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City of Newsmen: Public Lies and Professional Secrets in Cold War Washington
An inside look at how midcentury DC journalists silenced their own skepticism and shaped public perceptions of the Cold War.
Americans’ current trust in journalists is at a dismayingly low ebb, particularly on the subject of national and international politics. For some, it might be tempting to look back to the mid-twentieth century, when the nation’s press corps was a seemingly venerable and monolithic institution that conveyed the official line from Washington with nary a glint of anti-patriotic cynicism. As Kathryn McGarr’s City of Newsmen shows, however, the real story of what Cold War–era journalists did and how they did it wasn’t exactly the one you’d find in the morning papers.
City of Newsmen explores foreign policy journalism in Washington during and after World War II—a time supposedly defined by the press’s blind patriotism and groupthink. McGarr reveals, though, that DC reporters then were deeply cynical about government sources and their motives, but kept their doubts to themselves for professional, social, and ideological reasons. The alliance and rivalries among these reporters constituted a world of debts and shared memories of harrowing wartime experiences, shared frustrations with government censorship and information programs, shared antagonisms, and shared mentors. McGarr ventures into the back hallways and private clubs of the 1940s and 1950s to show how white male reporters suppressed their skepticism to build one of the most powerful and enduring constructed realities in recent US history—the Washington Cold War consensus. Though by the 1960s, this set of reporters was seen as unduly complicit with the government—failing to openly critique the decisions and worldviews that led to disasters like the Vietnam War—McGarr shows how self-aware these reporters were as they negotiated for access, prominence, and, yes, the truth—even as they denied those things to their readers.
Americans’ current trust in journalists is at a dismayingly low ebb, particularly on the subject of national and international politics. For some, it might be tempting to look back to the mid-twentieth century, when the nation’s press corps was a seemingly venerable and monolithic institution that conveyed the official line from Washington with nary a glint of anti-patriotic cynicism. As Kathryn McGarr’s City of Newsmen shows, however, the real story of what Cold War–era journalists did and how they did it wasn’t exactly the one you’d find in the morning papers.
City of Newsmen explores foreign policy journalism in Washington during and after World War II—a time supposedly defined by the press’s blind patriotism and groupthink. McGarr reveals, though, that DC reporters then were deeply cynical about government sources and their motives, but kept their doubts to themselves for professional, social, and ideological reasons. The alliance and rivalries among these reporters constituted a world of debts and shared memories of harrowing wartime experiences, shared frustrations with government censorship and information programs, shared antagonisms, and shared mentors. McGarr ventures into the back hallways and private clubs of the 1940s and 1950s to show how white male reporters suppressed their skepticism to build one of the most powerful and enduring constructed realities in recent US history—the Washington Cold War consensus. Though by the 1960s, this set of reporters was seen as unduly complicit with the government—failing to openly critique the decisions and worldviews that led to disasters like the Vietnam War—McGarr shows how self-aware these reporters were as they negotiated for access, prominence, and, yes, the truth—even as they denied those things to their readers.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published November 15, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 4, 2025
This book offers some good insights into how the Washington press corps handled its news gathering and reporting responsibilities vis-à-vis the government and the public during World War II and the Cold War. McGarr seems to have done exhaustive research into the "hidden" history of press-government relations, and her arguments rely in large part on reporters' private memos and correspondence. It's quite interesting, but after a while, the numerous quotes from these sources bog the narrative down and, for me at least, made the book slow going.
In addition, McGarr is no doubt correct that the apparent consensus of reporting during this period stems in large part from the fact that the reporters were almost exclusively white males who had privileged behind-the-scenes access to power. But I sometimes felt that this was a particular ax she had to grind, and the result is an overemphasis at the expense of her main thesis.
In addition, McGarr is no doubt correct that the apparent consensus of reporting during this period stems in large part from the fact that the reporters were almost exclusively white males who had privileged behind-the-scenes access to power. But I sometimes felt that this was a particular ax she had to grind, and the result is an overemphasis at the expense of her main thesis.
March 24, 2025
The first words: “On January 7, 1954, just from a diplomatic trip around the world Vice President Nixon conferred with a new trusted reported from mainstream outlets. (p. 1) The book gives us of what happened in the time after WW2. And Nixon—as well of others—while be in the book.
And then page our writer had a good one: “Still, this period before Vietnam and Watergate is believed to be unique in the annals of press history…” (12)
This book gives us “unusual” have some pages that take us back to 200+ years. And the book shows how women were doing things for our country in many kinds of war.
And there is some things on Dwight Eisenhower. The end of the book goes to the 1950’s. What I learned is that there were many things to women did work in those days.
And then page our writer had a good one: “Still, this period before Vietnam and Watergate is believed to be unique in the annals of press history…” (12)
This book gives us “unusual” have some pages that take us back to 200+ years. And the book shows how women were doing things for our country in many kinds of war.
And there is some things on Dwight Eisenhower. The end of the book goes to the 1950’s. What I learned is that there were many things to women did work in those days.
September 23, 2023
I really wanted to like this more. The subject is very interesting. However, the details and names were hard to keep track of. I have read other books about this time period that were better written.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews