Freedom of the press is a hallmark of our democracy. Steve Herman, a veteran member of the White House Press Corps, considers covering the U.S. President a key part of ensuring a healthy democracy. Join us in conversation with Steve on June 25 on what it’s really like to cover the President, and the importance of journalistic independence at a time when misinformation is so rampant. In conversation with Jim Falk.
The details:
When: Tuesday, June 25 | 7:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: Free | Registration required
WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and Global Santa Fe. Presented in partnership with the World Affairs Council of Albuquerque, Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations, World Affairs Council of Jacksonville, World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts, and Perspectives Matter.
About the Book
Behind the White House Curtain: A Senior Journalist’s Story of Covering the President – and Why it Matters by Steven Herman
Going behind the scenes with a veteran member of the White House press corps
Steven L Herman, chief national correspondent for the nonpartisan, government-funded Voice of America (VOA), weaves together memoir and history to pull back the curtain on the inner workings of the White House press corps, giving readers a rare glimpse into the historic and current relationship between the president and the press.
Herman traces the trajectory of his career as a journalist—from learning to be skeptical of government officials’ statements when he worked as a novice reporter covering nuclear testing in Nevada in the 1970s to understanding the power of on-the-ground social media coverage after the Fukushima disaster in 2011 and facing the challenges of covering the Trump administration. He reflects on the experience of reporting on a president who once called journalists “enemies of the people”—and indeed, former president Trump singled out VOA, accusing the organization of being not a voice of America but rather a voice supporting Moscow’s and Beijing’s interests. Under questionable circumstances, top VOA executives lost their security clearances, and a dossier was prepared on Herman in an effort to remove him as White House bureau chief. With journalistic independence under threat, Herman feared not only for his career but also for “the soul of Voice of America.”
Throughout Behind the White House Curtain, Herman convincingly argues that public access to accurate, unbiased information is essential to a healthy and peaceful democracy, and that journalists can and should play a key role in pressing government officials to be truthful and transparent. At a time when misinformation is rampant and the need for unbiased coverage of current events is more urgent than ever, Herman reminds readers that freedom of the press is a foundational American right.
Purchase Behind the White House Curtain here.
About the Author
Steven L Herman is the chief national correspondent of the Voice of America (VOA), an adjunct assistant professor at Shenandoah University, and an adjunct lecturer in the journalism department of the University of Richmond. He covered the White House for VOA during the Trump administration and the first eight months of the Biden administration. He has traveled to more than 75 countries and territories, including reporting assignments in Afghanistan, Argentina, Bhutan, Burma, China, the Gaza Strip, North Korea, Peru, and Vietnam.
About the Moderator
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico he is member of the Board of Global Santa Fe where he chairs the program committee. Jim co-hosts Perspectives Matter, a McCuistion Program, that airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
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