Tag books

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.

Gander: A Name You Won’t Forget

Reg Spittle 1 Comment


Have you been bitten by cynicism? This book may be your cure.

In an uplifting and heartwarming story, Jim DeFede takes us to Gander, Newfoundland, to show how one Canadian town responded to an unexpected crisis on September 11, 2001.

With little time to prepare, the town of 10,000 grew by 6,800 people who were aboard 38 commercial flights that were forced to divert from American destinations to Gander International Airport. With American air space shut down after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington D.C., passengers were kept aboard planes on Gander’s tarmac for up to 24 hours until officials figured out how to ensure more terrorists were not aboard the 38 planes.

In The Day the World Came to Town, Defede describes how the strength of human spirit and compassion opened the Canadian community to thousands who all preferred to be somewhere else. When they emerged from the planes tired, hungry, and confused by the September 11 events, the passengers and airline staff were greeted by a selfless community that redefined hospitality.

For nearly a week, the locals provided beds, showers, food, rides, clothes, medications, computers, televisions, and emotional support. Special meals were prepared for those with various dietary restrictions. Locals crawled into the cargo areas of jumbo jets to care for frightened and hungry animals, including two rare monkeys.

Hundreds of interviews led the author to anecdotes about passengers from many countries and walks of life. There was the head of the Rockefeller Foundation, who was so taken by the community that the foundation donated a new computer lab to a Gander school.

And Hannah and Dennis O’Rourke, whose son was one of the missing firefighters at the World Trade Center. A Russian immigrant family was on their way to new lives in Seattle. An American couple was returning with their newly adopted child.

Gander, the easternmost airport in North America, hadn’t seen such intense activity since World War II, when it hosted thousands of military planes and troops headed to Europe.

Most passengers were allowed to leave within a week and when they left, many felt like they were leaving family. Some have remained in touch with their Canadian hosts.

Thousands of innocent people, including the O’Rourke’s son Kevin, died in the September 11 attacks. The Day the World Came to Town digs deep to bring us intriguing stories about people who exuded greatness in response to evil.