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Journalists Join Forces to Fight Trump Smears As Threats Escalate by ALLAN DODDS FRANK

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Journalists Join Forces to Fight Trump Smears As Threats Escalate by ALLAN DODDS FRANK LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD DINNER Honoring Ken Auletta National Arts Club 15 Gramercy Park South Monday, November 19, 2018 Drinks: 6 P.M. • Dinner: 7:15 P.M. Published by The Society of the Silurians., an organization Reserve by mail; questions to Aileen Jacobson of veteran New York City journalists founded in 1924 [email protected] NOVEMBER 2018 Journalists Join Forces to Fight Trump Smears as Threats Escalate BY ALLAN DODDS FRANK This story was written before a pipe bomb was sent to CNN and a gunman attacked a Pittsburgh synagogue killing 11. etters to the editor – not tele- phoned death threats – are the Lindex newspapers normally rely on to measure the impact of their opinion pages. But visceral reactions count also, so score one for the Boston Globe follow- ing the arrest of Robert Darrell Chain, a 68-year-old Encino, California man indict- ed for phoning in 14 obscenity-laced death threats to the paper. For Chain, who claims President Donald Trump “saved the country,” the trigger was the Aug. 10 announcement by the Globe enlisting newspaper editorialists to chal- lenge the President’s claim that the free press is the “enemy.” Chain called twice that day, before the editorials had even been published, to threaten: “You are the enemy of the people and we are going to shoot you all.” The paper immediately alerted the FBI and local authorities while hiring a private security firm to guard the building and its employees. Within three weeks, the FBI tracked down Chain, discovered he had Robert Darrell Chain called in a series of death threats to the Globe. He was arrested in Encino, California. Continued on Page 2 Not “Just a Journalist” KEN AULETTA: AN APPRECIATION BY MICHAEL S. SERRILL The Silurians gave their first Life- time Achievement Award to Walter inda Greenhouse is a rebel. Cronkite in 1969, and he was followed Those of us who spent decades by a long chain of boldface journalis- reading her highly professional, tic names: from Pete Hamill to Jack L Newfield to Gloria Steinem to 2017’s often deeply analytical stories on the Steve Shepard. We have special affec- latest Supreme Court decisions in The th New York Times never thought of her that tion for the 46 recipient of the award, way. But it turns out that throughout her Ken Auletta, because his specialty is career, sometimes quietly and sometimes the foibles of the modern media. Ken forcefully, she questioned one of the very has written for The New Yorker since foundations of journalistic practice for 1977. We asked that magazine’s editor the last century: the requirement to be to reminisce. “objective” and “fair and balanced” in our coverage of daily news events. BY DAVID REMNICK In her new book, Just a Journalist, and in a Sept. 26 talk at a packed luncheon en Auletta, who started out sponsored by the Society of Silurians, on Coney Island, has made Greenhouse explained that her goal in Ka singular journalistic career her journalism was to tell the truth, not to at least in part by having an uncanny present “he said, she said” reportage that knack for knowing where the story is leaves the reader as much in the dark as and when attention is demanded. He when she started. She writes that she was has instincts. “fascinated and thrilled” when in 2016 The As a young man, Ken focused on New York Times began openly challeng- Democratic Party politics, on the ing, in its own voice, the veracity of state- campaigns of Robert F. Kennedy and ments by presidential candidate Donald Ex-Times reporter businessman-turned-politician Howard Silurians Lifetime Samuels. Although I have never known Trump. The dam broke on Sept. 17, she Linda Greenhouse at the Achievement Award Continued on Page 7 Continued on Page 4 Silurian luncheon recipient Ken Auletta PAGE 2 SILURIAN NEWS NOVEMBER 2018 President’s Report Journalists Greetings, Silurians Join Forces Continued from Page 1 BY DAVID A. ANDELMAN recently bought a rifle, and arrested him. ell, it’s been barely five The seven-count indictment against months since the ines- Chain gives us a transcription of his third timable Bernie Kirsch and fourth calls on April 13. It contains W these gems: “You are the enemy of the turned over the (virtual) gavel to yours people and we will hunt you down and truly, but we’ve already had some re- kill you and your dogs.... We’re gonna markable accomplishments. shoot you m----f----s in the head… we’re • We’ve changed our name gonna shoot every f----ing one of you.” to The Silurians Press Club, so that Undeterred by the threats, the Globe’s the uninitiated will understand more effort to kindle a rational, nationwide immediately – though the new name editorial response to Trump’s attacks on won’t be official until the legal niceties the free press produced an explosion of are resolved (in this age of instant com- support on August 16, when nearly 450 munications) what we are all about. newspapers weighed in on their editorial • We’ve created a Press Free- pages. Perhaps more important, local dom Committee under the leadership and national broadcasters also offered of ex-president Allan Dodds Frank, extensive coverage of the theme “Jour- and one of our newest Silurians, Bill nalists Are Not The Enemy.” The Re- Collins. publican-controlled U.S. Senate added a • symbolic gesture by unanimously passing We’ve embarked on a detailed a resolution “reaffirming the vital and study of our Awards program, master- indispensable role the free press serves.” Majorie Pritchard of the Boston Globe launched an initiative that minded by Jack Deacy. Silurian President David A. Andelman • We’ve added a video screen resulted in editorials in 456 newspapers protesting Donald Trump’s praises the Globe’s initiative. “The only attacks on the media. at the National Arts Club which, to- real guarantee of a strong and unfettered gether with a new sound system, will democracy is a fearless free press. All jour- allow even the furthest bleachers at our nalists need to stand up for their peers and A sampling of the editorials: county board funneling money to private monthly luncheons to see and hear all their craft,” says Andelman. “The Silurians, schools, the impact of Medicaid privat- that’s going on at the podium. This will Overseas Press Club, and the Committee to The Boston Globe: ization in Iowa or the effects of tariffs on allow us to expand our attendance to at Protect Journalists intend to mount a joint “Trump can’t outlaw the press from Iowa farmers and livestock producers, least 170 so that all the new members effort on behalf of ourselves and our col- doing its job here, of course. But the model or providing information people need to Mort Sheinman has been so diligently leagues, wherever they may be threatened of inciting his supporters in this regard is recover from floods and tornadoes, all recruiting will have an opportunity to or challenged.” how 21st-century authoritarians like Vlad- covered by Register journalists in recent participate. imir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan op- months.” “Time to Defend Ourselves” Even the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, It’s all part of my effort to bring erate; you don’t need formal censorship to strangle a supply of information. Trump’s where the libertarian editorial director our organization into the forefront of The inspiration for the nationwide edito- apologists feebly insist that he is referring Keith Burris and owner John Robinson journalist organizations. I was struck a rial outpouring came August 6th from Mar- only to biased coverage, rather than the Block recently fired anti-Trump cartoonist short time ago when, in an email, Anika jorie Pritchard, the deputy managing editor entire fourth estate. But the president’s Rob Rogers, got in the act. Under the head- Legrand-Wittich, a press representative in charge of the Globe’s opinion pages. own words and long track record show line, “No more enemies: Trump and the of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, called us Pritchard tells the Silurian News: “Every again and again just how deeply cynical press must practice mutual respect,” the “the Luncheon Society of the Siluri- time the President said the media is ‘fake and dishonest this argument is.” editorial said: “Indeed the president must ans.” While I like to think our monthly news’ and we are ‘the enemy of the people,’ know that, as a matter of constitutional get-togethers have allowed us to come it really started getting under my skin. All The New York Times: law – the First Amendment -- the press can in contact with some remarkable indi- the journalists I know are hard-working “... insisting that truths you don’t like never be the enemy of the people.” viduals and thought-provoking ideas, people and I just thought we should all are ‘fake news’ is dangerous to the life- But then the Post-Gazette, once a we are about more than just lunch. stand up for ourselves. I reached out to blood of democracy. And calling journal- revered moderate liberal voice that has Already this year, we’ve had some several newspapers and to several press ists the ‘enemy of the people’ is dangerous, veered hard right since Block installed extraordinary speakers. Linda Green- associations and they in turn sent out an period. Burris over the editorial page in early email blast to all their members.” house, who was The New York Times These attacks on the press are par- 2018, launched a broadside at Pritchard Large newspapers, small newspapers, ticularly threatening to journalists in and the Globe.
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