Kill the Messenger, Nick Schou
Kill the Messenger, Nick Schou
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Kill the Messenger
How the CIA's Crack-Cocaine Controversy Destroyed Journalist Gary Webb

Author: Nick Schou, Ray Chase, Charles Bowden

Narrator: Richard Ferrone

Unabridged: 7 hr 34 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/09/2014

Synopsis

Gary Webb is the former San Jose Mercury News reporter whose 1996 “Dark Alliance” series on the so-called CIA-crack cocaine connection created a firestorm of controversy and led to his resignation from the paper amid escalating attacks on his work by the mainstream media. Author and investigative journalist Nick Schou published numerous articles on the controversy and was the only reporter to significantly advance Webb’s stories.

Drawing on exhaustive research and highly personal interviews with Webb’s family, colleagues, supporters and critics, this book argues convincingly that Webb’s editors betrayed him, despite mounting evidence that his stories were correct. By providing a probing examination of the one of the most important media scandals in recent memory, this book provides a gripping view of one of the greatest tragedies in the annals of investigative journalism.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Ben on November 14, 2014

If you want to be filled with rage at the mainstream media's shameless devotion to protecting the status quo, this is the book for you. Great stuff about the New York Times, L.A. Times, and Washington Post going after Gary Webb for daring to tie the CIA to coke-smuggling contras. The downward trajec......more

Goodreads review by Molly on September 07, 2014

I rate this about 3.5 stars. I thought the story was very interesting but there were so many players involved, some of the story was a little overwhelming/confusing. I also felt some parts were repetitive. I'm left not knowing how I feel about Webb or his reporting......more

Goodreads review by Curtis Miller on October 16, 2017

Very interesting read The book opened my eyes up to specifics about investigative reporting and he CIA's involvement in the drug trade. The book also helps depict the true nature of news reporting by large papers.......more

Goodreads review by A. Redact on September 04, 2021

A very even-handed account of the assassination of Gary Webb's character by the New York Times, Washington Post, and LA Times. Schou acknowledges the shortcomings of the Dark Alliance series as it was originally published, but ultimately finds that Webb's reporting was vindicated by the two internal......more

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