The Chronicle: Colloquy: Responses

Perhaps the real issue here is one of ownership. Who really "owns" history? In the United States, it seems to me that those who get the most publicity are those who historically win. Those in power have always disseminated massive amounts of alleged "facts" to a public made up of what we now might call information consumers; whether those facts prove to be accurate in the long run makes the difference between later judgments of accuracy and later condemnations of falsehood. We now look back to the work of "yellow journalists" published earlier in the century with respect and admiration, for their words helped cleanse industries and save lives. I would invite members of the Reagan Administration who are still with us to publicly correct the record if they are worried about the content of a book whose authorship they abetted in and apparently commissioned, wittingly or otherwise. Let the public decide whose stories and whose documents make more sense.

: -- Megan Greene, Scholar at Large/UT - Austin (posted 10/11, 4:35 p.m., E.D.T.)

previous response

next response

JOIN THE DEBATE

STEP 1: Your contact information (required)

Your name:

Your title & institution:

Your phone:

Your e-mail address:

STEP 2: Your comments

STEP 3: Submit!

Be sure to include your name and affiliation. Legitimate requests for anonymity will be honored.

The Chronicle maintains Colloquy as an open forum where readers can comment on issues. Submissions may be condensed or edited for clarity, but editing is kept to a minimum. We correct errors in spelling, punctuation, etc. In addition, we remove statements that have the potential to be libelous or to slander someone. In cases in which people make claims that could be libelous, we will remove the names of institutions and departments. But in those cases, we will not alter the ideas contained in the submissions.

Please read our privacy policy or our Colloquy help page if you have questions.

Check this box only if you would like this submission to be considered for publication as a letter to the editor in the printed Chronicle.