I joined the 'Times' in 1972, and I came with the mark of Cain on me because I was clearly against the war. But my editor, Abe Rosenthal, he hired me because he liked stories. He used to come to the Washington bureau and almost literally pat me on the head and say, 'How is my little Commie today? What do you have for me?'
Interpretation
The quote captures the challenges faced by a journalist with an unpopular stance during a controversial time.
Seymour Hersh reflects on his experience as a journalist at the 'Times' during the Vietnam War era, highlighting both the stigma he faced for being anti-war and the support he received from his editor, Abe Rosenthal. The quote illustrates the tension between journalistic integrity and the political climate of the time, as well as the sometimes personal relationships that can develop in the newsroom.
In practice
In a discussion about the role of journalists during conflicts, this quote can illustrate the personal sacrifices made for truth.
In Vietnam, our soldiers came back and they were reviled as baby killers, in shame and humiliation. It isn't happening now, but I will tell you, there has never been an American army as violent and murderous as our army has been in Iraq.
My inclination, as an old-school, classically trained journalist, is not to go with a story unless I have it hard. It's not good enough to say something based on rumors that were flying around.
The biggest problem I have in journalism is being quoted or misquoted and then being asked to defend something I haven't said.
Whenever you're reporting, there's always something you can't say or write, but the questions, you always want to get as close to that line as possible. You want to ask the tough questions.
The most important ethical issues and the most difficult ones are the human ones because a reporter has enormous power to hurt people.
As a journalist, I know what it is like to incur the self-righteous wrath of people who denounce you for things you didn't say or didn't mean.
The great concern is that year after year, rising numbers of journalists are being killed in pursuit of their work. They are increasingly seen as not being neutral but rather as combatants by one side or the other.
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