Seymour Hersh

American investigative journalist · United States · On the map · Journalists · Born 1937 · age 89

Seymour Myron "Sy" Hersh is an American investigative journalist and political writer. He gained recognition in 1969 for exposing the My Lai massacre and its cover-up during the Vietnam War, for which he received the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting.

Seymour Hersh is read about 535 times a day, in 31 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 10 November 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 411 days, one point a day.

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A life in dates

2023“First, many thanks for your interest in what the pipeline story was all about: a very dangerous Presidential decision. You are careful readers.”In their words16 February 2023The Crap on the WallRead the whole statement

“There is a pattern to the response by the mainstream media.”In their words16 February 2023The Crap on the WallRead the whole statement

“It was a frightening time for me, in terms of my faith in the profession I had chosen....”In their words16 February 2023The Crap on the WallRead the whole statement

“What I did was really deconstruct the obvious. I mean, you have to hear what the president said.”In their words15 February 2023Exclusive TV Interview, Democracy Now!Read the whole statement

“Victoria Nuland’s statement, that you mentioned, came actually before the president’s...”In their words15 February 2023Exclusive TV Interview, Democracy Now!Read the whole statement

“Nord Stream 1 was a godsend for the German economy and Western Europe.”In their words15 February 2023Exclusive TV Interview, Democracy Now!Read the whole statement

2017Sam Adams AwardAward2007Manuel Vázquez Montalbán Award for Cultural and Political JournalismAward2005Carey McWilliams AwardAwardWeintal Prize for Diplomatic ReportingAward2004George Polk AwardAwardLennonOno Grant for PeaceAwardOrwell AwardAward1983National Book Critics Circle Award in NonfictionAward1981George Polk AwardAward1975The Hillman Prize for Newspaper JournalismAward1974George Polk AwardAward1970Pulitzer Prize for International ReportingAward1969George Polk AwardAwardWorth Bingham PrizeAward1937Born8 April 1937

Also in Deutsch

Media & music

Photos 6

Dead civilians after the massacre in a photo by Ronald L. Haeberle

Hersh in Cairo in 2007

The infamous photo of a hooded Iraqi prisoner from Hersh's first article on the abuse, "Torture at Abu Ghraib"

Hersh speaking at the Institute for Policy Studies in 2004

In their own words 4

Seymour Hersh

4 statements, newest first

I’m an old hand at dropping bombshell stories that are based on the disclosures of sources I do not, and cannot, name.
16 February 2023 · The Crap on the Wall, Own words
It dates back to my breakthrough story: the My Lai massacre revelation... Editors... wanted nothing to do with a story about a massacre committed by American soldiers.
16 February 2023 · The Crap on the Wall, Own words
The threat the president had yet to make had not been made, and this is December, before New Year’s Day, of the year before, 2021.
15 February 2023 · Exclusive TV Interview, Democracy Now!, Own words

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Awards

Sam Adams Award2017

Manuel Vázquez Montalbán Award for Cultural and Political Journalism2007

Preis für die Freiheit und Zukunft der Medien2005

Weintal Prize for Diplomatic Reporting2005

Carey McWilliams Award2005

Orwell Award2004

LennonOno Grant for Peace2004

George Polk Award2004

The Hillman Prize for Book Journalism1984

National Book Critics Circle Award in Nonfiction1983

George Polk Award1981

The Hillman Prize for Newspaper Journalism1975

George Polk Award1974

George Polk Award1973

Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting1970

George Polk Award1969

Worth Bingham Prize1969

James Aronson Award

About this person

During the 1970s, Hersh covered the Watergate scandal for The New York Times, also reporting on the secret U.S. bombing of Cambodia and the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) program of domestic spying. In 2004, he detailed the U.S. military's torture and abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib in Iraq for The New Yorker. Hersh has won five George Polk Awards and two National Magazine Awards. He is the author of 11 books, including The Price of Power: Kissinger in the Nixon White House (1983), an account of the career of Henry Kissinger that won the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Country

United States