Martin A. Lee
Encyclopedia
Martin A. Lee is an American author and activist who has written books and articles on far-right movements, terrorism
, media
issues, and drug
politics.
Lee has an undergraduate degree in philosophy from the University of Michigan
. He has been a guest teacher-in-residence at the University of Illinois
, and has lectured at many colleges and universities, including Harvard University
, Columbia University
, Dartmouth College
, Johns Hopkins University
, and the American University of Paris
. In 1994 he was given the Pope Foundation Award for Investigative Journalism.
Lee was a co-founder of the media watch group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
(FAIR), a group formed in 1986 to combat corporate and establishment media bias
. He was the first full-time editor of FAIR's magazine Extra!
, and later served as the publication's publisher.
Lee's first book, Acid Dreams: The CIA, LSD and the Sixties Rebellion (co-authored with Bruce Shlain), was published in 1986 by Grove Press. Covering LSD's use by both the counterculture
of the 1960s and by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency
in mind control
experiments, the book was called by the San Francisco Chronicle
"a generalist's history that should replace all others."
Lee's second book, Unreliable Sources: A Guide to Detecting Bias in News Media (co-authored with Norman Solomon
), was both a distillation and expansion of his work with FAIR. Published in 1990 by Lyle Stuart
, The Washington Post
called the book "a worthy addition to the library of any student of American news media, social structure and political science."
Lee's most recent book, The Beast Reawakens
, an in-depth examination of the resurgence of fascism
, was published by Little, Brown in 1997; a revised paperback edition was issued by Routledge in 2000. Calling it a "compelling, intelligent investigation which reads more like a thriller than a history lesson," Publishers Weekly
said it "contributes much toward understanding the politics of hatred." The New York Times Book Review
described it as "a vivid survey of fascist resurgence."
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
, media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
issues, and drug
Psychoactive drug
A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, or psychotropic is a chemical substance that crosses the blood–brain barrier and acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it affects brain function, resulting in changes in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior...
politics.
Lee has an undergraduate degree in philosophy from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. He has been a guest teacher-in-residence at the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, and has lectured at many colleges and universities, including Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, and the American University of Paris
American University of Paris
The American University of Paris is a private, independent, and accredited liberal arts and sciences university in Paris, France. Founded in 1962, the university is one of the oldest American institutions of higher education in Europe...
. In 1994 he was given the Pope Foundation Award for Investigative Journalism.
Lee was a co-founder of the media watch group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting is a progressive media criticism organization based in New York City, founded in 1986.FAIR describes itself on its website as "the national media watch group" and defines its mission as working to "invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity...
(FAIR), a group formed in 1986 to combat corporate and establishment media bias
Media bias
Media bias refers to the bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media in the selection of events and stories that are reported and how they are covered. The term "media bias" implies a pervasive or widespread bias contravening the standards of journalism, rather than the...
. He was the first full-time editor of FAIR's magazine Extra!
Extra!
Extra! is a monthly magazine of media criticism published by the media watch group FAIR. First published in 1987, its first full-time editor was Martin A. Lee. Since 1990, it has been edited by Jim Naureckas...
, and later served as the publication's publisher.
Lee's first book, Acid Dreams: The CIA, LSD and the Sixties Rebellion (co-authored with Bruce Shlain), was published in 1986 by Grove Press. Covering LSD's use by both the counterculture
Counterculture of the 1960s
The counterculture of the 1960s refers to a cultural movement that mainly developed in the United States and spread throughout much of the western world between 1960 and 1973. The movement gained momentum during the U.S. government's extensive military intervention in Vietnam...
of the 1960s and by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
in mind control
Mind control
Mind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
experiments, the book was called by the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
"a generalist's history that should replace all others."
Lee's second book, Unreliable Sources: A Guide to Detecting Bias in News Media (co-authored with Norman Solomon
Norman Solomon
Norman Solomon is an American journalist, media critic, antiwar activist, and current candidate for the United States House of Representatives. Solomon is a longtime associate of the media watch group Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting...
), was both a distillation and expansion of his work with FAIR. Published in 1990 by Lyle Stuart
Lyle Stuart
Lyle Stuart was an American author and independent publisher of controversial books....
, The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
called the book "a worthy addition to the library of any student of American news media, social structure and political science."
Lee's most recent book, The Beast Reawakens
The Beast Reawakens
The Beast Reawakens is a book by investigative journalist Martin A. Lee. It tells the story of old-guard fascists' strategy for survival and the revival of fascism...
, an in-depth examination of the resurgence of fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
, was published by Little, Brown in 1997; a revised paperback edition was issued by Routledge in 2000. Calling it a "compelling, intelligent investigation which reads more like a thriller than a history lesson," Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
said it "contributes much toward understanding the politics of hatred." The New York Times Book Review
The New York Times Book Review
The New York Times Book Review is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to The New York Times in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely read book review publications in the industry. The offices are located near Times Square in New York...
described it as "a vivid survey of fascist resurgence."
External links
- Acid Dreams; website for the book
- Extra!; web page for the magazineExtra!Extra! is a monthly magazine of media criticism published by the media watch group FAIR. First published in 1987, its first full-time editor was Martin A. Lee. Since 1990, it has been edited by Jim Naureckas...
that Lee founded