Civil Rights

Civil Rights

The civil rights movement in the United States caused important but difficult journalism. Taking place from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s, protesters aimed to… more
Investigating Power is the story of journalists who exposed government lies in the rush to war, documented institutionalized racism and uncovered the truth about deadly products from tobacco to pesticides. Charles Lewis

Moses Newson

A respected reporter from the civil rights era, Moses Newson risked his life covering some of the most notable events of the time. These events…

Jerry Mitchell

In more than three decades as a reporter at the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi, Jerry Mitchell’s stories helped put four Ku Klux Klan members and…
Investigating Power is an ongoing project created by Charles Lewis. In addition to the 27 journalists profiled and video interviewed, more are being added over the coming years.
Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War lasted from 1955 to 1975 and occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The United States supported South Vietnam against North Vietnam and… more

Ben Bagdikian

As national editor of The Washington Post, Ben Bagdikian obtained the secret Pentagon Papers from Daniel Ellsberg after a federal judge ordered The New York…

Seymour Hersh

As an investigative reporter for The Associated Press, The New York Times and now The New Yorker, Seymour Hersh has primarily covered national security and…
Each "Moment of Truth" corresponds to a time in American history when journalists were breaking important stories to reveal public and corporate corruption or deception.
Post 9/11

Post 9/11

After September 11, 2001 — when terrorists hijacked four airplanes and crashed three into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, causing more than 3,000 deaths… more

Dana Priest

Washington Post reporter Dana Priest has spent the majority of her career focusing on national security, military operations and the U.S. intelligence industry. A two-time…

Christiane Amanpour

As the chief international correspondent for CNN, Christiane Amanpour has covered war and genocide in the Balkans, Africa and Iraq. Amanpour has spent more than…
The six sections of the website are McCarthyism, Civil Rights, Vietnam War, Watergate, Corporate Power and Post 9/11. Each section showcases videos of journalists who made significant contributions to the public understanding of national issues.
Watergate

Watergate

The Watergate scandal, originally named after the famous Watergate office building where five members of President Nixon’s administration broke into the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters,… more

Bob Woodward

Bob Woodward is regarded by many as the best investigative reporter of his time. Yet after writing or co-writing twelve No. 1 national nonfiction best-selling…

An Unlikely Source on Watergate

Helen Thomas remembers asking the out-spoken Martha Mitchell, wife of Attorney General John Mitchell, about the issues of the day when Mitchell gave Thomas an…
Also featured are Educator Resource guides: one set for advanced middle school and high school students, and another for undergraduate students.
Corporate Power

Corporate Power

While journalists serve as watchdogs against government corruption, many are more reluctant to report on corporate misdeeds. Since many major news organizations are funded by… more

Taking on Big Tobacco

New York Times reporter Walt Bogdanich talks about Philip Morris' $10 billion lawsuit against him and the American Broadcasting Companies for his reporting on how…

Taking on Corporate Power

Donald Barlett and James Steele say that most journalists are too reluctant to report on corporate power.
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McCarthyism

McCarthyism

The term “McCarthyism” originated when Sen. Joseph McCarthy made a speech in 1950 claiming that hundreds of communists were working in the government. What followed… more

Murrey Marder

A Washington Post reporter for 39 years, Murrey Marder covered the Alger Hiss trial as well as Joseph McCarthy. His reporting led to the1954 Army-McCarthy…

The McCarthy Years

Murrey Marder remembers his reporting for The Washington Post that helped to unmask Sen. Joseph McCarthy.