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The Whistleblower: Truth, Dissent, and the Legacy of Daniel Ellsberg

The Whistleblower: Truth, Dissent, and the Legacy of Daniel Ellsberg

Tone
Story-forward, Personal
Format
Documentary
Average duration
30–45 min

At the height of the Vietnam War, a government insider named Daniel Ellsberg leaked 7,000 pages of classified documents to American newspapers. The Pentagon Papers revealed that Americans had been lied to for decades about the war. Fifty years later, Ellsberg reveals his evolution from Cold Warrior to Whistleblower in this five-part podcast series from GBH's GroundTruth podcast.

Hosted by:
Charlie Sennett
Produced by:
WGBH
Years released:
2021
Apple Podcasts Spotify Website

Episodes

  • The Lying Machine

    April 15, 2021E153 min
    whistleblowersDaniel Ellsberg

    Ellsberg’s first day at the Pentagon, the day he became acquainted with what he came to call the “lying machine,” was August 4, 1964. Contradicting accounts of an attack in The Gulf of Tonkin would give President Johnson the green light to lead the country into war in Vietnam based on a lie. In the field in Vietnam, Ellsberg saw how the lies on the ground made their way back to Washington. Back home, his very first leak to The New York Times reporter Neil Sheehan helped to end a presidency.

    Guests:
    Daniel Ellsberg
    Website
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    See how this episode intersects with other people, places, and themes in American history.
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