Aug 06, 2018 gary webb, the pulitzer prizewinning reporter who broke the story of the cias involvement in the importation of cocaine into the u. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion, the inherent racism in a covert policy that reaped so much destruction on such a vulnerable segment of society. Eighteen years after it was published, dark alliance, the san jose mercury. His investigative series dark alliance alleged that the cia turned a blind eye to the cocaine trafficking of the contra army it had created and supported. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion by webb, gary seller ground zero books, ltd. This is why webb s dark alliance series is an essential source, a primary text that every journalism student should study. Gary webb on the cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion, audio interviews 19971998 with gary webb from democracy now. In 1998, cia inspector general frederick hitz substantiated webbs charges in two reports. The book has flaws, but webb deserves credit for pursuing an important piece of recent history and forcing the. Titled dark alliance, the headline ran beneath the. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Gary webb pushed his investigation even further in his book, dark alliance. The dark alliance gary webbs incendiary 1996 sj mercury news expose aug 22, 1996 cocaine pipeline financed rebels evidence points to cia knowing of highvolume drug network by gary webb san jose mercury news for the better part of a decade, a san francisco bay area drug ring sold tons of cocaine to the crips and.
Sep 25, 2014 he reflected on his fall from grace in the 2002 book, into the buzzsaw. Ceppos was given the 1997 society of professional journalists national ethics in journalism award for the editorial. Jan 24, 2015 webb resigned from the paper and later wrote one of the first articles about driving while black for esquire magazine. His book serves as both a complex memoir of the time of the contras and an indictment of the current state of americas press. In 1996, journalist gary webb began looking into links between.
Published 1999 condition very good edition first paperbk edition. Tjames madisonthis text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Dark alliance won the 1999 firecracker alternative book award in the politics category, and was a finalist for the pennewmans own first amendment award. Dark alliance and over 2 million other books are available for amazon kindle. Jeremy renner plays gary webb in kill the messenger. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new.
Webb, meanwhile, continued researching and reporting on his own, and published his work in the 1999 book dark alliance. How the cias crackcocaine controversy destroyed journalist gary webb, will be published in october. Prior to dark alliance, webb said, i was winning awards, getting raises, lecturing college classes, appearing on tv. Unlike other books that purport to tell the inside story of americas most futile war kings of cocaine by guy gugliotta and jeff leen and desperados by elaine. The dark alliance gary webb s incendiary 1996 sj mercury news expose aug 22, 1996 cocaine pipeline financed rebels evidence points to cia knowing of highvolume drug network by gary webb san jose mercury news for the better part of a decade, a san francisco bay area drug ring sold tons of cocaine to the crips and. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion is a 1998 book by journalist gary webb. Webb had anonymous sources he eventually named one in a later book who had been involved in the nicaraguan drug ring to back his allegations up. The cia, the contras and the crack cocaine explosion by gary webb isbn. When the story first appeared in 1996 on the website of the san jose mercury news, it became an unprecedented internet sensation, receiving up to 1. Oct 01, 2014 gary webb pushed his investigation even further in his book, dark alliance. In 2014 webbs story was adapted into the major motion picture kill the messenger. In his book a twilight struggle, robert kagan, one of the architects of latin.
He was one of six reporters at the san jose mercury news to win a 1990 pulitzer prize for general news reporting for a series of stories on the collapse of the cypress street viaduct during northern californias 1989 earthquake. Gary webbs dark alliance webbs dark alliance consisted of a group of rebels trying to overthrow the socialist government of nicaragua. This is why webbs dark alliance series is an essential source, a primary text that every journalism student should study. He discussed his book, headline news and responded to audience telephone calls, faxes, and.
Oct 24, 2014 gary webb sums up the story in his last major interview just days before his death. These contras were funded by a southern california drug ring and backed by the cia. Gary stephen webb was an investigative reporter, focusing on government and private sector corruption and winning more than 30 journalism awards. The book is based on dark alliance, webbs threepart investigative series published in the san jose mercury news in august 1996. He reflected on his fall from grace in the 2002 book, into the buzzsaw. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion. He wrote, adark alliance does not propound a conspiracy theory. He discussed his book, headline news and responded to audience. In july 1995, san jose mercurynews reporter gary webb found the big. The cia, the contras, and the cocaine explosion webb, gary. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion, complete with extensive source citations.
How the cia watched over the destruction of gary webb. In the dark alliance, drawing from the newly declassified documents, undercover dea drug enforcement administration audio and videotapes that had never been publicly released, federal court testimony, and interviews, webb demonstrates how us government knowingly allowed massive amounts of drugs and money to change hands at the expense of communities. The cia, the contras, and the cocaine explosion webb, gary, waters, maxine on. Gary webb, author of the book dark alliance about the alleged cia involvment in the drug trade is shown in this undated publicity photograph. Gary webb gary webb exposed, in his dark alliance series, how cialed nicaraguan rebels brought cocaine to poor l. The cia, the contras, and the cocaine explosion by gary webb in doc, rtf, txt download e book. Mar 21, 2015 the cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb. Yet webb became unemployable for telling the truth. Several of webb s critics were merely acting as gatekeepers. Gary webb is the former san jose mercury news reporter whose 1996 dark alliance series on the socalled ciacrack cocaine connection created a firestorm of controversy and led to his resignation from the paper amid escalating attacks on his work by the mainstream media. Dark alliance is as necessary and valuable as it is horrifying and grim.
Oct 17, 2014 these are the words of nick schou, the oc weekly editor who wrote the book that serves as the basis, with webbs book, for the movie. Gary webb, the pulitzer prizewinning reporter who broke the story of the cias involvement in the importation of cocaine into the u. In 1999, seven stories press published webbs dark alliance. Webbs bold, controversial reporting was the target of a famously vicious media backlash that.
All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. Author and investigative journalist nick schou published numerous. The tragedy of gary webb by dan simon originally published in the progressive on july 27, 20 i began working as gary webbs editor on dark alliance, the book, in july 1997, almost a year after his newspaper series of the same name broke so controversially in the san jose mercury news. An awardwinning investigative reporter, gary webb 19552004 is best known for his dark alliance series that linked a northern california drug ring with the cia and the united states burgeoning crack epidemic. Gary webb was born on august 31, 1955 in corona, california, usa as gary stephen webb. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb telegraph. Gary webb was no journalism hero, despite what kill the. Gary webb faced a storm of criticism for his threepart series, dark alliance, in the san jose mercury newspaper. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb. Tribute to dark alliance and journalist gary webb, transcripts of a 1997 webb speech and interview from san francisco bay area independent media center. Major motion picture based on dark alliance and starring jeremy renner, kill the messenger, to be be released in fall 2014 in august 1996, pulitzer prizewinning journalist gary webb stunned the world with a series of articles in the san jose mercury news reporting the results of his yearlong investigation into the roots of the crack cocaine epidemic in america. Dark alliance by gary webb penguin books australia. He then resigned and pushed his investigation even further in his book, dark alliance. Dark alliance by gary webb overdrive rakuten overdrive.
Actor jeremy renner stars as investigative journalist gary webb in the. Saint gary webb by charlie hardy, february 10, 2005. Crack in the system premiering on al jazeera america in early 2015. Jerry ceppos and the burning memory of gary webb by luis a. He also published the book dark alliance seven stories press, 1999. Dark alliance and millions of other books are available for instant access. Webb never made that claim a though he noted in his book, dark alliance. The book is based on dark alliance, webb s threepart investigative series published in the san jose mercury news in august 1996. Drawing from then newly declassified documents, undercover dea audio and videotapes that had never been publicly released, federal court testimony, and interviews, webb demonstrates how our government knowingly. Webb resigned from the paper and later wrote one of the first articles about driving while black for esquire magazine. Gary webb sums up the story in his last major interview just days before his death.
As recently as one year earlier gary webb had been one. These are the words of nick schou, the oc weekly editor who wrote the book that serves as the basis, with webbs book, for the movie. Gary webb 19552004 back dope inc authentic journalism is telling people something that the government doesnt want them to know. There is more than one author in the goodreads database with this name. The original series claimed that, in order to help raise funds for efforts against the nicaraguan sandinista national liberation front sandinista government. Eighteen years after it was published, dark alliance, the san jose mercury newss. This is a masterpiece of reportage whose tale of cia wrongdoing. The life and times of gary webb by george sanchez, january 25, 2005. The cia, the contras and the crack cocaine explosion from seven stories. If adding books to this author, please use garywebb.
Kill the messenger is based on webbs 1998 book, dark alliance, in which he attempted to rebuild his ruined reputation, as well as my 2004 biography of webb, kill the messenger, which shares the. Pulitzer prizewinning journalist gary webb stunned the world with a series of articles in the san jose mercury news reporting the results of his year. The cia, the if adding books to this author, please use garywebb. Kill the messenger recalls a reporter wrongly disgraced. Sep 26, 20 in 1999, seven stories press published webbs dark alliance. He was a writer, known for kill the messenger 2014, filming in georgia 2015 and crack in america 2015. Dark alliance was a series written by californiabased reporter webb and. In 1996, pulitzer prizewinning journalist gary webb 19552004 wrote a shocking series of articles for the san jose mercury news exposing the cias link to nicaraguan cocaine smuggled into the us by the contras, which had fueled the widespread crack epidemic that swept through urban areas. Gary webb was an investigative reporter, focusing on government and private sector corruption and winning more than 30 journalism awards. Meanwhile the reagan government waged a strident, hypocritical war against drugs.
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