhist dissidents.
South Vietnamese secret police didn’t want photographers taking pictures. They didn’t want reporters there to see what was happening and started beating Arnett. Other journalists came to his aid, but he was later arrested.
Arnett under arrest after covering Buddhist demonstration, Saigon, 1963. (AP photo)
As the war in Vietnam escalated in 1967, the Johnson Administration insisted Americans were winning.
"We in the field could see that this was not the case." Arnett says. "The U.S. Army was not reaching it’s objectives, it was failing in it’s mission of clearing the country of North Vietnamese."
Back in the states, reporters like Arnett, David Halberstam, Neil Sheehan and Malcom Browne were accused of being "pinko" communists and traitors. Later, and by some still today, they were charged with causing the U.S. to lose the war.
"I felt a personal responsibility by 67 in communicating back to the readers of the AP or all over the United States and the world, to tell the truth of what was going on as I saw it."
He say the U.S. military, and hence the Johnson Administration, lying about enemy troop strength, lying about body counts, lying about progress in the war.
"[American troops] kept going up the same hill and being thrown back. They were taking casualties. Not only did they not understand what they were fighting for, they couldn’t see who they were fighting. Many GI didn’t ever see a (live) Viet Cong, they didn’t see a (live) North Vietnamese."
Peter Arnett won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting in Vietnam.
Below: Newsmen Malcolm Brown (left) and (right) Horst Faas congratulation Peter Arnett when he received word he'd won the Pulitzer for his war coverage.
Arnett made the switch from newspapers to television news, working for CNN in the heady days after the birth of 24-hours news. When American bombs began to fall on Baghdad in 1991, he was in the right place at the right time and became the face of CNN, viewed by 10-8 million U.S. households. (The usual
number of home viewing primetime TV was 840,000.)
After 17-years with CNN, Arnett was let go after an accusation that he was responsible for a false report about the U.S. military. Arnett said he had not been in charge of the project. Some believed he had tarnished journalism, while others said the incident reflected how the U.S. media had become subordinate to the military and intelligence establishment.
The government tried to censor news in Vietnam, but for the most part was not able to. Since then, no reporter has been let loose to report any battle fought by American soldiers. All news media is closely orchestrated.
Catherine Leroy said, "Vietnam was an experiment and it will not be repeated."
Sources
http://ppww.hkbu.edu.hk/eng/BIO/peter/BIO_peter_m2_2.html
https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/22-03-2016/how-new-zealands-peter-arnett-the-worlds-greatest-war-correspondent-found-peace-at-last/
https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/firing-peter-arnett/
One reader wrote in defense of the electoral college, asking, "What would be the point of voting period if all elections where decided by the east and west coast?"
I think that's a valid question. Living In Washington State, I sometimes feel my vote doesn't count because the East coast and Mid-west have already chosen the president before my vote gets counted.
And now on to some tips to help you through election night and beyond as you sort the facts from fake news...
Take a look at this new app for your smart phone that helps you determine on-the-spot how trustworthy your news is: Informable. The app is created by the News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan national education nonprofit.
The News Literacy Project provides programs and resources for educators and the public to teach, learn and share the abilities needed to be smart, active consumers of news and information. Their goal is to "build a future founded on facts." Beware Deepfake Video
From Norton Security:
Deepfake videos are often designed to spread misinformation online.
Fake videos have featured subjects like Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and Mark Zuckerberg.
There is heightened concern that deepfake videos could have serious implications during the 2020 election season. People rely on the internet for information, and manipulated videos could potentially influence what they think and how they vote.
That’s why it’s a good idea to know how to spot deepfake videos. It’s not always easy, but here’s help.
I know you've all voted, so I'll just say, see you next week after the election.
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