JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — Walter Lippmann (1879-1974) was often referred to as the father of modern journalism. His book, "Public Opinion”, published in 1922, examines how mass media shapes public perception and how news inherently involves selection and bias. Mr. Lippmann was 22 years old when the “polar controversy” between Frederick Cook and Admiral Robert Peary dominated the headlines of nearly every  newspaper on earth. 

There is a striking parallel between Lippmann's writings on the role of the press and Dr. Frederick Cook's statement on the ability of the press to manufacture a public “reality.” 

In 1911, responding to to medias brutal attacks on his claim to the discovery of the North Pole, Frederick Cook wrote this unusually explicit statement: 

“One of the remarkable things about modern journalism is that, by persistent repetition, it can create as a fact in the public mind a thing which is purely immaterial or untrue”.

As a result of the highly contentious and largely unjustified controversy, Frederick Cook’s photographic work has received remarkably little attention.

On Friday, October 16, at 5:30 p.m., Frederick Cook Society Executive Director Carol Smith will present a talk at the Jeffersonville Library, exploring the broad arc of Dr. Cook’s career, as seen through his photographs.

The talk is part of the Jeff Foto Festival, which takes place throughout the streets and storefronts of Jeffersonville, New York, from October 1 through October 18. A selection of Dr. Cook’s photographs from Greenland, South America, Antarctica, the North Pole, and Alaska will be on display at the Library.

Dr. Frederick Cook was an American explorer who led multiple expeditions to Greenland, the Arctic, Antarctica, South America, and Alaska. He always traveled with the finest custom designed Zeiss glass plate camera equipment.   

The Frederick Cook Society, which began in the 1940s as the Cook Arctic Club, has made its home at the Sullivan County Museum in Hurleyville since 1975. The Museum houses a gallery and research library dedicated to the work of Dr. Cook. Dr. Frederick Cook was educated at Columbia University and New York University Medical College before going on to become one of the world’s greatest adventurers.

Carol’s talk will examine the roles that The New York Times, the National Geographic Society, and President Theodore Roosevelt played in shaping public opinion around the “polar controversy”. The presentation will also include some fascinating local history about the Cook family’s time in Sullivan County.  

The Jeffersonville Library is located at 19 Center St.

For more information: 845/482-4350 or visit frederickcookpolar.org or email carolsmith2223@gmail.com.