Among the women who have made a difference in the world, New Yorker journalist Jane Mayer is one of the top. Her lecture this Thursday, April 22, is not to be missed. Entitled The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals, Mayer will use the research from her best selling book to discuss the politics behind policy making.
Mayer’s work in journalism began as a student, when she was a freelance journalist for Time Magazine and later as a reporter for the Washington Star. She graduated with honors from Yale University in 1977, before studying history at Oxford University. After reporting for an impressive twelve years at the Wall Street Journal as the Journal’s first female White House correspondent. Mayer joined The New Yorker in 1995, where she is still reports. Mayer has been a recipient for numerous honors and awards, including the Ridenhour Book Prize, the John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism and the Edward Weintal Prize from Georgetown University. She has also been a finalist twice for both the National Magazine Award and nominee for the Pulitzer Prize. Mayer is also a co-author for two other bestselling books: Strange Justice in 1994 and The Landslide: The Unmaking of the President 1984-1999.
The planning of the lecture began when James Harold, director of the Weissman Center, asked that politics professor Chris Pyle, speak about torture and his latest book. “I said that the person Mount Holyoke students should really hear from is Jane Mayer, who does investigative reporting for the New Yorker and wrote The Dark Side — a book about how the Bush administration came to kidnap and torture people with impunity,” said Pyle.
Members of the Mount Holyoke community are excited to be able to meet such a prestigious journalist. “It is a great opportunity,” said Catherine Manegold, professor of English and journalism. “Jane Mayer is one of the finest journalists working today.”
The lecture will provide students with the opportunity to hear from a well-known journalist, and gain insight on American politics and international affairs. “I expect, given the nature of her work and the extent and direction of her passions, that Mayer will be a provocative speaker,” said Manegold. “Her understanding of American military techniques and of the international conflicts we are presently involved in is extensive and she is not the sort of person to swallow conventional wisdom. She should leave everybody with something to think about — and that’s why we’re all here.”
Pyle asserts that students will benefit from the lecture: “For students interested in journalism, or in making a difference through research and writing, or telling truth to power, I can’t think of a better role model,” said Pyle.
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