Podcast Summary: On the Media – "The Journalist Who Saw WW2 Coming"
Original Air Date: August 27, 2025
Produced by: WNYC Studios & Radio Diaries
Host: Brooke Gladstone
Featured Voices: Dorothy Thompson (archival), Leslie Dorothy Lewis, Peter Kurth, Karine Walther
Overview
This episode of On the Media profiles Dorothy Thompson, a once-celebrated but now largely forgotten radio journalist renowned for her fierce opposition to Hitler and prescient warnings about the rise of fascism before World War II. Through archival recordings, family reflections, and historical commentary, the episode explores Thompson’s pioneering media career, her influence, and her ultimate professional decline due to her outspoken views on Zionism and Palestinian rights.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Dorothy Thompson: Pioneering Journalist and Early Nazi Critic
- Thompson was called by Time magazine "a woman who... thinks, talks and sleeps world problems and scares men half to death." (00:01, Brooke Gladstone)
- She reported from Germany in the 1920s–30s and identified the threat the Nazis posed earlier than most correspondents.
- Her commentaries were notable for their boldness—so much so that the Nazis organized a "Dorothy Thompson emergency squad" to monitor her broadcasts. (00:54, Brooke Gladstone)
- Archival broadcasts reveal her distinctive, direct style, laced with both urgency and composure:
"I have an idea this war is going to go on being surprising. Let us wait with calmness and see. Good night." (02:00, Dorothy Thompson)
2. Trailblazing as a Female Commentator
- Thompson brought a new, "feminine style" to radio commentary about world affairs:
"She was saying some very dark things... but it was done in a feminine style. No one had ever heard it done like that before." (01:46, Leslie Dorothy Lewis)
- She stood in sharp contrast to her male contemporaries, such as Edward R. Murrow.
3. Early Warnings and Nazi Expulsion
- Thompson met Hitler in 1931 and described him as "the very prototype of the little man," picking up on his insecurities and volatility. (02:46, Karine Walther)
- As Hitler rose to power, she was expelled from Germany after the Gestapo gave her 24 hours to leave. This highlighted the dangers foreign correspondents faced. (03:24–03:40, Peter Kurth & Dorothy Thompson)
"My expulsion from Germany is only interesting insofar as it throws some light upon the position of the foreign correspondent in Germany. It's the business of journalism to report everything that happened." (03:40, Dorothy Thompson)
4. Fighting Fascism on American Airwaves
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Upon returning to the US, Thompson became a household name, framing her fight as "Dorothy versus Hitler." (04:08, Peter Kurth)
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She didn’t shy from directly addressing Hitler and the world:
"I am an American woman and mother and I speak for the women of my country. To Adolf Hitler. Shall we congratulate you, Adolf Hitler, that Europe is a shambles." (04:18, Dorothy Thompson)
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Thompson’s advocacy for Jews in Poland was clear and prescient:
"There are three and a half million Jews in Poland. They know that they won't even be citizens of the third Reich but will be treated as citizens of the second class." (04:41, Dorothy Thompson)
5. Confronting American Fascism
- Thompson attended a 1939 rally of the German American Bund at Madison Square Garden, disrupting proceedings by heckling Nazi sympathizers, risking personal safety:
"[She] burst out laughing and crying things like nonsense and oh please. The police had to come in because the American Brown shirts were about to rough her up." (05:18, Peter Kurth)
6. Post-War Disillusionment and Changing Views on Zionism
- After WWII, Thompson visited Palestine and saw displacement mirroring tragedies she'd witnessed in Europe.
"The Zionist project is not what I was led to believe. It is not going to grant equal rights for Arabs." (06:51, Karine Walther quoting Thompson)
- She publicly opposed the establishment of a solely Jewish state, seeing it as "a recipe for perpetual war." (07:08, Peter Kurth)
- Thompson helped raise funds for Palestinian refugees and participated in media efforts on their behalf, a shift that cost her public support and career opportunities.
"This made her terribly unpopular." (07:50, Peter Kurth) "Her opinion cost her career 100%." (08:13, Leslie Dorothy Lewis)
7. Principles and Legacy
- Despite backlash, Thompson maintained a consistent moral clarity:
"I had to speak out about this, meaning attacks on Palestinian civilians for the same reason I had to speak out about Hitler. But my Zionist friends do not seem to understand the universality of simple moral principles." (08:20, Karine Walther quoting Thompson)
- In her final recorded words on this topic:
"All of us must ask ourselves what it is that we live by. We must pledge renewed allegiance to a great liberal idea. The idea that men of many races and religions can live together in peace with each other." (08:42, Dorothy Thompson)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On Hitler’s character:
"He is formless, almost faceless. He is ill poised, insecure. He is the very prototype of the little man."
(02:46, Karine Walther quoting Thompson) -
On the dangers of journalism under dictatorship:
"It's the business of journalism to report everything that happened."
(03:40, Dorothy Thompson) -
Confronting Nazis on American soil:
"(She) burst out laughing and crying things like nonsense and oh please. The police had to come in because the American Brown shirts were about to rough her up."
(05:18, Peter Kurth) -
On the universality of moral principles:
"I had to speak out about this, meaning attacks on Palestinian civilians for the same reason I had to speak out about Hitler. But my Zionist friends do not seem to understand the universality of simple moral principles."
(08:20, Karine Walther quoting Thompson)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:01–01:16 – Introduction to Dorothy Thompson’s significance
- 01:32–02:00 – Leslie Dorothy Lewis reflects on hearing her grandmother’s broadcasts
- 02:17–03:15 – Early encounters with the Nazis and Hitler
- 03:24–03:59 – Expulsion from Germany and return to US airwaves
- 04:18–04:41 – Direct on-air appeals against Hitler and for Jews in Poland
- 05:05–05:47 – Thompson’s stand at the German American Bund rally
- 06:10–07:20 – Post-war visit to Palestine and turning point on Zionism
- 07:28–08:13 – Public activism for Palestinian refugees and career consequences
- 08:20–09:14 – Final reflections on principle and living together in peace
Tone and Style
The episode weaves historical urgency with admiration, painted in a tone of reflection and righteous clarity. Thompson’s own language is sharp, principled, and at times deeply personal, while commentators supply historical context and familial intimacy.
Conclusion
Dorothy Thompson’s story is that of a journalist with unwavering moral clarity, whose courage led her to be both celebrated and ostracized. Her willingness to speak against fascism—and later, to question Zionist orthodoxy—underscored her commitment to universal human rights, but also hastened the eclipse of her career. This profile revives her voice, reminding listeners of the power—and peril—of fearless journalism.