Abramson - Merchants of Truth: The Business of News and the Fight for Facts

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This book, three years in the making, was inspired by my lifelong passion for journalism and my deep admiration of, and gratitude for, thousands of colleagues who devote their working lives digging for the truth. I have always believed that with enough reporting the truth inevitably emerges. Reporters and editors at the Wall Street Journal , the New York Times , and the Guardian , where I have had the privilege to work, have dazzled me with their unshakable bravery and consistent commitment to providing readers with vital, reliable, and hard-to-extract information.

In the fall of 2018, a time of rising public distrust and challenging digital transformation of the news, one of the themes of this book, I gave the T. H. White lecture at Harvard University. At my side was one of journalisms most intrepid investigative reporters, The New Yorker s Jane Mayer. Weve been close friends for decades (we met in middle school) and were colleagues at the Journal , when we collaborated and coauthored Strange Justice , the definitive book on the Clarence Thomas confirmation battle. Jane has been my invaluable sounding board. We know it is crucial to speak out about the value of journalism.

For decades, sometimes while walking dogs or chasing after our children, weve discussed our work and why it is vital to a healthy, functioning democracy. Holding those in power accountable is a difficult mission, but thats exactly the role the Founders of this country gave to a free press. The First Amendment is first for a reason.

I lived through the digital revolution that transformed the news business and believed the subject worthy of a narrative history that was exhaustively reported and compelling to read. This was a massive and daunting project. My first experiences as a reporter were shaped during Watergate, and newspapers were where I spent my career. Though I had led the digital transformation of the Times s newsroom during a very challenging period, it was invaluable for me to have a partner who was a digital native.

John Stillman, my brilliant young friend and assistant, grew up with digital technology and helped me understand the transformation of the news business in a deeper way. He helped shape this book and shared my belief that there was a great story to tell about all four of the companies we followed. As my research, reporting, writing, and editing assistant, he made contributions from beginning to end that made this book possible. Johns incisive interviewing and deep research critically illuminated the vast and fast-evolving story of the revolution in media. He drafted portions of this book and provided a sharp eye throughout in editing the manuscript. His perceptive analysis and fluid, vivid prose were crucial in bringing this story to life. I cant thank him enough.

BuzzFeed, Vice, and the Washington Post opened their doors to me. At the Times , which did not officially cooperate with me, many of my former colleagues were generous in giving me their time and perspectives. BuzzFeeds leaders, Jonah Peretti and Ben Smith, spent hours answering my questions about the organization they have created. Ashley McCollum was immensely helpful in lining up interviews. At Vice, despite initial trepidation, Alex Detrik and Isabel Evans helped me get to the people who knew the real story, including founders Shane Smith and Suroosh Alvi. At the Post , Marty Baron, Fred Ryan, and Shailesh Prakash and many other Post journalists, including Dana Priest and Marilyn Thompson, were all extremely generous with their time. Cory Haik and Ned Martel, both no longer with the Post, were extremely generous.

At the Times , which disputes some of my reporting and conclusions, I owe special thanks to publisher A. G. Sulzberger, who has been a stalwart defender of the press against rising attacks, and to Eileen Murphy, the Times s honest and able communications chief.

At Simon & Schuster, Alice Mayhew was my inspirational editor. She was excited from the moment we (mostly she, naturally) hatched the idea for this book over lunch. She had a perfect ear for tone, for which news organizations were most interesting, and, during the writing process, for anything that was even slightly off-key. Alice knows exactly how to mix up close reporting and anecdotal detail, and when to go big picture to provide analysis and context. She is justifiably known as the best mind and hand for any nonfiction narrative. For my entire career, I have always wanted to write a book for Alice. I was giddy with happiness the day after I turned in a completed draft, when she called to pronounce It reads!

Jonathan Karp, President of S&S, has built the most talented team in publishing. He has vast knowledge about the news media and opened doors for me. His enthusiasm for this book pushed me on. Stuart Roberts was always scrupulous and helpful for the past years, dealing with my deadlines, explaining every facet of the publishing process, and watching over every aspect of the manuscript. Thanks also to the rest of the S&S team, especially Richard Rhorer (Associate Publisher); Cary Goldstein (Director of Publicity); Julia Prosser (Deputy Director of Publicity); Stephen Bedford (Director of Marketing); Jessica Chin (Production Editor); Lisa Healy (Production Editor); Jackie Seow (Art Director); Paul Dippolito (Interior Designer); and Amar Deol (Associate Editor).

Suzanne Gluck, my agent at WME, has been my friend, therapist, and forceful advocate. It meant the world to me that she devoted so much time to helping me conceptualize and refine the book, from proposal to the finish line.

Richard Turner, my friend since Harvard days and colleague at the Journal , knows more about the media industry than I, and his knowledge and his editing skills were an immense contribution. Elly Brinkley, who preceded John as my assistant, helped me get going. She had been my student at Harvard, where I teach creative writing and two journalism seminars.

My colleagues in the Harvard English Department, especially Darcy Frey, Jorie Graham, and Claire Messud, such terrific writers all, were invaluable sounding boards and friends. My students for the past five years at Harvard, as well as the students I taught much earlier at Princeton and Yale, make me certain that journalism will be in good hands for decades to come.

Im so grateful to my still-growing family, especially my sister, Jane OConnor, and my husband, Henry Griggs, who both read and fly-specked many versions of my evolving manuscript. Jane, one of the most successful childrens books writers and editors, has been my idol since I arrived on this planet. Henry, the best copy editor and wordsmith I know, has been my rock since we were twenty years old. He and the rest of my family, including children Cornelia Griggs, Will Griggs, and William Woodson, heard far more about news and digital media than anyone should and pulled me up every day, as did Cornelias husband, Rob Goldstone, and Wills wife, Lindsey Nelson. Eloise, my three-year-old granddaughter, made me laugh at myself constantly. I will forever be in debt to Rob and Cornelia, both ultra-busy surgeons, for bringing Nana into their home. Hopefully, along with baby Jonah, we will get the band back together.