What about Sy Hersh?

Thursday, March 05, 2009 by Dave Winer.

At breakfast this morning, Berkeley friend and former journalist John Feld said we need journalists to do impartial investigations into government corruption. I asked if he knew of any and he said Seymour Hersh. I agreed.  

When he comes out with a piece, I stop everything and read it, as do many others.  

John is right, what Hersh does is important, so we should consider that a real challenge. How do we pay for the work he does, and others who want to follow in his footsteps. 

Isn't academia the place for a person like Hersh? Isn't that what we want our tenured faculty to be doing -- digging for the truth, no matter where it leads or who is offended? That's what academic freedom is all about.  

It would also be great if such "academic journalists" could teach a course or graduate seminar to share their process, teach students how to do what he or she does.  

I think it would be even better than having them work for big media companies, because then they could go after the BMCs, and lord knows they need going-after.