He exposed My Lai and Abu Ghraib. Now ‘Cover-Up’ turns the lens on Seymour Hersh

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For over fifty years, Seymour Hersh has been known for fearlessly questioning those in positions of power.

A fearless investigative reporter, he famously revealed the My Lai massacre, where U.S. troops killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians, including children. He also exposed secret actions by the Nixon administration – the bombing of Cambodia and illegal wiretapping during the Watergate scandal – and uncovered CIA programs involving domestic spying and controversial experiments. Later, he brought the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib to public attention. His reporting often sparked controversy and fear among those in power, from presidents to military leaders, and editors knew his stories would likely cause a significant reaction.

Despite his dedication to uncovering hidden information, Hersh has always preferred to stay out of the spotlight. Throughout his career, he’s prioritized protecting his sources and their privacy, and he doesn’t welcome personal attention. Even at 88, he remains an active and insightful journalist – still keenly observant, questioning, and reluctant to be the one being interviewed.

He emphasizes that he doesn’t try to understand the motivations of the people he writes about, speaking from his home in Washington, D.C. He also asks that readers not attempt to analyze his own motivations.

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As a film lover, I’ve always been struck by Laura Poitras’ work. She has this incredible ability to dig into stories about secrets and people who stand up to power. Most people probably know her from “Citizenfour,” the Oscar-winning documentary about Edward Snowden and the NSA leaks – it was a truly gripping film. But her latest, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” is just as powerful. It follows artist Nan Goldin’s fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the opioid crisis, and it’s incredibly moving. What’s fascinating is that Poitras isn’t just a filmmaker documenting these issues; she’s lived the risks firsthand. Because of her reporting in Iraq, she ended up on a U.S. watch list years ago, and she’s been repeatedly detained at the border. She really puts herself on the line for her work, and it shows in the raw honesty of her films.

When Hersh finally agreed to let Poitras turn her camera on him, it didn’t come easily.

He says she really dug deep, wanting to understand not just his actions, but his motivations and emotions behind them. He describes a quiet, underlying tension throughout their interactions, but admits she skillfully navigated it. She managed to get him to open up on camera about things he never thought he would discuss, and he readily acknowledges she’s simply more insightful than he is.

“Cover-Up” isn’t a celebratory biography. Instead, it’s a hard-hitting look at how the U.S. government conceals its mistakes, and the journalist who has dedicated his career to uncovering them. The film uses around 7,000 archived items – including handwritten notes, letters, official documents, photos, and interviews, carefully collected by producer and archivist Olivia Streisand – to explore five decades of reporting and the evidence it revealed.

Poitras transforms the raw material of her subject’s life into a broader examination of a recurring pattern: the revealing of wrongdoing, followed by attempts to downplay or blame others, all without anyone truly being held responsible.

Laura Poitras, 61, explains that she knew from when she first connected with Sy in 2005 that he would be a compelling subject for a film. She saw his personal story as a way to explore larger societal issues. ‘The film is about Sy, but it’s also about what’s happening in the country,’ she says. ‘I create films that challenge conventional narratives, and Sy does too – we’re aligned in that way. I focus on people living through important times who are trying to create change – people like Sy, Nan Goldin, Julian Assange, and Edward Snowden – individuals who question and don’t accept things as they are.’

The release of “Cover-Up” comes at a difficult time for journalism. Former President Trump repeatedly attacked the press, filing lawsuits against major news organizations like ABC and The New York Times, and often dismissed accurate reporting as false information. This has led news organizations, worried about legal battles and losing access, to change how they operate just as the industry faces financial difficulties and job losses. The increasing use of artificial intelligence adds another layer of complexity, as it’s now easier than ever to create fake images, documents, and audio that can be used to mislead people.

Against that backdrop, “Cover-Up” feels less like history than a warning about the present.

As a long-time follower of investigative journalism, I’ve been really struck by what Seymour Hersh is reporting lately. He’s working independently now, publishing through Substack, and he’s raising some serious concerns. Basically, he’s saying the Trump administration might be gearing up to use federal troops and immigration agents in cities led by Democrats – almost like a practice run, he thinks, for potentially messing with the next election. He claims a source inside the White House has told him they’re already planning this stuff, and honestly, it’s pretty alarming.

Hersh believes the current situation is a significant threat to the Constitution. Unlike the January 6th attack, this new effort is more carefully planned and doesn’t depend on the actions of a single individual like the vice president. He’s unsure if this will result in the Constitution being completely dismantled or simply manipulated for their purposes, but stresses the seriousness of the moment. He feels this new film resonates because it highlights other critical times in history when strong journalism was essential.

The film shows us how Hersh works, revealing his messy notes filled with abbreviations, his contact lists, and the persistent effort he puts into getting people to share their stories.

Poitras explains they aimed to illustrate the process of building a story. The My Lai story started with a single, anonymous lead, and Sy Hersh relentlessly investigated to uncover the truth. He could have focused solely on Lt. Calley, the soldier convicted in the massacre, but Hersh was driven to understand the larger context – how such a tragedy could occur, how soldiers committed such acts, and what failures happened within the military’s leadership. That dedication to uncovering the full story is characteristic of his work.

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Hersh’s persistent pursuit of stories often frustrated the publications that worked with him, even though they valued his dedication. He describes it as presenting editors with a difficult, potentially messy story – one that would be costly, time-consuming, and likely lead to legal challenges – but insisting it was worth pursuing, all delivered with a dry wit.

Hersh has always been an independent worker, even when employed by major news organizations. He doesn’t like following rules or seeking approval, and instead prefers to investigate stories on his own and let the facts lead him where they may.

According to filmmaker Laura Poitras, a key message of the film is the need to question those in power, whether it’s the government or your workplace. She highlights how Seymour Hersh, while working for the New York Times, investigated the newspaper’s own financial records with Jeff Gerth. This demonstrates his commitment to independent reporting, even from within an institution. Hersh prefers to find information through his own research, believing that official briefings are often misleading.

Seymour Hersh was raised on Chicago’s South Side by Jewish parents who immigrated to the US and owned a dry-cleaning business. He began his journalism career somewhat unexpectedly after leaving law school at the University of Chicago, starting as a copyboy at the City News Bureau where he quickly learned the ropes by responding to police reports around the city.

Seymour Hersh began his career with the Associated Press, where he uncovered a secret Pentagon program involving chemical and biological weapons. His reporting revealed that a 1968 Army test in Utah had killed over 6,000 sheep. After a disagreement with his editors, he left the AP and became a freelance journalist. Working for Dispatch News Service, he famously broke the story of the My Lai massacre, exposing the killing and sexual assault of Vietnamese civilians by American soldiers. This reporting dramatically changed public perception of the Vietnam War and earned him the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting – a first for a freelancer in that category.

He became known for breaking significant stories, including over 40 front-page articles about Watergate for the New York Times, one of which detailed secret payments made to the burglars. He also exposed the CIA’s illegal domestic spying operation, called Operation CHAOS, which led to important investigations by the Church Committee. Later, while at The New Yorker, he revealed the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib.

The documentary “Cover-Up” also explores what motivates Hersh, looking back at his upbringing: the quietness within his immigrant family, the loss of his father during his teenage years, and a supportive teacher who encouraged him to pursue writing instead of joining the family laundry business. Hersh himself admits, “It was a real stroke of luck that I became a journalist.”

During a particularly stressful moment, Hersh expressed concern to Poitras that she knew too much about his confidential sources and suggested he stop participating in the film. He told her, “You know too much about what I’m doing,” but ultimately decided to continue working on it.

As soon as he agreed to participate, he was all in, completely committed. But those initial filming sessions were tough, especially when we started looking at his personal notebooks. He was clearly worried – understandably so, given how protective he is of the people he reports on and his own family. I really understood that, but I knew a truly honest film needed him to open up about what genuinely drives him.

The film highlights the emotional impact of his work and the strong relationship that has supported him throughout his career. Hersh remembers how his wife, Elizabeth – a psychoanalyst and his partner of over 60 years – helped him cope with the horrific details he uncovered during the investigation into the My Lai massacre. He recounts hearing accounts of soldiers harming young children, and how, as a father to a toddler himself, Elizabeth was crucial in preventing him from being overwhelmed by despair. He credits marrying someone who could ground him and keep him from falling into complete hopelessness.

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The documentary “Cover-Up” doesn’t ignore mistakes made by journalist Seymour Hersh. It examines two particularly controversial parts of his career: his involvement with fake documents claiming an affair between President Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe – which he recognized as forgeries before publishing his book “The Dark Side of Camelot” in 1997 – and his later reports questioning whether the Assad government was responsible for chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Because Hersh was known for his thoroughness and accuracy, these errors had a significant impact.

He explained that everyone makes mistakes in their career – it’s inevitable. He admired that Laura wasn’t afraid to address those failures, and he welcomes feedback when he messes up, even if it feels harsh. He believes this open communication with colleagues is a healthy and effective way to improve and is how things should work.

The film finally acknowledges Camille Lo Sapio, a key source for journalist Seymour Hersh, who provided crucial photos of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib. For twenty years, Lo Sapio kept her involvement secret, even from her husband, due to fears of reprisal. Her photos, along with those initially shared by Army Specialist Joseph Darby, were instrumental in prompting the Pentagon’s Taguba Report, which verified the widespread abuse of prisoners by U.S. troops.

Poitras explains it took great bravery for the woman to come forward. She’d been deeply disturbed by the photos for nearly twenty years, but kept it hidden. She finally revealed the reason for the camera installation to her husband, and both she and Joseph Darby faced significant danger by doing so.

Even at nearly 90 years old, Seymour Hersh is still working as a journalist. The film shows him speaking with a source who recently returned from Gaza, hearing claims that civilians – including children – were deliberately targeted. He continues to investigate these claims, questioning official accounts as he always has.

Seymour Hersh believes the media coverage of the recent Israel agreement was exaggerated. He states that Prime Minister Netanyahu remains determined to eliminate Hamas, regardless of the impact on Gazan civilians, and sees no hope for Palestinians in Gaza. According to Hersh, the only positive outcome of the agreement was the release of Israeli hostages, and the overall situation will likely remain dire.

His honesty hasn’t come without consequences. While his work has been highly acclaimed – earning him a Pulitzer Prize, five George Polk Awards, and two National Magazine Awards – it’s also consistently drawn criticism from presidential administrations, organizations, and even fellow journalists. He recalls that other newspaper professionals were particularly harsh, admitting it wasn’t simple envy, but rather a frustrated reaction like, ‘Enough of this troublemaker. Why is he here?’

Despite everything, he remains deeply committed to his work. He admits he can’t fully explain why, saying simply that he finds it incredibly enjoyable. He believes there are dedicated people within government agencies – the CIA, State Department, and White House – who share his respect for the Constitution and are willing to share information with him, though he’s always cautious in these conversations because he values the integrity of the system.

Hersh believes true faith lies not in those who hold power, but in those who hold them accountable. He expresses a deep admiration for journalists, viewing them as allies in the fight against bureaucratic obstacles and consistently finding them to be the most fascinating individuals he knows.

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2025-10-22 13:35