George Seldes was a journalist and leftist gadfly from the 1920s through the 1950s. He started his career working for the conservative Chicago Tribune and founded a newsletter called In Fact that reported the news the mainstream media ignored. Tell the Truth and Run is not only the story of Seldes struggle to inform, it's also the story of American journalism and its unholy marriage with corporate America. The most remarkable segment involves his efforts, starting in 1942(!), to report the results of Johns Hopkins research that showed the dangers of cigarette smoking--news that the Surgeon General apparently ignored for 20 years. Now more relevant than ever, this is a must see film for critical thinkers of all political stripes.
2 Reviews
A fascinating history of the 20th century that you never hear.
smcgahee13 November 2000
One of the best documentaries I've ever seen. George Seldes is a reporter/editor who was involved in the major events of the 20th century. He offers first hand commentary on how the mainstream press is manipulated and controlled by financial interests, how news is suppressed in order to protect corporations. One rarely hears such first hand accounts from the Spanish Civil War, the Russian Revolution, the major 20th century conflicts, and the McCarthy hearings, as well as how a free press in the United States survived and inspired.
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