[Image: Chris Hedges interviews Sy Hersh in 2016 (see sources).]
Published 2023-02-27
The Art of Interviewing
At the top of Sources below is the latest interview with Hersh, by Scott Horton, on the Nord Stream sabotage by the USA. That is the entire "news" of this article.
Having reviewed the last 5 Hersh interviews which are included in the extended article on his report, I began to understand that some people know how to interview him and some do not. One of Hersh's peculiarities is that he is not a linear or deductive thinker. His mind works inductively and synthetically. Its all about the connections between things. As he speaks, it can be difficult to understand the connections he is making unless you give him free rein and concentrate.
The five interviews are by, from worst to best, Rattansi (GoingUndergroundTV), Ames (Radio War Nerd), Goodman and González (DemocracyNow), (and now we're in 'good' territory) Lauria (Consortium News) and Horton (Scott Horton Show).
The problem that the first three have is that they are trying to guide Hersh to provide specific types of responses to queries they have about the article, or in Radio War Nerd's case, completely ignoring the article for the most part. The advantage that Lauria and Horton have is that they know the man. Lauria is also a reporter, which helps.
But, it is Horton who shines. Hersh is a bit like a wind up toy. You set the frame, which points him in the right direction, and then to wind him up you ask an open question in that direction, and press the button. Then you shut up for a long time and let his mind do its thing. This can be difficult for a listener, but any other approach gives less. Listening to Hersh is actually a skill. One has to concentrate. The reward is well worth it.
The funny bit is that Horton actually acknowledges this mid-interview [00:27:06].
For comparison, I provide Chris Hedges interviewing Hersh at the New York Public Library from 2016. The topics are different, though Hedges uses the same method for he also knows Hersh well.
Its just how it is.
Sources
How and Why America Blew Up Nord Stream, Scott Horton interviews Seymour Hersh on his Nord Steam article, Scott Horton Show, 2023-02-26
Seymour Hersh | Chris Hedges, LIVE from the NYPL, New York Public Library, 2016-05-03
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