Events to Discuss Why Press and Government Clash

By University Communications October 26, 2007

A number of events on the UA campus will explore the rights of both the press and the government during times of turmoil.

A free press clashing with government secrecy during a time of national and international turmoil has long been a contentious topic.

It happened during the Nixon administration – and even prior to that – and it is happening now.

“This is such a current issue in today’s world,” said Benita Silvyn, who heads up community outreach efforts at UApresents. “We’re looking at issues of national security, what the public needs to know, what the press should be telling us and trying to make sure we’re not jeopardizing security.”

Those issues will be explored through a number of public events.

One event is a live radio play all about the “Pentagon Papers," the term used to refer to a one-time top secret document that looked into government acts during the Vietnam War.

Much of the 7,000-page document was leaked to The New York Times in 1971. The reporters went on to win a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting in what is considered one of the most historically significant examples of the freedom of the press.

“It really gets you because your focus is on what’s happening,” Silvyn said about the performance. “They’re the same issues we’re embroiled in today.”

Here is a list of events:

  • Nov. 5: A panel discussion titled “The Press and Government Secrecy” will begin at 5 p.m. at the UA’s Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Building in Room S212. The event is free and open to the public.
  • Nov. 6: State Bar of Arizona President Dan McAuliffe will speak about his days as a young Justice Department attorney who prepared for the Pentagon Papers trial, which was held during the early 1970s. The free event will be held at noon in Room 140 of the James E. Rogers College of Law, 1201 E. Speedway Blvd.
  • Nov. 6: “Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers” will be held at Centennial Hall at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the live radio play are $10 for students and $20 for the general public. A question and answer session will follow the performance. For information, call 520-621-3341.

The whole point of having these events is to “create relevant educational and contextual experience for both the campus and Tucson communities,” Silvyn said. “We also want to enrich the student learning experience. This is a learning vehicle.”