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Media Powers Come to Life

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

What if the Los Angeles Times had not tailored its coverage to promote Richard Nixon? Would Red-baiter Joseph McCarthy have been exposed without the work of Ed Murrow of CBS? And what if the Washington Post had not pursued the truth behind the Watergate break-in?

In The Powers That Be, David Halberstam weaves stories of intrigue about the rise of media giants in the mid-20th century to become powerful forces, not just vehicles that transported the news. History and journalism buffs will eagerly turn the story’s pages, and there are plenty of them. But it went fast for me. It was published in 1979 and I am embarrassed to admit I had not read it until recently, even though I was a newspaper journalist for many years.

Halberstam, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1964 for his Vietnam War coverage, focuses on personalities and companies while describing revelations that will make your jaw drop. The Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, and CBS News are his focus.

Halberstam, who as a New York Times reporter raised the ire of John F. Kennedy, was a prolific author. Other works include The Fifties and The Best and the Brightest, two I highly recommend. If you are a baseball fan, you will love The Teammates: A Portrait of a Friendship, about several members of the Boston Red Sox.

Halberstam’s life ended in 2007 at age 73 when a college student driving him to an interview turned into oncoming traffic. If only Halberstam had had the chance to write about the rise and influence of the internet, social media, cable TV, and the 24/7 news cycle. The Powers That Be 2 would be the talk of the nation.

Words Become Lessons for Boy, Teen, and a Man

Reg Spittle 2 Comments

Vince Vawter’s trilogy begins with Paperboy. Look at the cover; see the medal marking it as a Newbery Honor Book? For me, this makes it a must read since the award is one of the most reliable predictors of books I will love. Paperboy is brilliant and I quickly zipped through the book as well as Copyboy and Manboy, sequels that continue Vawter’s riveting autobiographical story.

Known as Little Man in the first book, the engaging 11-year-old describes his battle with stuttering while he embarks on a lifelong newspaper career. His newspaper work begins as a paperboy while his friend Art (who he calls Rat because it is easier for him to say) is away. Little Man is troubled by one of his customers who has a drinking problem, which may be related to her abusive husband. He is raised by a black housekeeper (Mam), whose words of wisdom guide him to strengthen his confidence. He gives rapt attention to stories from Mr. Spiro, a customer on his route whose words cause the boy to explore concepts and thoughts that challenge his core.

As a 17-year-old in Copyboy, Vic takes a break from his part-time job as a newsroom assistant to travel to New Orleans to carry out the last wishes of his beloved friend, Mr. Spiro. There he continues to learn life lessons from others’ words, this time a quirky girl, Philomere (Phil), who saves his life during 1965’s Hurricane Betsy. After barely surviving the elements in an effort to fulfill Mr. Spiro’s dying request, he returns to Memphis with his love for Phil and a question: What is my purpose?

The tables turn in Manboy, which picks up after his parents have divorced. Vic is 21, a college frat boy and still working at the newspaper, when Phil comes to Memphis to visit and to reveal a secret that will change his life plans. It is April 1968 and his weekend with Phil is turned upside down by the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Vic’s stuttering, though somewhat relieved, still challenges him as he pivots from learning lessons from others to listening to his inner voice for wisdom.

The books take place in Jim Crow Memphis and New Orleans as Little Man grows into Sporty Boy, and finally into Vic. He becomes more aware of racial tension and inequities. The story is an honest and moving portrayal of love, of life in the South, and of a boy’s battle against being defined by his speech disorder.

Once again, the Newbery award has guided me to literary works that will stay with me for a long time.