THE KENT STATE SHOOTINGS 50 YEARS LATER
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.
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| 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 21st 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:
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| Robert Giles |
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