Huey Long Vs. The Media

Hide caption Huey P. Long, U.S. Senator from Louisiana, speaking in Washington, DC. Previous Next Library of Congress

Hide caption US Senator Huey Long (1893 - 1935) announces his presidential candidacy to members of the press, 15th August 1935. A month later, he was shot and killed during an altercation with Dr. Carl Weiss. Previous Next FPG/Getty Images

Hide caption Senator Long sorting through his fan mail that he received after one of his radio broadcasts. Previous Next Bettmann/Bettmann Archive 1 of 3 i View slideshow

Huey Pierce Long: you either loved him, or hated him. He combined progressive economic ideas with an autocratic streak, earning him thousands of adoring fans and fearful enemies. Long went from traveling salesman to Louisiana governor, and then US senator, through his mastery of the media. Then once in power, he waged a war against it.

This is the story of one of the most polarizing forces in Louisiana politics, historically riddled with corruption and cult of personality types. At this moment of political populism, a look back at an original.

Sticky Wicket: Huey Long versus the Media" was originally produced by a collaboration between WWNO New Orleans Public Radio, WRKF Baton Rouge, and the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, with funding support from the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.