Journalism Pakistan
Journalism Pakistan
Even a win can't hide Pakistan's structural collapse in cricket فتح بھی پاکستان کرکٹ کے ڈھانچے کی تباہی نہیں چھپا سکتیJournalists stage walkout at post-budget briefing over government's dismissive attitude صحافیوں کا بجٹ کے بعد کی بریفنگ سے واک آؤٹ، حکومت کے توہین آمیز رویے پر احتجاجLegal storm brews as Dr. Nauman Niaz serves defamation notice on Shoaib Akhtar ڈاکٹر نعمان نیاز کی جانب سے شعیب اختر کو ہتکِ عزت کا نوٹسHRCP urges complete repeal of PECA, citing threats to free speech and civil liberties ایچ آر سی پی کا پی ای سی اے کے مکمل خاتمے کا مطالبہ، آزادی اظہار اور شہری آزادیوں کے لیے خطرہ قرارPFUJ condemns murder of journalist Syed Mohammad Shah, urges immediate justice پی ایف یو جے کا صحافی سید محمد شاہ کے قتل کی مذمت، قاتل کی فوری گرفتاری کا مطالبہState within a state? Police block reinstated Jang employees from resuming duties ریاست کے اندر ریاست؟ جنگ گروپ کے بحال شدہ ملازمین کو دفتر جانے سے روک دیا گیاMoeed Pirzada to report journalist Fakhar Durrani to FBI over alleged data theft معروف صحافی معید پیرزادہ کا فخر درانی کے خلاف ایف بی آئی کو رپورٹ کرنے کا فیصلہ

New book recounts murder of AFP reporter during US civil rights movement

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published September 30, 2017

Join our WhatsApp channel

New book recounts murder of AFP reporter during US civil rights movement

WASHINGTON - It was the evening of September 30, 1962 when Agence France-Presse (AFP) reporter Paul Guihard arrived at the campus of the University of Mississippi.

Tear gas choked the grounds as US marshals clashed with rock-throwing students and others opposed to the admission of the first African-American to the all-white school known as “Ole Miss.”

Before the night was done, the 30-year-old Guihard would be dead, shot in the back by a bullet that pierced his heart.

He was the only journalist known to have been killed during the civil rights movement which roiled the United States in the 1960s.

His murder was never solved.

Guihard’s death, and the stories of 12 American journalists who covered the violence surrounding the 1962 desegregation of the campus, are the subject of a new book, We Believed We Were Immortal, by Dr. Kathleen Wickham, a professor of journalism at the University of Mississippi.

The book, published by Yoknapatawpha Press, was released Friday to mark the 55th anniversary of Guihard’s murder and the rioting at the University of Mississippi against the enrollment of James Meredith, a black US Air Force veteran.

Wickham, in an interview with AFP, said she was drawn to Guihard’s story because it has largely been forgotten.

“I’ve been personally offended that a reporter was killed and nothing was written about it,” she said. “I wanted him to be recognized.”

She was also determined to try to figure out what happened that night to Guihard on the “Ole Miss” campus, where hundreds of US marshals clashed with several thousand opponents of integration until US troops were sent in to restore order.

“I’ve worked on it as an investigation to try to determine who murdered him,” she said. “Because someone out there knows what happened.”

The Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice closed its investigation into Guihard’s death in 2011 without filing any charges and Wickham, despite her intensive digging, was unable to reach any definitive conclusions.

“Though theories abound, Paul’s murder remains a mystery,” she writes in the book.

What is clear is that Guihard was deliberately targeted that evening. The .38 calibre bullet that killed him was fired into his back from less than a foot away, according to the autopsy report.

Guihard’s final day

The son of an English mother and a French father, Guihard grew up in St. Malo on France’s west coast and served in the British Army in Cyprus, according to the book.

A burly man with red hair and a red beard, Guihard was a copy editor in AFP’s New York bureau when he was sent to Mississippi to cover the conflict surrounding desegregation, according to the book.

Guihard was accompanied on his final assignment by a photographer, Sammy Schulman, a 56-year-old New Yorker.

After flying from New York to Jackson, Mississippi, Guihard and Schulman rented a white Chevrolet and headed to governor’s mansion, where 3,000 people were attending a rally against integration sponsored by the White Citizens Council, the book recounts.

After the rally, Guihard went to interview the executive director of the White Citizens Council and filed what was to be his last story from the offices of the group, Wickham writes.

Guihard and Schulman then decided to drive to the University of Mississippi in Oxford, about four hours away.

During the drive they listened on the radio to an 8:00 pm speech by President John F. Kennedy, who had ordered US marshals to enforce court rulings that Meredith be allowed to attend classes at the University of Mississippi.

Guilhard and Schulman arrived at the troubled campus around 8.40 pm, shortly after Kennedy’s speech had concluded, and were stopped by a Mississippi State Highway patrolman.

“I can’t guarantee your life or property if you drive in,” Wickham quoted the patrolman as warning the pair.

Guilhard and Schulman acknowledged the warning and continued on to the campus, parking their car and agreeing to meet up again at the vehicle in an hour.

Less than 10 minutes later Guihard was dead. - AFP/Photo: AFP

Even a win can't hide Pakistan's structural collapse in cricket

Even a win can't hide Pakistan's structural collapse in cricket

 June 11, 2025:  Pakistan celebrated a narrow win over Bangladesh, but beneath the jubilation lies a deeper crisis—from sidelined veterans to a collapsing domestic structure—signaling an urgent need for cricket reform.

Journalists stage walkout at post-budget briefing over government's dismissive attitude

Journalists stage walkout at post-budget briefing over government's dismissive attitude

 June 11, 2025:  Journalists walked out of the post-budget press conference in Islamabad to protest the absence of a technical briefing and the government's dismissive behavior, calling it unacceptable and intolerable.

Legal storm brews as Dr. Nauman Niaz serves defamation notice on Shoaib Akhtar

Legal storm brews as Dr. Nauman Niaz serves defamation notice on Shoaib Akhtar

 May 31, 2025:  Dr. Nauman Niaz has issued a defamation notice to Shoaib Akhtar over derogatory remarks made during a recent broadcast, reigniting a longstanding media feud between the two prominent figures in Pakistan.

HRCP urges complete repeal of PECA, citing threats to free speech and civil liberties

HRCP urges complete repeal of PECA, citing threats to free speech and civil liberties

 May 30, 2025:  The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has demanded the full repeal of PECA, citing its vague language, coercive powers, and threats to free speech and digital rights in Pakistan.

PFUJ condemns murder of journalist Syed Mohammad Shah, urges immediate justice

PFUJ condemns murder of journalist Syed Mohammad Shah, urges immediate justice

 May 30, 2025:  The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the murder of journalist Syed Mohammed Shah in Jacobabad, calling for urgent justice and improved safety for media professionals in Sindh.

State within a state? Police block reinstated Jang employees from resuming duties

State within a state? Police block reinstated Jang employees from resuming duties

 May 26, 2025:  In Rawalpindi, police allegedly side with Jang Group to block 66 reinstated employees from resuming work despite court orders, drawing sharp criticism from unions and press freedom advocates.

PFUJ slams Jang Group's 'economic massacre' after mass firing of over 80 workers

PFUJ slams Jang Group's 'economic massacre' after mass firing of over 80 workers

 May 25, 2025:  PFUJ condemns the Jang Group's decision to dismiss over 80 employees in Rawalpindi, calling it an 'economic massacre.' The union warns of nationwide protests if workers are not reinstated.

Labor rights trampled: Daily Jang defies court, terminates over 80 employees

Labor rights trampled: Daily Jang defies court, terminates over 80 employees

 May 25, 2025:  Daily Jang Rawalpindi has terminated over 80 employees, including female staff, despite multiple court rulings in their favor—raising concerns over labor rights violations and misuse of authority in Pakistani media.

Newsroom
219 Palestinian journalists killed in Israeli attacks since October 7, PJS reports

219 Palestinian journalists killed in Israeli attacks since October 7, PJS reports

 May 19, 2025 PJS reports 219 Palestinian journalists killed in Israeli attacks since October 7, with 30 women among the victims. Over 430 were injured and 685 family members were killed. Read more on the systematic targeting of media in Gaza.

Pakistan's Flying Horse: How Samiullah Khan changed hockey forever

Pakistan's Flying Horse: How Samiullah Khan changed hockey forever

 May 15, 2025 Discover the legacy of Samiullah Khan, Pakistan’s legendary "Flying Horse," whose breathtaking speed and artistry redefined hockey. From Olympic glory to World Cup triumphs, his story is one of myth, movement, and magic.

Algerian TV channel suspended for 10 days over racist slur against African migrants

Algerian TV channel suspended for 10 days over racist slur against African migrants

 May 04, 2025 Algerian authorities suspend Echorouk News TV for 10 days after it used a racist slur against African migrants. ANIRA demands an apology, calling it a violation of human dignity.

NCHR and MMfD launch Fellowship to Empower Journalists on Digital Rights & Gender Inclusion

NCHR and MMfD launch Fellowship to Empower Journalists on Digital Rights & Gender Inclusion

 May 04, 2025 NCHR and MMfD launch a journalism fellowship to train reporters on digital rights & gender inclusion in Pakistan. Supported by UNESCO, this initiative aims to bridge the gender digital divide. Apply by May 15, 2025!

'In A Different Realm' offers a philosophical take on cricket's greatest innings

'In A Different Realm' offers a philosophical take on cricket's greatest innings

 April 23, 2025 Discover Dr. Nauman Niaz’s In A Different Realm: Story of Quadruple & Triple Centuries 1876–2025, a profound exploration of cricket's most monumental innings, blending historical analysis with poetic narrative.​