Seymour Hersh, a legendary figure of American investigative journalism has dropped a bombshell. He’s just announced his intent to leave a film project that’s documenting his pioneering work. Hersh was born in Chicago to immigrant parents in 1937. Now 88, he has spent more than six decades revealing the truths behind some of the most important stories of modern history—the Vietnam War, Watergate, the conflict in Gaza, and the developing story in Ukraine today.
Hersh won the Pulitzer Prize for his dogged reporting on the 1968 My Lai massacre. This critical art piece changed public opinion against the Vietnam War virtually overnight. His reporting proved to be instrumental in the subsequent conviction of Lieutenant William Calley. Calley was convicted of murder for his part in the rampage. What’s more, his 2004 probe into the Abu Ghraib prison torture scandal is still considered the high water mark of his career.
In the past few weeks, Hersh has been in attendance as “Cover-Up” also received its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. It takes a balanced look at both his remarkable successes and failures. In the years since, though, he’s become concerned with the direction the project has taken, resulting in his decision to leave the collaboration. Even Laura Poitras, his fellow journalist and collaborator, withdrew from a project and did not return correspondence—a growing problem now. He pulls back the rug every time they stray outside of his blueprint.
Hersh has worked with filmmakers such as the above-mentioned Poitras and Mark Obenhaus. Together, they have changed the way stories are reported and received in journalism today. In discussing their interviewing styles, Hersh remarked, “Mark and I, when we interview people, we just ask them what happened. Whereas Laura would look at me and say, ‘And how did that make you feel?’” He continued to push back on this line of questioning, explaining, “That’s not a guy’s question. That’s more psychoanalytical.”
Despite his accolades and contributions to journalism, Hersh has raised alarms about the current state of the media landscape in the United States. He pointed out the troubling trend of self-censorship among press institutions, stating, “What we have here in America is not so much censorship as self-censorship by the press.” This sentiment resonates with Poitras, who expressed concern over institutions capitulating preemptively to avoid legal challenges, labeling it as “the worst precedent you can possibly set.”
Hersh’s withering contempt carries over to the media establishment’s treatment of politicians—especially Trump. He stated, “I don’t like what’s going on in the US. I don’t like the kowtowing to Trump.” What turned him around was the realization that every media outlet hasn’t thrown its objectivity out the window. His remarks underscored the still-necessary role of traditional outlets, like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
The seasoned journalist thinks that without unassailable institutions ready to pour money into fearless reporting, it’s democracy that’s in peril. “If institutions aren’t willing to back aggressive reporting, it’s dangerous. We all suffer,” Poitras echoed his concerns.
Even as his career may be headed towards its sunset years, Hersh is still a powerful journalist’s voice. He currently publishes the vast majority of his work on independent platforms such as Substack. There, he provides incisive and refreshing critiques on some of today’s biggest issues. Mark Obenhaus commented on this shift in journalism, noting that “there are no gatekeepers on information anymore,” which complicates how good journalism reaches audiences.