Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War

The story of Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers raises important questions about government transparency and the role of the free press in a democratic society. In a democracy like the US, the public elects officials to govern and make decisions based on the people’s will. Therefore, a certain level of government transparency is essential so the public can remain involved in the democratic process and hold the government accountable. One of the most important ways to maintain this accountability and transparency is through the free press.

A free press is one that operates outside of the government’s control, meaning that the government cannot dictate or influence what journalists report and media outlets publish. This is important because it means the press can work in pursuit of truth and publish stories that might show the government in a negative light or reveal some wrongdoing on its part. It protects the balance of control and prevents the abuse of power by giving information—and therefore power—to the people.

However, sometimes, the government must keep secrets that could be dangerous for the public to know or threaten national security. The problem is that national security is often difficult to define. For example, the Nixon administration tried to prevent the New York Times and the Washington Post from publishing the Pentagon Papers under the claim that revealing the classified documents compromised national security. However, the papers were primarily kept a secret not because they were dangerous but because they revealed that presidents had intentionally lied to the American public and made decisions about the Vietnam War based on their own political interests. Therefore, by exposing the Pentagon Papers, journalists and newspapers functioned as they should: They discovered instances of government wrongdoing and revealed them to the public.