John Walcott, Foreign Policy and National Security Editor at Thomson Reuters, will lead a discussion after a showing of the movie “Shock and Awe” at Lewinsville Presbyterian Church, 1724 Chain Bridge Road, McLean at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 3.
John Walcott served as Washington Bureau Chief at Knight Ridder, Inc. during the time period of the movie. He is the inaugural winner of the I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence from the Nieman Foundation at Harvard. His work has won the Edward M. Hood Award and the Freedom of the Press Award from the National Press Club and three Overseas Press Club awards. He is a co-author of the book “Best Laid Plans: The Inside Story of America’s War Against Terrorism,” an adjunct associate professor in Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and the recipient of Georgetown’s Vicennial Medal and the Bicentennial Medal from Williams College, his alma mater.
“Shock and Awe” tells the true story of the four Knight Ridder reporters who, in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, were alone in questioning the Bush administration’s allegations that Iraq had ties to al Qaeda and possessed weapons of mass destruction.
Reporters Jonathan Landay and Warren Strobel (played by Woody Harrelson and James Marsden, respectively), their editor John Walcott (played by Rob Reiner) and famous war correspondent Joe Galloway (Tommy Lee Jones), sifted through the chaos and official lies to uncover the truth. Knight Ridder was the only major news organization to challenge the Bush administration’s case for invading Iraq. Award-winning director Rob Reiner brings the real-life drama to the big screen in "Shock and Awe."
Seating will be limited. Reservations are encouraged. Register online at https://www.lewinsville.org/event-items/special-movie-presentation/