Barry Zorthian facts for kids

Barry Zorthian (1920–2010) was an American diplomat and media expert. He is best known for being the main spokesperson for the U.S. government during the Vietnam War for about four and a half years. He also worked in radio and television, and later helped shape how the U.S. government communicated with the world.

Early Life and Education

Barry Zorthian was born on October 8, 1920, in Kütahya, Turkey. His parents were Armenian. His family faced difficulties in Turkey before moving to New Haven, Connecticut, in the United States.

Barry went to Yale University, a famous school. While there, he worked on the student newspaper. He also joined a private student group called Skull and Bones.

Career Journey

Military Service and Early Media Work

During World War II, Zorthian served in the United States Marine Corps in the Pacific region. After the war, he worked for a newspaper in Vermont.

Later, he joined CBS Radio and then the Voice of America (VOA). VOA is a U.S. government news service that broadcasts to people around the world. Zorthian earned a law degree by studying at night at New York University.

In 1948, he was one of the first VOA reporters to cover the Korean War from overseas. He also helped create the VOA Charter, which guides the organization even today. He launched many successful radio programs. Zorthian also helped create "Special English" broadcasts. These programs used slower speech and simpler words to help people who were learning English understand the news. This idea started in 1959 and was very popular. After 13 years at VOA, Zorthian became a diplomat in India.

Working in South Vietnam

Barry Zorthian is most famous for his time as the chief spokesperson for the U.S. government in Saigon, South Vietnam, from 1964 to 1968. His job was to talk to reporters every day about the Vietnam War.

These daily meetings were sometimes called the "Five O'Clock Follies" by reporters. This was because some journalists felt frustrated that they weren't getting all the information they wanted. Some reporters were critical of the official briefings. However, many people still respected Zorthian. Neil Sheehan, a famous reporter, said Zorthian "had a conscience" and believed in telling the American public what was happening. He was trying to explain a difficult war to the public.

Zorthian was chosen for this important role by Edward R. Murrow, a famous journalist. Even President Lyndon B. Johnson and other top officials had to approve his appointment. Zorthian worked with many well-known journalists covering the war, including David Halberstam and Peter Arnett. These reporters often asked tough questions.

Zorthian's job was to improve the relationship between U.S. officials and the news reporters. He used his charm and honest way of speaking to build trust. Reporters felt they could talk to him, even if he couldn't share secret information. Bernard Kalb, a former reporter, said that Zorthian was "always persuasive" even when he didn't say much.

Peter Arnett, a war reporter, remembered a time when he complained about a soldier threatening him. Zorthian joked, "You were aiming your pencil at him and that's more dangerous around here than a .45." This showed Zorthian's witty personality.

Zorthian advised three U.S. ambassadors and the top U.S. military commander in Vietnam, General William C. Westmoreland. He was proud that his daily briefings were a place where U.S. officials spoke openly and were challenged by reporters. The Vietnam War was one of the first U.S. wars without official censorship. The press briefings often took place at the Rex Hotel.

Career After Vietnam

After leaving Saigon in 1968, Zorthian worked as an executive at Time Inc., a large media company. He also worked as a lobbyist, helping to influence government decisions about communication issues.

In 1971, secret government documents called the Pentagon Papers were published. Zorthian wrote an article saying that the Vietnam War had been "the most open war in history." He believed that most of the important information in those documents was already known to journalists. However, some reporters disagreed, saying they had not known about certain secret bombings.

Zorthian retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a Colonel in 1973.

From 1990 to 1994, he was part of a group that oversaw Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which broadcasts news to countries where media might not be free. In 1991, after the Gulf War, Zorthian commented on how the media covered that conflict.

In his later years, he led the Public Diplomacy Foundation, which works on how countries communicate with each other. He continued to share his knowledge about public diplomacy and the Voice of America.

Personal Life

Barry Zorthian was married to Margaret Aylaian Zorthian for 62 years. She passed away in July 2010.

In October 2010, Zorthian celebrated his 90th birthday. He passed away on December 30, 2010. He was survived by his two sons, Greg and Steve, and two grandchildren.