"If there could be a dean of Bay Area alternative journalists, it would probably be Larry Bensky," writes Peter M in his latest chapter of Hidden in Plain Sight: Media Workers for Social Change. Bensky has had a varied journalistic career, marked by his association with KPFA-FM in Berkeley, where he played many roles, including station manager. Best known as a talk show host, he is famous for anchoring the Iran-Contra Hearings from Washington for the national Pacifica Network, for which he won the coveted George Polk award. He was also chief political writer for The East Bay Express, prior to its sale to a corporate chain. Less well known is his early career in mainstream journalism, his activism against the Vietnam War, and his role in the struggle for People’s Park in 1969.

"He was one of a small number of radical broadcasters, and for thousands of listeners in a left-liberal to radical audience he was a voice of sanity. In a documentary that was broadcast on KPFA upon his retirement, he said that careerism drives mainstream journalists, while alternative journalists are driven by issues. Bensky, unusual in this regard, was a success on both counts. He achieved recognition, made a living, and promoted peace and social justice. We spoke in the living room of his Berkeley home—where he’s lived since 1979—after a photo session in his lush backyard garden."

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