Janice Min: It Was the Fear of Weinstein’s Power and Reprisals that Kept Hollywood in Fear

STELTER Let s take ░░░░░░░░ look at last night ░░░░░░░░ SNL This was a ░░░░░░░░ joke from Weekend Update ░░░░░░░░ about prison time for ░░░░░░░░ BEGIN VIDEO CLIP UNIDENTIFIED ░░░░░░░░ Weinstein has been accused ░░░░░░░░ multiple counts of sexual ░░░░░░░░ is reportedly going to ░░░░░░░░ for sex rehab Somehow ░░░░░░░░ don t think that ░░░░░░░░ going to help anybody ░░░░░░░░ doesn t need sex ░░░░░░░░ He needs a specialized ░░░░░░░░ where there are no ░░░░░░░░ no contact with the ░░░░░░░░ world metal bars and ░░░░░░░░ s a prison END ░░░░░░░░ CLIP STELTER Given the ░░░░░░░░ of investigations by the ░░░░░░░░ here in New York ░░░░░░░░ in London but what ░░░░░░░░ NBC here That s ░░░░░░░░ clip from the entertainment ░░░░░░░░ SNL But NBC News ░░░░░░░░ Ronan Farrow working on ░░░░░░░░ investigation for many months ░░░░░░░░ remember Ronan asked me ░░░░░░░░ Weinstein back in January ░░░░░░░░ I had never heard ░░░░░░░░ claims I was shocked ░░░░░░░░ hear he was looking ░░░░░░░░ these MIN Right STELTER ░░░░░░░░ allegations I know you ░░░░░░░░ to Ronan while he ░░░░░░░░ working on this investigation ░░░░░░░░ well MIN I STELTER ░░░░░░░░ then in August NBC ░░░░░░░░ him to stop working ░░░░░░░░ it What do you ░░░░░░░░ went wrong MIN Well ░░░░░░░░ only know what s ░░░░░░░░ reported right now It ░░░░░░░░ that it probably went ░░░░░░░░ the food chain I ░░░░░░░░ tell you I talked ░░░░░░░░ Ronan and I actually ░░░░░░░░ back and looked I ░░░░░░░░ to him at the ░░░░░░░░ of July and I ░░░░░░░░ he was sewing the ░░░░░░░░ thing up as far ░░░░░░░░ he had relayed to ░░░░░░░░ and it and I ░░░░░░░░ him repeatedly just knowing ░░░░░░░░ difficult these stories are ░░░░░░░░ do I said so ░░░░░░░░ s going to run ░░░░░░░░ s really happening and ░░░░░░░░ said I am told ░░░░░░░░ now it is So ░░░░░░░░ obviously went awry I ░░░░░░░░ those I believe that ░░░░░░░░ will eventually come out ░░░░░░░░ fold because you know ░░░░░░░░ s an organization filled ░░░░░░░░ journalists and that they ░░░░░░░░ and also many people ░░░░░░░░ touched I m assuming ░░░░░░░░ that decision I can ░░░░░░░░ you the power that ░░░░░░░░ attorneys are a menacing ░░░░░░░░ of people I think ░░░░░░░░ know just in you ░░░░░░░░ The Hollywood reporter s ░░░░░░░░ experience with Charles Harder ░░░░░░░░ STELTER Yes MIN you ░░░░░░░░ we saw that with ░░░░░░░░ story recently involving Roy ░░░░░░░░ from Amazon who was ░░░░░░░░ go and it s ░░░░░░░░ know Kim Masters went ░░░░░░░░ the wringer and she ░░░░░░░░ about it in Columbia ░░░░░░░░ Review the other day ░░░░░░░░ she went through the ░░░░░░░░ trying to not only ░░░░░░░░ her story to see ░░░░░░░░ light of day but ░░░░░░░░ preserve her reputation There ░░░░░░░░ a lot of there ░░░░░░░░ a there was a ░░░░░░░░ of I would say ░░░░░░░░ of things that cast ░░░░░░░░ on her unfairly that ░░░░░░░░ her in the pursuit ░░░░░░░░ the story STELTER She ░░░░░░░░ writing this She was ░░░░░░░░ on it She had ░░░░░░░░ hard time finding anybody ░░░░░░░░ was willing to publish ░░░░░░░░ and now Roy Price ░░░░░░░░ that the story has ░░░░░░░░ out and the accuser ░░░░░░░░ spoken on the record ░░░░░░░░ alleged harassment He s ░░░░░░░░ head of Amazon s ░░░░░░░░ division He s now ░░░░░░░░ a leave of absence ░░░░░░░░ that s actually another ░░░░░░░░ of these aftershocks as ░░░░░░░░ result of the Weinstein ░░░░░░░░ in some ways MIN ░░░░░░░░ STELTER But if I ░░░░░░░░ just go back to ░░░░░░░░ for one moment the ░░░░░░░░ here MIN Of course ░░░░░░░░ Ronan Farrow tries to ░░░░░░░░ on this Eventually his ░░░░░░░░ say stop The network ░░░░░░░░ that you know Comcast ░░░░░░░░ the owners were involved ░░░░░░░░ we don t know ░░░░░░░░ what happened there Then ░░░░░░░░ takes it to The ░░░░░░░░ Yorker and David Remnick ░░░░░░░░ editor is eager to ░░░░░░░░ able to work with ░░░░░░░░ and publish the story ░░░░░░░░ this actually a sort ░░░░░░░░ success story after many ░░░░░░░░ years that there are ░░░░░░░░ variety enough did enough ░░░░░░░░ at media outlets that ░░░░░░░░ the truth will be ░░░░░░░░ by somebody MIN I ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ to call it a ░░░░░░░░ story because STELTER Yes ░░░░░░░░ I you know I ░░░░░░░░ I think you can ░░░░░░░░ and see the chilling ░░░░░░░░ that the Charles Harder ░░░░░░░░ had on media in ░░░░░░░░ past few years And ░░░░░░░░ think you know Kim ░░░░░░░░ some said something so ░░░░░░░░ in Columbia Journalism Review ░░░░░░░░ in all her years ░░░░░░░░ various outlets Washington Post ░░░░░░░░ Fair lots of different ░░░░░░░░ Magazine she had never ░░░░░░░░ a lawyer successfully kill ░░░░░░░░ piece That was true ░░░░░░░░ 10 01 And this ░░░░░░░░ in this case this ░░░░░░░░ this was a level ░░░░░░░░ intimidation and fear You ░░░░░░░░ also think about how ░░░░░░░░ these corporate counsels and ░░░░░░░░ Amendment attorneys that work ░░░░░░░░ these outlets they most ░░░░░░░░ have one obligation which ░░░░░░░░ to not is to ░░░░░░░░ a company against risk ░░░░░░░░ also to you know ░░░░░░░░ is not exactly a ░░░░░░░░ vibrant industry right now ░░░░░░░░ have to also look ░░░░░░░░ the companies that are ░░░░░░░░ parent companies of media ░░░░░░░░ and think how much ░░░░░░░░ are they willing to ░░░░░░░░ and how much public ░░░░░░░░ are they willing to ░░░░░░░░ against you know I ░░░░░░░░ you know Harvey Weinstein ░░░░░░░░ t have a Peter ░░░░░░░░ backing him as far ░░░░░░░░ I know But in ░░░░░░░░ case you saw what ░░░░░░░░ when you have billionaires ░░░░░░░░ can outspend a media ░░░░░░░░ in a legal fight ░░░░░░░░ Yes this is MIN ░░░░░░░░ s not pretty.