175. LIES AGREED UPON: GEORGE SELDES AND THE AMERICAN PRESS (PART I)

Although George Seldes is one of the giants in the history of
American journalism, particularly in the field of press
criticism, he has been neglected and blacklisted by the
mainstream press. In this three-part series we present the
American TV debut of Seldes, who was a foreign correspondent from
1917-1939 and who published the alternative newspaper "In
Fact" in the 1940s and l950s. Seldes wrote over 20 books and
was the model and inspiration for present day activists and
muckrakers like Ralph Nader, I.F. Stone and Jack Anderson. In
Part I, Seldes recalls the World War I "battle" of Saint-Mihiel,
which was no battle at all; his interview with Lenin; and his
many talks with Mussolini, who later tried to have him killed.
He analyzes press coverage of the events, showing us the lies,
distortions and machinations which occurred and the people and
institutions involved in them.

No copyright or dates
Copyright January, 1983

176. LIES AGREED UPON: GEORGE SELDES AND THE AMERICAN PRESS (PART II)

We see post-World War I Germany and the rise of Nazism through
Seldes' eyes. He vividly recalls his talks with President General von
Hindenburg, his meeting with Hitler, the huge Nazi rallies in
Nuremberg and Hitler's hypnotic spell over the people. Seldes
describes the destruction of the Weimar Republic by the wealthy
German capitalists who not only exploited and helped ruin the
German economy, but also supported Hitler. Seldes specifies the
pro-Nazi segments of the American press, particularly the
"Readers' Digest" and William Randolph Hearst, who accepted a
"bribe" to print pro-Nazi stories. Next, he relates his
experiences as a reporter during the Spanish Civil War and
exposes the gross censorship, distortions and lies in the press
about the tragic struggle.

Copyright January, 1983

177. LIES AGREED UPON: GEORGE SELDES & THE AMERICAN PRESS, (PART III)

Seldes relates his experiences as a press muckraker in the 1940s
and 1950s. He recalls his coverage of the war in Mexico and the
machinations of the American press there. He tells of starting
his newsletter, "In Fact," which had a nationwide circulation
of almost 176,000, and which exposed the material ignored and
distorted in the regular press. Seldes explains why he was
blacklisted in the press, even though he had written over 20
books, some of which were bestsellers. Finally, he recalls his
experience of being called up to testify before the infamous
McCarthy Committee in the Senate and how the Red Scare eventually
destroyed his newspaper.

Run Time: 58:59
Copyright January, 1983