Schorr, Daniel. Clearing the Air. New York: Berkley Books, 1978. 367 pages.
In 1975 the CIA was investigated by three panels: the Rockefeller
Commission, the Church Committee in the Senate, and the Pike Committee in
the House. The first two issued reports that included many revelations and
also kept many secrets. When it came time for the Pike report, Washington
had grown tired of all the dirty laundry and President Ford was able to keep
it classified. But CBS reporter Daniel Schorr had a copy from an unidentified
source, and had been doing stories on it. After trying unsuccessfully to get
CBS and others to publish the report, he gave it to the Village Voice, which
published it on February 20, 1976. Schorr was subpoenaed by the House Ethics
Committee and almost cited for contempt for refusing to name his source, and
was forced to resign from CBS in 1977.
This book presents the flavor of Washington journalism during the
immediate post-Watergate years, which was the last time our media performed
an adversary role (if we exclude that brief infatuation with Iran-contra).
Schorr was a definitely a hero of the 1970s. It should be noted, however,
that over the long haul his belief in the public's right to know is somewhat
selective. He has been a member of the Council on Foreign Relations for many
years (journalists who join the ruling-class CFR have compromised their
profession, because CFR meetings are off the record), and he still promotes
the bizarre theory that Lee Harvey Oswald was a lone nut.
ISBN 0-425-03903-X
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