Seymour Hersh walked through the streets of Georgetown, Washington D.C., in search of a newspaper. The reporter spent 30 minutes covering six blocks without spotting a single sign of life or newsstands selling papers. Finally, he found a drugstore with two copies of the New York Times; one for himself and none for anyone else.
Hersh was born in Chicago in 1937, amidst significant global events. He has written extensively on Vietnam, Watergate, Gaza, and Ukraine, earning him the title of an American journalist with a wealth of experience covering critical issues over six decades.
However, Hersh is troubled by the current state of investigative journalism. "I don't think I could do what I did 30, 40, or 50 years ago," he says, highlighting declining outlets and dwindling financial support for journalists. "The outlets aren't there, the money's not there, so we're in a tough spot."
To address this issue, director Laura Poitras created Cover-Up, a documentary featuring Hersh's life and work. The film delves into his influential exposés on the My Lai massacre and Abu Ghraib prison torture scandal, while acknowledging the sometimes contentious reliance on unnamed sources.
Initially, Hersh was hesitant to participate in the project but ultimately joined after being chased by Poitras for years. Despite this, he grew frustrated with the film's production process due to his concerns over camera presence around his office and guarding of contacts.
Hersh is a strong advocate for self-publishing platforms like Substack, which allows him to maintain independence from editorial interference. He describes the experience as "self-publishing," stating that it has enabled him to cover topics he wants without compromise.
The documentary reveals Hersh's perspective on journalism, emphasizing its importance in exposing truth and driving social change. He believes in the vital role journalists play in holding those in power accountable.
At a recent film festival premiere of Cover-Up, Hersh experienced overwhelming applause but reported that his reaction was different from the crowd's expectations. "I know they like to measure the length of the applause at these festivals, but come on, enough," he says, revealing his discomfort with extended applause.
Hersh was born in Chicago in 1937, amidst significant global events. He has written extensively on Vietnam, Watergate, Gaza, and Ukraine, earning him the title of an American journalist with a wealth of experience covering critical issues over six decades.
However, Hersh is troubled by the current state of investigative journalism. "I don't think I could do what I did 30, 40, or 50 years ago," he says, highlighting declining outlets and dwindling financial support for journalists. "The outlets aren't there, the money's not there, so we're in a tough spot."
To address this issue, director Laura Poitras created Cover-Up, a documentary featuring Hersh's life and work. The film delves into his influential exposés on the My Lai massacre and Abu Ghraib prison torture scandal, while acknowledging the sometimes contentious reliance on unnamed sources.
Initially, Hersh was hesitant to participate in the project but ultimately joined after being chased by Poitras for years. Despite this, he grew frustrated with the film's production process due to his concerns over camera presence around his office and guarding of contacts.
Hersh is a strong advocate for self-publishing platforms like Substack, which allows him to maintain independence from editorial interference. He describes the experience as "self-publishing," stating that it has enabled him to cover topics he wants without compromise.
The documentary reveals Hersh's perspective on journalism, emphasizing its importance in exposing truth and driving social change. He believes in the vital role journalists play in holding those in power accountable.
At a recent film festival premiere of Cover-Up, Hersh experienced overwhelming applause but reported that his reaction was different from the crowd's expectations. "I know they like to measure the length of the applause at these festivals, but come on, enough," he says, revealing his discomfort with extended applause.
Seymour Hersh is a legend in journalism and it's wild that he can't get a paper anywhere lol newsstands are basically ghost towns nowadays 
but seriously he's got a point about the state of investigative journalism. all these outlets are shutting down and its hard for journalists to keep going without financial support 
and i think self-publishing platforms like substack are the way to go, it's like having your own publication 
anyway, cover-up is a great doc, Laura Poitras did him justice 
but yeah he can be a bit prickly sometimes, gotta respect his passion for truth-telling 
People often say that journalism is about asking questions and having answers. But sometimes it feels like nobody's paying attention 
Can't imagine how tough it must be to cover critical issues without the necessary resources 
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His work on My Lai massacre & Abu Ghraib prison torture scandal are huge examples of this 
. At least the documentary is out now, and we can all learn from his experiences 
I think it's pretty wild that Seymour Hersh is struggling to find a newspaper to buy in Georgetown 
. He's right that we need more journalists who are willing to take risks and hold those in power accountable 
. The fact that he was hesitant to participate in Cover-Up at first just shows how brave and committed he is to his craft 
. And let's be real, it's no surprise that he was uncomfortable with extended applause 
. He knows his own worth and isn't afraid to call out the establishment when necessary 
.
. We need more journalists like Seymour Hersh who are willing to take risks and speak truth to power 
. It seems like those days are behind us now. Seymour Hersh is telling it like it is about how hard it's getting to do what he did back in the day – expose the truth without any interference or support 
. And can you blame him? I mean, Substack is a great way for him to publish his own work and not have to deal with all that editorial nonsense 
. I mean, he's been doing this for decades and now outlets are struggling to keep up? It makes sense that he's hesitant about working in a system that's constantly being disrupted by social media and online publications.
I feel me about Seymour Hersh's comments on investigative journalism. It's crazy that a 30 min walk in Georgetown and no one was selling papers 
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. Seymour Hersh is a legend in journalism, and you gotta admire the guy for speakin' truth to power, but at the same time, there's somethin' fishy goin' on here 
. Like, what's up with Laura Poitras chasin' him down for years just to make a documentary about his life? That sounds like some kinda entrapment tactic 
. And now he's sayin' the applause at that film festival was way too long? C'mon, Hersh, you're a hero of investigative journalism, don't be so sensitive 
. This whole thing just feels like a PR stunt to me, but hey, I could be wrong 
Seymour Hersh is literally trying to expose truth and all he gets r a bunch of claps & accolades at that film fest premiere lol like what even is the point of applause if it's just gonna be awkward for u afterwards? 
anywayz, i think its so cool dat hes speaking out about the struggles of investigative journalism. we need more journalists like him who wont back down from a story! 