Trust but Verify: Myths and Misinformation in the History of Women War Correspondents

TitleTrust but Verify: Myths and Misinformation in the History of Women War Correspondents
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2019
AuthorsEdy, Carolyn
JournalAmerican Journalism
Volume36
Issue2
Pagination242-251
Abstract

"Journalists, historians, and other researchers know the value of primary sources, as well as the importance of treating any source with skepticism. We all know, too well, the saying "If your mother says she loves you, check it out." But what if your mother is a journalist, or even a historian? The short answer is you approach her statements the same way. And yet I have found that historians, at least when they are describing the history of female journalists in times of war, have not always treated their sources equally; that is, they have not always taken the same critical, investigative approach when their source also happened to be a journalist, historian or military official. Often historians have had justifiable reasons for taking a more trusting or biased approach to their sources or source material, but in the case of the history of female war correspondents, this approach nonetheless has led to misinformation and myths that historians and so many others continue to perpetuate. My intent is not to diminish anyone's contributions; instead, I hope to correct and expand the record while also starting a conversation that could lead historians to explore similar problems within other foundational texts, which could in turn reveal countless new areas of research." [From the Author]

URLhttps://doi.org/10.1080/08821127.2019.1602420
Entry by GWC Assistants / Work by GWC Assistants : 
HR

Type of Literature:

Time Period:

Countries: