Another very interesting account, Hugh. Reading “Vietnam..A Reporter’s War” would be one of the greatest and most informative accounts of the Vietnam War a person could read. The taking of Saigon was so very tragic and moving.
This account of your experience in “4-Day Truce” with a pseudo reporter was quite amusing despite the tragedy around it. Well done!
Thanks Blake, the reason I wrote the story about my mistake was because it was amusing -- at least many years later. I was glad you liked my Vietnam book. Amazingly enough -- I wrote it in 1968; it didn't find a publisher until 1985; but it is still in print today!
I cannot believe you were tricked so easily , Hugh. It was a case where for want of a bowl of rice a scoop was lost. As Jim would say " you bastard boy, Lunn"
As foreigners in Vietnam, western journalists would always have been at some disadvantage, no matter how well connected they were with the local Vietnamese people and officials. And in a time of war all is not as it seems. That AP 'stringer' journalist must have been very convincing as a 'press secretary' of Premier KY. Your clever questioning did get the key scoop story of the truce out the Premier so well done Hugh!
Incrementally I'd say. I think it was when we got fewer and fewer media owners -- and they both searched hard for an audience and gave them what they wanted.
As I was reading your story … I was thinking … No no no don’t spill the beans Hugh! I love the way your story takes me on a journey … Ah … the beguiling nature of rational thought … seemed so plausible spilling the scoop to the official press secretary. Thank you … never stop writing
Thanks Kathleen, I'm nearly 83 now so it looks like I will never stop writing.
It's readers like you who keep me going -- people who care whether I tell the bloke my scoop or not! I think that's the secret to writing non-fiction -- the reader has to care what happens to the writer. And there's much more to worry about with someone like me!
The details of your story are most enlightening...the way leaders were so much more available to reporters, the way your head office in London retracted your story on that place captured by nth Vietnamese because no one else was corroborating it. I cannot imagine anyone bothering to correct a story these days. D'you think bosses took more care in that era?
Yes, news organisations back in my day were desperate not to make a mistake or mis-inform readers! Now it just matters if the story is from a rightwing point of view or from the left! That's how the stories are judged. We might as well split the country in half like they did in Vietnam -- capitalists to the south/communists to the north (or vice versa). Newspapers had scores of experiences old sub-editors who carefully read each story before it was printed. At Reuter in London if they thought a story was wrong, they would put out a story called "HOLD HOLD HOLD" which rang bells on Telex machines around the world -- and if they decided it was wrong they would put out "KILL KILL KILL" with bells and tell papers, TV and radio to kill the story and not use it.
HUGH and HELEN ... WE are so happy that you survived Vietnam ... and returned to Brisbane .. and decided to team up with Adrian McGregor to play Tennis for UQ ... many of your readers would learn and enjoy your challenges that you both faced as you climbed the ladder of winning ...
Thanks for that. I have so many different ones to write -- and I don't want to write the same thing over-and-over-and-over again like most newspaper columnists. So I try to be unpredictable.
Another very interesting account, Hugh. Reading “Vietnam..A Reporter’s War” would be one of the greatest and most informative accounts of the Vietnam War a person could read. The taking of Saigon was so very tragic and moving.
This account of your experience in “4-Day Truce” with a pseudo reporter was quite amusing despite the tragedy around it. Well done!
Thanks Blake, the reason I wrote the story about my mistake was because it was amusing -- at least many years later. I was glad you liked my Vietnam book. Amazingly enough -- I wrote it in 1968; it didn't find a publisher until 1985; but it is still in print today!
I cannot believe you were tricked so easily , Hugh. It was a case where for want of a bowl of rice a scoop was lost. As Jim would say " you bastard boy, Lunn"
Yes Jim, I was to trusting --but I learned my lesson: and made a story out of it 55 years later!
As foreigners in Vietnam, western journalists would always have been at some disadvantage, no matter how well connected they were with the local Vietnamese people and officials. And in a time of war all is not as it seems. That AP 'stringer' journalist must have been very convincing as a 'press secretary' of Premier KY. Your clever questioning did get the key scoop story of the truce out the Premier so well done Hugh!
I'm pleased you understood my difficult situation Peter. Very often in Vietnam "all was not as it seemed".
Great story. And so relevant today. The more things change....
Yes John, that's why I like writing about the past ... you can see where we make the same mistakes, or even go backwards.
But how did this happen? Slowly, incrementally like propaganda? Or did it appear suddenly? Who started it?
Incrementally I'd say. I think it was when we got fewer and fewer media owners -- and they both searched hard for an audience and gave them what they wanted.
As I was reading your story … I was thinking … No no no don’t spill the beans Hugh! I love the way your story takes me on a journey … Ah … the beguiling nature of rational thought … seemed so plausible spilling the scoop to the official press secretary. Thank you … never stop writing
Thanks Kathleen, I'm nearly 83 now so it looks like I will never stop writing.
It's readers like you who keep me going -- people who care whether I tell the bloke my scoop or not! I think that's the secret to writing non-fiction -- the reader has to care what happens to the writer. And there's much more to worry about with someone like me!
The details of your story are most enlightening...the way leaders were so much more available to reporters, the way your head office in London retracted your story on that place captured by nth Vietnamese because no one else was corroborating it. I cannot imagine anyone bothering to correct a story these days. D'you think bosses took more care in that era?
Yes, news organisations back in my day were desperate not to make a mistake or mis-inform readers! Now it just matters if the story is from a rightwing point of view or from the left! That's how the stories are judged. We might as well split the country in half like they did in Vietnam -- capitalists to the south/communists to the north (or vice versa). Newspapers had scores of experiences old sub-editors who carefully read each story before it was printed. At Reuter in London if they thought a story was wrong, they would put out a story called "HOLD HOLD HOLD" which rang bells on Telex machines around the world -- and if they decided it was wrong they would put out "KILL KILL KILL" with bells and tell papers, TV and radio to kill the story and not use it.
Now the politics is the message!
Superb story Hugh ..always fascinating, and the experiences that you have had never cease to amze me..great stuff .. Cheers, Bob.
You keep me going Bob -- I have hundreds of such stories to write before I'm no longer around. And I'll keep doing it only if people want them.
I remember reading about the Tet offensive, when I was a high school student at Murwillumbah.
Fascinating stuff, Hugh, as always.
Thanks Steve, coming from an old-school journalist such as yourself, your comment was REALLY appreciated. Hugh
HUGH and HELEN ... WE are so happy that you survived Vietnam ... and returned to Brisbane .. and decided to team up with Adrian McGregor to play Tennis for UQ ... many of your readers would learn and enjoy your challenges that you both faced as you climbed the ladder of winning ...
Thanks for that. I have so many different ones to write -- and I don't want to write the same thing over-and-over-and-over again like most newspaper columnists. So I try to be unpredictable.
But I will write your request next year!