Williamsburg Regional Library

Tell the Truth and Run: George Seldes and the American Press

videorecording

Tell the Truth and Run: George Seldes and the American Press

921957997

Originally produced by New Day Films in 1996

110

Eighty years a newspaperman, Seldes was a noted foreign correspondent who became America's most important press critic. Through Seldes's encounters with Pershing, Lenin and Mussolini; the tobacco industry, J. Edgar Hoover and the "lords of the press," Tell The Truth and Run raises profound ethical, professional and political questions about journalism in America. Seldes at age 98 is the centerpiece of the film: remarkably engaging, witty and still impassioned about his ideas and ideals. Ralph Nader, Victor Navasky, Ben Bagdikian, Daniel Ellsberg, Nat Hentoff and Jeff Cohen, among others, provide incisive commentary. Stunning archival footage and over 500 headlines, photographs and articles provide a rich historical backdrop. Tell The Truth and Run raises fundamental questions about the recorded history of the Twentieth Century; about freedom, fairness and diversity in the media; about power and abuse of power; and about public citizenship and the democratic process. Tell The Truth and Run is an ideal film for students. It is divided into chapters of 6-10 minutes each, and each chapter addresses one or more themes that will stimulate thought and discussion. Subject matter and themes include: * World War I and the role of the war correspondent * America's press and the rise of European fascism * "The most sacred cow of the press is the press itself." * Who chooses the news-- and why * The press and McCarthyism * The growth and dangers of media monopoly

live action