Good for Sir Harry Evans. Everyone in America has heard of Watergate thanks to Woodward & Bernstein. Everyone in Britain, of my generation, is familiar with Kim Philby and the story of Thalidomide - thanks to Harry Evans and the Sunday Times under his leadership.
Trump is a peddler of nonsense, a sad spectacle of a failure in business turned into an annoying celebrity thanks to reality tv. But it isn’t reality - just Trump’s 79 year old brain full of resentment and anger.
Joseph McCarthy, Richard Nixon. Add Trump to that list of damaged men who were elected to high office but disgraced themselves. What a fate - to lie awake at night and live with failure on that scale. Trump’s future obituary will be tale of an unhappy failure.
It depends who writes it, ,as Henry Kissinger once said. By the time of Trump's bio his face will be on so many monuments a whole generation may forget what a wrecking ball he was. Which is why journalism so important ! Thank you for this T
I bought a copy of Here Is New York, by E B White. Good condition hardback, £3.50 second hand! “No one should come to NY to live unless he is willing to be lucky”
I hadn’t connected it to the Christie case - thanks for that. It was made into a chilling film with Christie played by Richard Attenborough. I watched it during lockdown
Lost in admiration for Harry and you—can’t think of anywhere or anyone as committed to the principles that support and hopefully sustain investigative journalism.
The press is indeed the enemy of the regime here, and anywhere else free speech and honest reporting are needed. Which is everywhere. Now, with the addition of AI to the news, truth will be tested to the limits. What is real or not becomes more difficult to discern day by day. So reliable sources are fading away, honest reporters killed in action, and the profession becomes more and more one that requires bravery above all. Kudos to the courageous few that speak truth to power!
No, journalism is not a get rich quick scheme, if it ever was. Or get rich slowly for that matter. We met an old friend last night just back from the wars - literally - a foreign correspondent. She arrived at the Broadway party we all attended not as the others did, all dressed up (there was a red carpet), but as one of her predecessors might have, a Clare Hollingworth, or a Martha Gellhorn, or a Dickey Chapelle. Not giving a fig for her appearance, fresh off the plane, a breath of fresh air amidst the pomp and pretentiousness of a 21st Century see-and-be-seen affair. Journalism and especially war reporters are a rare and precious breed, and must be nurtured, neither fired nor driven to CBS!
Tina, once again your words ring with such truth. Here in Canada (thankfully, one of the 28% not yet ruled by an authoritarian regime), we too suffer through the demise of local journalism - and yet - there are hidden pockets of brave souls who continue to fight to get local stories heard (see an example of this in a recent edition of CBC's The 5th Estate, highlighting a series of mysterious murders in a local Alberta town which only received attention due to the work of a dogged investigative journalist (https://gem.cbc.ca/the-fifth-estate/s50). We must all continue to fight against the scourge of mistruths - it takes a village to be heard and to be believed and you are at the forefront through your truthtellers summit. I wish I could be there but I'm sending you continued courage and best wishes for a successful discussion.
Thank you so much, Marla. Fascinating story on the murders. The best journalists are obsessives who refuse to give up. If you are interested in watching the summit you can do so here https://sirharrysummit.org/
I’d call that gathering ‘an inspiration’ just as Harry was a personal inspiration for me as a photo journalist. His book ‘Pictures on a Page’ is a master tutorial in how to frame the story. I was so pleased to meet him when ‘My Paper Chase’ was launched at Hay Festival. These days I visit the French ‘Visa Pour L’Image’ documentary photo festival each year - sadly its become depressing with so much strife in the world. RIP Harry.
Hail to Harry forever, and to you Tina for your courage and aplomb in the face of fascism and freedoms eroded. Truth in reportage and truthful speech is the only answer and you deliver it in spades! Thanks for giving us courage (and humor, so often, too) xox
Harrry Evans was thrilled years later that the horrible effects of Thalidomide, which he documented so well, were mitigated by the truly marvelous effects of medicinal Thalidomide on certain cancers. Richard Hirschman
Lovely story about your husband and his ideals. I wouldn't want to glorify the 80s and 90s, but I miss those days when everybody talked about the latest insights from their newspaper or TV channel. The scarcity of news made it more interesting. Now we are drowning in a flood of meaningless no-news, regurgitated and inflated on too many channels. Whom to trust has become an issue for all of us and none of us is free of bias. And how could we? "It is the job of the thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners" should be our motto.
We've watched the entertainment industry swallow up more of the news industry, once-mighty newsmagazines become shadows of their former selves, once-vital organs of local news become irrelevant, and several younger generations turn for "news" to the ill-informed and mendacious social networks. Not to mention that not just once but twice we've allowed a proven liar many times over to seize the biggest bully pulpit in the land. Reading Tina's latest bulletin (a word that aptly contains the word for a firearm projectile), I couldn't remember the last time I heard such a full-throated reminder of how essential the courage of journalists is to a free society. And I will add this about Harry Evans: he was one of the best listeners I've ever had the pleasure of talking to.
Thank you, Charles. Truth Tellers helps me stay positive about the next gen journalists who are so committed , even though mostly working on ridiculously small salaries. The shriveling of serious media is one of the blights of our age. T
Good for Sir Harry Evans. Everyone in America has heard of Watergate thanks to Woodward & Bernstein. Everyone in Britain, of my generation, is familiar with Kim Philby and the story of Thalidomide - thanks to Harry Evans and the Sunday Times under his leadership.
Trump is a peddler of nonsense, a sad spectacle of a failure in business turned into an annoying celebrity thanks to reality tv. But it isn’t reality - just Trump’s 79 year old brain full of resentment and anger.
Joseph McCarthy, Richard Nixon. Add Trump to that list of damaged men who were elected to high office but disgraced themselves. What a fate - to lie awake at night and live with failure on that scale. Trump’s future obituary will be tale of an unhappy failure.
It depends who writes it, ,as Henry Kissinger once said. By the time of Trump's bio his face will be on so many monuments a whole generation may forget what a wrecking ball he was. Which is why journalism so important ! Thank you for this T
I bought a copy of Here Is New York, by E B White. Good condition hardback, £3.50 second hand! “No one should come to NY to live unless he is willing to be lucky”
Thanks for the quote
Here’s more the Christie case, where an innocent man was hanged.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Christie_(serial_killer)
It remains one of the most heartbreaking tales of social injustice. Thx T
I hadn’t connected it to the Christie case - thanks for that. It was made into a chilling film with Christie played by Richard Attenborough. I watched it during lockdown
Yes, i remember Attenborough's horrible whispery voice! You can see him in the Chamber of Horrors in London T
My Father and Husband were both small town newspaper publishers in Virginia
Your words are powerful and true
Thank you Harry for inspiring Tina to Let Truth Roar
Thank you, Louise. Local news is so essential in policing communities where now impunity reigns unscrutinized T
Lost in admiration for Harry and you—can’t think of anywhere or anyone as committed to the principles that support and hopefully sustain investigative journalism.
Thank you, Robert. This note would have made Harry very happy T
Thanks for your very kind reply—
Thank you, Sir Harry, and to all who'll attend the Truth Tellers event. The world needs you all, now more than ever.
Amen to that ! And if you want to watch it on line https://sirharrysummit.org/
This is the best defense of investigative journalism I’ve read—and thank God for outrage!!!
We need outrage, as long as it's stiffened with the facts ! T
The press is indeed the enemy of the regime here, and anywhere else free speech and honest reporting are needed. Which is everywhere. Now, with the addition of AI to the news, truth will be tested to the limits. What is real or not becomes more difficult to discern day by day. So reliable sources are fading away, honest reporters killed in action, and the profession becomes more and more one that requires bravery above all. Kudos to the courageous few that speak truth to power!
so agree. Its why at Truth Tellers we try to valorize the brave journalists who still do it - they sure don't do it for the money T
No, journalism is not a get rich quick scheme, if it ever was. Or get rich slowly for that matter. We met an old friend last night just back from the wars - literally - a foreign correspondent. She arrived at the Broadway party we all attended not as the others did, all dressed up (there was a red carpet), but as one of her predecessors might have, a Clare Hollingworth, or a Martha Gellhorn, or a Dickey Chapelle. Not giving a fig for her appearance, fresh off the plane, a breath of fresh air amidst the pomp and pretentiousness of a 21st Century see-and-be-seen affair. Journalism and especially war reporters are a rare and precious breed, and must be nurtured, neither fired nor driven to CBS!
Tina, once again your words ring with such truth. Here in Canada (thankfully, one of the 28% not yet ruled by an authoritarian regime), we too suffer through the demise of local journalism - and yet - there are hidden pockets of brave souls who continue to fight to get local stories heard (see an example of this in a recent edition of CBC's The 5th Estate, highlighting a series of mysterious murders in a local Alberta town which only received attention due to the work of a dogged investigative journalist (https://gem.cbc.ca/the-fifth-estate/s50). We must all continue to fight against the scourge of mistruths - it takes a village to be heard and to be believed and you are at the forefront through your truthtellers summit. I wish I could be there but I'm sending you continued courage and best wishes for a successful discussion.
Thank you so much, Marla. Fascinating story on the murders. The best journalists are obsessives who refuse to give up. If you are interested in watching the summit you can do so here https://sirharrysummit.org/
I’d call that gathering ‘an inspiration’ just as Harry was a personal inspiration for me as a photo journalist. His book ‘Pictures on a Page’ is a master tutorial in how to frame the story. I was so pleased to meet him when ‘My Paper Chase’ was launched at Hay Festival. These days I visit the French ‘Visa Pour L’Image’ documentary photo festival each year - sadly its become depressing with so much strife in the world. RIP Harry.
How wonderful that Pictures on a Page inspired you. It would make him so happy. I will check out that doc photo fest - sounds fascinating T
Thank you… create a ‘good news’ prize in memory of Harry
https://visapourlimage.com/
I hope Wired Magazine makes it into your next Truth Tellers Event. They are trying very hard to get truth out in journalism.
Yes they are doing a phenomenal job. And we will consider them T
Thank you!
Hail to Harry forever, and to you Tina for your courage and aplomb in the face of fascism and freedoms eroded. Truth in reportage and truthful speech is the only answer and you deliver it in spades! Thanks for giving us courage (and humor, so often, too) xox
How lovely to hear this from you ,dear Deb. I hope you are writing your own wonderful poetry as well as publishing it T
Good luck
At the Conference and please hold the fort for those of us with more muted voices! Harry was truly “ one among few”
Love hearing from you, Alan. Too long since the three of us had dinner ! T
I remember being heartbroken when you and Harry left us to go to America.
But at least I can read you here and you haven’t sold out at all!
Dinosaurs still rule the earth! Great to hear from you T
🌹
Harrry Evans was thrilled years later that the horrible effects of Thalidomide, which he documented so well, were mitigated by the truly marvelous effects of medicinal Thalidomide on certain cancers. Richard Hirschman
Yes he was. He would have been so angry with RFK's campaign to discredit the rigor of science and medicine. T
Yes, it turns out to be a useful drug in some situations.
Some redemption to the horror of its misuse.
Lovely story about your husband and his ideals. I wouldn't want to glorify the 80s and 90s, but I miss those days when everybody talked about the latest insights from their newspaper or TV channel. The scarcity of news made it more interesting. Now we are drowning in a flood of meaningless no-news, regurgitated and inflated on too many channels. Whom to trust has become an issue for all of us and none of us is free of bias. And how could we? "It is the job of the thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners" should be our motto.
Agree . We are all drowning. Which is why we must value the journalists who DO bring us the truth and support their efforts to do so. T
Excellent. You go, girl.
I try!
We've watched the entertainment industry swallow up more of the news industry, once-mighty newsmagazines become shadows of their former selves, once-vital organs of local news become irrelevant, and several younger generations turn for "news" to the ill-informed and mendacious social networks. Not to mention that not just once but twice we've allowed a proven liar many times over to seize the biggest bully pulpit in the land. Reading Tina's latest bulletin (a word that aptly contains the word for a firearm projectile), I couldn't remember the last time I heard such a full-throated reminder of how essential the courage of journalists is to a free society. And I will add this about Harry Evans: he was one of the best listeners I've ever had the pleasure of talking to.
Thank you, Charles. Truth Tellers helps me stay positive about the next gen journalists who are so committed , even though mostly working on ridiculously small salaries. The shriveling of serious media is one of the blights of our age. T