WHEN TRUTH MATTERED

THE KENT STATE SHOOTINGS 50 YEARS LATER

Author Bob Giles tells the story of tireless work and unsung heroes in the newsroom of the Akron Beacon Journal, the once agenda-setting newspaper awarded the Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the May 4 tragedy.

Giles, a young city editor at the time, went on the be an executive in editing and publishing with what then was Knight Newspapers.

Pat Englehart, the state editor in 1970, led much of the coverage of the shootings on the day of and through dozens of investigations. He was a mentor when I was in Journalism School at Kent.

Giles recounts the behind-the-scenes pluck, hard work and doggedness that had the Beacon Journal consistently beating the largest news organizations in the U.S. and the world, on countless stories that told about mistakes and dastardly behavior that spilled blood at a place of learning in Northeast Ohio.

Ohio National Guard -- Kent State -- May 4, 1970

Giles’ book also compares the trust between newspaper of record and local community a half century ago, vs. the chants of fake news and worse today.

Giles wisely notes the dire consequences of the 21^st century, where Donald Trump labels provable facts he views as negative toward him as “fake news.” 

He addresses 50 years change, culminating in an era when Trump and his authoritarian ilk recklessly betray the U.S. Constitution and label the essential free press as the enemy of the people.

He also shares the sad news that newspapers, once the bedrock and essential fourth estate, are now hamstrung with deep cuts. 

The 1970s newsroom that told the world about the horrors, blunders and cover ups at Kent State, had a staff of 150. Today, the once strong newspaper has a staff of 35.

Read my full essay at:

https://stevewright-1964.medium.com/when-truth-mattered-the-kent-state-shootings-50-years-later-d9e6b8e5ae09

Robert Giles

KENT STATE: FOUR DEAD IN OHIO

 AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY VIVIDLY TOLD BY MASTER ARTIST/JOURNALIST/STORYTELLER JOHN “DERF” BACKDERF

“Kent State: Four Dead In Ohio,” by northeast Ohio artist John “Derf” Backderf is essential reading for every American and 100% relevant to the times of Black Lives Matter, protest and Trump.

Derf shares the stories of the four students who were killed by the National Guard on Kent’s campus on May 4, 1970, during a protest.

I never thought I’d be much into graphic novels, much less buy one in hardback. But it works and is worth every penny.

I have a close connection to Kent State. It’s where I met my soulmate Heidi, nearly 40 years ago.

She lived in Prentice and her dorm room overlooked the parking lot where four innocent students met their deaths because of right wing idiots such as Ohio Governor Jim Rhodes and moronic gung-ho Ohio National Guard leaders.

I was a journalism student and for four years of my life spent more time at Taylor Hall than my dorm on the other side of campus.

Taylor is at the top of the hill overlooking the commons, where heavily armed/poorly trained guardsman raced towards, taking fire on unarmed students.

It also now is home to the Kent State May 4 Visitor’s Center, housed exactly where the Daily Kent Stater newsroom was located for years, including when I was a staff member.

Derf spent three years studying the archives at Kent State University and other repositories. He interviewed witnesses and victims of the shooting.

Far from a long comic strip about a tragic even in American History, “Kent State: Four Dead In Ohio” is a fine piece of journalism.

I thought I knew everything about the shootings (which took place when I was five and my family lived about 25 miles from Kent.)

I learned all kinds of behind the scenes plus front and center facts from Derf’s book, including the intriguing case of Terry Norman, a narc/gun nut/unstable spy who later served time as a convicted felon for crimes unrelated to the events at Kent.

I laughed at the insider Kent things (live music at J.B.s, townies, black squirrels anyone?) sprinkled through the book.

And even though I was well-aware of the outcome, I wept when the students – so brought to life by Derf – met their bloody deaths at the hands of ruthless National Guard, that never should have had high powered military loaded weapons on a largely peaceful college campus.

I have communicated with Derf – who also penned an amazing graphic novel on his high school classmate Jeffrey Dahmer – to share my praise for his gripping, crucial and essential piece of vivid journalism.

Here’s the Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/Kent-State-Four-Dead-Ohio/dp/1419734849/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1610143562&refinements=p_27%3ADerf+Backderf&s=books&sr=1-1