One by Lisa O'Caroll appeared in The Guardian:
Seymour Hersh on Obama, NSA and the 'pathetic' American media.
Pulitzer Prize winner explains how to fix journalism, saying press should 'fire 90% of editors and promote ones you can't control'
I was cheering inwardly all the time as I read it, even cheering outwardly too, at times. Loved every word!
I took a look at Mr Hersh's natal chart at astro.com to see whether his astrology fits. It does, of course! I'll put up his chart here, from my own software, using astro.com data (given an AA rating = good as it can be.)
Seymour Myron Hersh born on 8 April 1937 at 08:05am in Chicago, Illinois.
He was born a couple of weeks or so after my husband - maybe it's not surprising that I felt positive vibes; although my husband doesn't share most of Mr Hersh's views, sadly.
Aries Sun - sign of the pioneer, impulsive, driven by enthusiasm for his task. This alone wouldn't be his astro signature though. What is? Mercury and Venus conjunct Uranus! Uranus the rebel planet, the urge to be different, to take risks, to "go where the buses don't run", and Uranus lay close to his communication planet, Mercury - how very appropriate! With Gemini (the writer's planet) rising, how could Seymour Hersh not have become a fearless investigative journalist?
Moon in Pisces is evidence of a softer side to his nature, it is opposed by Pisces' ruler, Neptune. His generation's Neptune in earthy Virgo, is likely to have long ago reined in any dreamy illusions, kept his imaginative inner feet on terra firma.
There are lots of planetary aspects in the chart, too many to list; another which helps define what we know of him is: a T-square formed by Pluto opposite Jupiter (Cancer-Capricorn), each form square aspects to his natal Sun.
Jupiter opposite Pluto: I'll use Michael McClain's interpretation from Skyscript in case a passing reader might suspect I'm making this up!
Jupiter opposition Pluto
The opposition of Jupiter and Pluto shows questioning of social ideology. You challenge dogma by asserting your own views, which may often be out of step with those of society. Autocratic attitudes and a lack of humility can cause a loss of popularity. This is a powerful placement for Jupiter, the planet associated with religious and philosophic issues. You may have much to offer in correcting social injustices.
This opposition in Mr Hersh's chart is linked to natal Sun by stressful 90 degree aspects, connecting it to his core self.
QED.
Yes, Hersh's astrology fits his worldly career deeds. I suspect he may have a few hang-ups when it comes to his personal emotions and relationships, more so than most. That same Mercury-Venus-Uranus in the 12th may make him a congenial, but difficult to truly know person...maybe a bit erratic, personally. He's certainly made a trusted name for himself in the world of journalism.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading his interview with The Guardian. His comments regarding honest journalism are definitely valid, but only when considering the classical employers of journalists: mainstream news outlets. In the digital age, bloggers have taken-on many of the tougher assignments...and most have no fear of recrimination from their employers, because they don't have an employer. There are some exceptions, such as Huff-Po and the like that pay for articles, but these blogs sites cater to the left anyway. We live in a digital age where, whatever our interest, we can quickly find and devour vast quantities of information that cater to our individual tastes, political or otherwise. The problem with most blogs is that they pass-on information rather than create valid information.
Hersh's real criticism is of investigative political journalism. I think it is alive and well, just not through the archaic sources such as newspapers and TV media sources. Vanity Fair, while being a left-centric entertainment magazine for the upscale, has received many awards for its investigative political journalism...Rolling Stone magazine...PBS' Frontline, 60 Minutes, to name several.
Hersh doesn't mention the excoriation of CBS' Dan Rather regarding Rather's critique of Bush's military record. I think that put a lot of fear into investigative reporting and sources, circa 2005. I noticed Hersh does not single-out or even mention CBS, as he does NBC and ABC.
While I can sure appreciate political investigative reporting, there will always be an equal requirement for social investigative reporting. There seems to be a proportional increase in social investigative journalism, perhaps proportional to the decrease in the less "politically"-safe type of political investigative journalism.
P.S. - I should have mentioned the obvious: The Guardian! I depend on it more and more as a reliable source of investigative political journalism, too.
ReplyDeletethat was a great read :)
ReplyDeleteYouGov Survey: Can Investigative Journalism Survive
ReplyDeletehttps://survey.yougov.com/vDxfx2g22F3K3K
the great read (besides your words) was the Gaurdian article btw...it was interesting how even the writer of the article was called out over her inconsistencies hahaha :)))
ReplyDeletemike ~ I haven't found mention of his personal life - any marriage(s) etc. With a lifestyle such as his must have been it wouldn't be surprising if any alliances had been blighted, or at least difficult to sustain. But, yes his astrology does point that way too.
ReplyDeleteI noticed also that he mentioned only NBC and ABC and wondered if, perhaps, one of them is related to CBS - it's hard to tell now what belongs to whom.
The net has done a lot to bring balance. Newspapers and TV producers are beholden to their advertisers and therefore become little more than ass-lickers to them, afraid to cross any lines and criticise anyone or any issue which might offend the bosses and advertisers. Hard to blame them, when jobs depend on it.
I notice a similar thing happening on some blogs/websites bit by bit too. They depend on syndicated material and for advertising (again) or for readers' donations,
so will eventually be in the same boat as older media.
I do read a more right-wing blog several times a week for balance - I chose "No Quarter" - I don't read all the comments there, bad for the BP! But the main blogger Larry Johnson seems more fair-minded than some conservative writers.
I now ignore all TV news and political progs (apart from Bill Maher's and he'll go too once we get around to re-configuring our cable account and ditching HBO). I rely on the net now.
Agreed on The Guardian - a veritable beacon for many decades. :-)
DC ! Thanks, and thanks also because your 2nd comment reminded me that I hadn't properly credited the article's author. I'd written the post as though Seymour Hersh had written the linked article. Slapped hands! I've amended the post now.
ReplyDelete:-)
Re the commentary beneath the article, and the grammar police p who came out to play - Dang! Don't they get annoying at times though?
mike ~ Thanks - but the link goes to a "thank you" page.
ReplyDeleteIs this the one you intended?
http://research.yougov.co.uk/events/
I'm not sure what you are seeing. The link I provided threw me at first, too...you have to click on the red dot to enter the survey.
ReplyDeleteJust to ensure you get there, here's the original link to London Press Club...the link to YouGov is down toward the middle of the article.
mike ~ Ah - I see. Thank you! Silly me!
ReplyDeleteI've taken the survey, as best I could, not being 100% up-to-scratch on the UK situation. ;-)
Absolutely!
ReplyDeleteTwilight ~ Thanks for another great post with another great link. I'm unfamiliar with much of his reporting, but based on the interview, Hersh definitely comes across as a fiery Aries with strong Pluto-Jupiter influences, someone willing to dig deep and speak the truth, regardless of consequences.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking his chart's Grand Cross must play a role too, especially since it involves his Gemini Ascendant conjunct both his South Node and Chiron, also in Gemini, indicative of an awareness of and wound caused by, among other things, superficial forms of journalism and how information gets suppressed, twisted and misused. In his own unique way, he's a healer, albeit one who uses words.
LB ~ Glad you found it interesting.
ReplyDeleteYes, that South Node conjunct Chiron of his has to be significant, it's such a close conjunction and close to the important ascendant angle too, a triple whammy. I like your interpretation of it.
:-)
From interview with Glenn Greenwald and Janine Gibson:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/01/glenn-greenwald-janine-gibson-reddit-nsa
"Vervex: Do you feel that the protections that journalists count on are disappearing? Is journalism as a whole in danger? Can we in the US trust our major publications for the true story or is there to much manipulation? Is Rupert Murdoch the antichrist?
Janine_Gibson:
This is a critical time for journalistic freedom, and there are two major shifts which are threatening important work. One is the attempt to categorise "who is a journalist", which we are in danger, as an industry, of enabling. I feel profoundly uncomfortable about any line drawn around pay, employer, hours or volume of work that will define a "real" journalist. And then only the "real" journalists will be protected.
I don't think that's how the world works any more, so that's problematic.
The second is the attempt to define journalism as outside the national interest, and the Guardian has felt the impact of that in the UK, when the government demanded we destroy some of the material we were working on. That's much less problematic here in the US where we enjoy the protection of the first amendment. Let's hope we can all continue to use that protection to do good reporting.
Is Rupert Murdoch the antichrist? Is there only one?"
mike (again) ~ Thanks for the link.
ReplyDeleteI hope she's not being too complacent on:
much less problematic here in the US where we enjoy the protection of the first amendment
Vee haf vays of making you not talk...or write....
;-)
Good ol' California!
ReplyDeleteFrom http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/04/usa-califoria-journalists-idUSL1N0HU01K20131004?irpc=932
"California Governor Jerry Brown signed a law on Thursday to give journalists in the state five days' notice before government agencies serve subpoenas on their records held by third parties, such as phone companies and internet service providers."