Thu, Jun 20
|Collected Works Bookstore & Coffeehouse
Steven L Herman, Behind the White House Curtain A Senior Journalist’s Story of Covering the President—and Why It Matters
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). Collected Works and Global Santa Fe are thrilled to co-present a conversation between Mr. Herman and Jim Falk.
Date, Time & Location
Jun 20, 2024, 6:00 PM MDT
Collected Works Bookstore & Coffeehouse, 202 Galisteo St, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
About the Event
This will be an in-store event and live streamed to Zoom, register for Zoom here.
Order Behind the White House Curtain (hardcover, $29.95) from CW online here or call the store (505) 988-4226 to order. Signed copies will be available after the event.
Steven L Herman 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.
About the Author
Steven L Herman is the chief national correspondent of the Voice of America (VOA) 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 Global Santa Fe
Global Santa Fe is an education-based non-profit that ignites dialogue around critical world issues and currents moving the modern world. Their three interconnected program areas: Dialogue & Diplomacy, which includes their Under Fire series, Cultural/Professional Exchange with international visitors, and inspiring Student Education and Travel Exploring, empowers their members, educators, students and communities to be more informed and engaged.