Pacifica Radio host Dennis Bernstein plays fascinating audiotape of Robert Parry, back in the day, talking about reporting on the Reagan White House/CIA-run Contra operation in Nicaragua under Reagan. Includes the drug epidemic in Los Angeles fed by Contra-provided cocaine, and how mainstream media suppressed that whole story and then crucified journalist Gary Webb for telling it, accurately, in the San Jose Mercury News.
Ray tells a vignette from Bob Parry that illustrates why his employment as a star reporter for Newsweek was so short-lived and why the print and TV media stars of today have to make so many unprincipled, unsavory compromises to stay stars and make a lot of money. Dare we say, again, plus ca change — like all over again?
https://kpfa.org/episode/flashpoints-december-13-2018/
Or listen here:
Ray speaks between minute 00:35 and 12:20 (the vignette starts at min. 10:00).
Then Bob Parry’s taped interview, with Dennis Bernstein intro, runs to min. 32:40.
After brief interval for a fundraising pitch, Dennis adds highly interesting further commentary from min. 34:05 to 40:20. (Thereafter it is all fundraising.)