Daniel Okrent, a distinguished author and the first Public Editor of The New York Times, joins to discuss the end of Prohibition. He delves into the unexpected lack of public support for this constitutional ban and the contradictory enforcement tactics employed. The conversation highlights the rise of organized crime and the iconic Walgreens during this era. Okrent also shares insights into the evolution of journalism, emphasizing the need for critical thinking about media biases. They both look ahead to the vibrant cultural developments of the Roaring Twenties.
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insights INSIGHT
Prohibition's Impact
Prohibition limited individual behavior, similar to the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery.
Only two constitutional amendments restrict individual behavior.
insights INSIGHT
Lack of True Support
Prohibition lacked majority support, highlighting an anti-democratic aspect.
State legislatures' representation was skewed, misrepresenting public opinion.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Joe Kennedy
The widespread belief that Joe Kennedy was a bootlegger is false.
Okrent's research debunks this myth due to a lack of historical evidence.
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Cheers to Professor Jackson’s post Prohibition conversation with distinguished author Daniel Okrent! Dan is the the author of Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, winner of the American Historical Association’s prize for the year’s best book of American History when it was published in 2011. Last Call was a go-to book in the HTDS bibliography for episodes 157-160 as we researched and selected the stories to tell in these four podcast episodes we’ve just completed.
Dan was also the first Public Editor of The New York Times, where he was charged with being the public’s advocate for accurate and objective journalism by the paper. So Prof. Jackson couldn’t resist the opportunity to get his perspective on the state of news reporting today which, as astute HTDS listeners know, is often called the first draft of history. Spoiler alert: they both agree one must be a critical thinker when it comes to the potential bias of the news media one consumes – helpful tool here from AdFontes.
Before his tenure at the Times, Okrent spent 13 years at Time Inc., where he was successively editor of Life magazine; corporate editor of new media; and corporate editor-at-large. Earlier in his career, he worked extensively in book and magazine publishing in various editorial and executive positions. He has held fellowships at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard (where he was, in addition, the Edward R. Murrow Visiting Lecturer in 2009-2010).
History That Doesn't Suck 