NYT’s Ben Smith: Farrow’s Stories Are Built and Sold on His Beliefs

STELTER New York governor ░░░░░░░░ Cuomo will be holding ░░░░░░░░ daily briefing on the ░░░░░░░░ at noon Eastern Time ░░░░░░░░ will bring it to ░░░░░░░░ live when it begins ░░░░░░░░ to the story that ░░░░░░░░ journalists buzzing all week ░░░░░░░░ It s a re ░░░░░░░░ of Ronan Farrow s ░░░░░░░░ reporting streak from the ░░░░░░░░ few years Farrow s ░░░░░░░░ shook the internal power ░░░░░░░░ of journalism Hollywood and ░░░░░░░░ companies like CBS and ░░░░░░░░ the New York Attorney ░░░░░░░░ s Office and many ░░░░░░░░ Now New York Times ░░░░░░░░ columnist Ben Smith is ░░░░░░░░ re evaluating scrutinizing Farrow ░░░░░░░░ reporting Smith says he ░░░░░░░░ found examples of inconsistencies ░░░░░░░░ and misleading storytelling This ░░░░░░░░ sparked a debate about ░░░░░░░░ his work and what ░░░░░░░░ suggests is resistance journalism ░░░░░░░░ does that mean With ░░░░░░░░ now to talk about ░░░░░░░░ is the aforementioned media ░░░░░░░░ Ben Smith who started ░░░░░░░░ The New York Times ░░░░░░░░ few months ago formerly ░░░░░░░░ editor in chief of ░░░░░░░░ News ben what is ░░░░░░░░ journalism SMITH You know ░░░░░░░░ think it s something ░░░░░░░░ every reporter feels to ░░░░░░░░ degree which is that ░░░░░░░░ are these incredible powerful ░░░░░░░░ many of them I ░░░░░░░░ broadly true that kind ░░░░░░░░ drive the media conversation ░░░░░░░░ social media and there ░░░░░░░░ a strong impulse to ░░░░░░░░ to them in every ░░░░░░░░ to always sort of ░░░░░░░░ that expectation This story ░░░░░░░░ begin with in the ░░░░░░░░ this week and this ░░░░░░░░ certainly not something that ░░░░░░░░ you know that Ronan ░░░░░░░░ is the only person ░░░░░░░░ does and I think ░░░░░░░░ every person feels this ░░░░░░░░ pull in some ways ░░░░░░░░ the story I began ░░░░░░░░ was a story of ░░░░░░░░ suggestion of a cover ░░░░░░░░ in the Department of ░░░░░░░░ of sensitive files regarding ░░░░░░░░ Cohen The headline was ░░░░░░░░ missing files had motivated ░░░░░░░░ high profile leak of ░░░░░░░░ Cohen s financial information ░░░░░░░░ the story just turned ░░░░░░░░ not to be true ░░░░░░░░ all Michael Avenatti had ░░░░░░░░ this junior analyst who ░░░░░░░░ his defense lawyer put ░░░░░░░░ watched too much cable ░░░░░░░░ to leak him some ░░░░░░░░ And it got sort ░░░░░░░░ spun into a sort ░░░░░░░░ recognizable sympathetic narrative in ░░░░░░░░ way that was a ░░░░░░░░ splash on the Internet ░░░░░░░░ just kind of dissolved ░░░░░░░░ turns out the files ░░░░░░░░ not missing at all ░░░░░░░░ were restricted Somebody who ░░░░░░░░ went looking for them ░░░░░░░░ have hit a notice ░░░░░░░░ that basically if you ░░░░░░░░ these call the librarian ░░░░░░░░ So perhaps a source ░░░░░░░░ several sources led Farrow ░░░░░░░░ Doesn t that happen ░░░░░░░░ everybody SMITH Absolutely happens ░░░░░░░░ everyone And I was ░░░░░░░░ surprised that wasn t ░░░░░░░░ New Yorker s defense ░░░░░░░░ that story which is ░░░░░░░░ know what we got ░░░░░░░░ wrong But I think ░░░░░░░░ you read the writing ░░░░░░░░ this story there s ░░░░░░░░ caveat This could just ░░░░░░░░ that they were restricted ░░░░░░░░ even in that case ░░░░░░░░ sources indicate that would ░░░░░░░░ a bombshell And every ░░░░░░░░ of evidence ends towards ░░░░░░░░ peoples expectations By the ░░░░░░░░ not wrong expectations STELTER ░░░░░░░░ towards conspiracy One of ░░░░░░░░ main critiques of Farrow ░░░░░░░░ book Catch and Kill ░░░░░░░░ that he suggests conspiracy ░░░░░░░░ then doesn t always ░░░░░░░░ beyond reasonal doubt that ░░░░░░░░ is a conspiracy You ░░░░░░░░ Farrow s argument is ░░░░░░░░ presents the evidence lets ░░░░░░░░ reader decide He says ░░░░░░░░ s good enough He ░░░░░░░░ t go beyond the ░░░░░░░░ SMITH You know I ░░░░░░░░ that s I think ░░░░░░░░ m not sure he ░░░░░░░░ quite said that but ░░░░░░░░ think that is actually ░░░░░░░░ our jobs I think ░░░░░░░░ Catch and Kill but ░░░░░░░░ is not something specific ░░░░░░░░ his work Maybe he ░░░░░░░░ just the highest profile ░░░░░░░░ For instance Hillary Clinton ░░░░░░░░ spokesman calls him he ░░░░░░░░ it as ominous and ░░░░░░░░ later says it was ░░░░░░░░ instance of power protecting ░░░░░░░░ It suggests that Hillary ░░░░░░░░ is taking Harvey Weinstein ░░░░░░░░ side and there s ░░░░░░░░ really no evidence that ░░░░░░░░ happened at all It ░░░░░░░░ a theory that many ░░░░░░░░ Americans are very eager ░░░░░░░░ believe that there are ░░░░░░░░ conspiracies of powerful people ░░░░░░░░ them By the way ░░░░░░░░ s often quite true ░░░░░░░░ it s you have ░░░░░░░░ prove it You can ░░░░░░░░ just sort of imply ░░░░░░░░ and then when called ░░░░░░░░ your implications say Hey ░░░░░░░░ never literally said it ░░░░░░░░ to take these legalistic ░░░░░░░░ STELTER There are a ░░░░░░░░ of people including people ░░░░░░░░ this program who really ░░░░░░░░ Ronan Farrow And I ░░░░░░░░ to be clear you ░░░░░░░░ saying he s not ░░░░░░░░ fabulist he s not ░░░░░░░░ stuff up You just ░░░░░░░░ to be saying sometimes ░░░░░░░░ doesn t cross his ░░░░░░░░ and dot his Is ░░░░░░░░ s essentially your critique ░░░░░░░░ that right SMITH I ░░░░░░░░ that s a quote ░░░░░░░░ Ken Auletta who s ░░░░░░░░ friend and mentor of ░░░░░░░░ s And I think ░░░░░░░░ the case for him ░░░░░░░░ the degree he contributed ░░░░░░░░ the fall of Harvey ░░░░░░░░ who is a monster ░░░░░░░░ was a great service ░░░░░░░░ wouldn t ever want ░░░░░░░░ take that away from ░░░░░░░░ STELTER And there are ░░░░░░░░ stories that he broke ░░░░░░░░ open that he added ░░░░░░░░ reporting on Let me ░░░░░░░░ Ronan s Tweet in ░░░░░░░░ to some of this ░░░░░░░░ New Yorker supported him ░░░░░░░░ support for him and ░░░░░░░░ Farrow tweeted out a ░░░░░░░░ I stand by my ░░░░░░░░ Do you think there ░░░░░░░░ a lesson for journalism ░░░░░░░░ or aspiring journalists in ░░░░░░░░ you ve looked at ░░░░░░░░ week SMITH You know ░░░░░░░░ m not trying to ░░░░░░░░ a professor here STELTER ░░░░░░░░ on Ben SMITH From ░░░░░░░░ perspective this is an ░░░░░░░░ you and I have ░░░░░░░░ for a long time ░░░░░░░░ probably don t totally ░░░░░░░░ with The New York ░░░░░░░░ on all these things ░░░░░░░░ you should err on ░░░░░░░░ side of transparency you ░░░░░░░░ write what you know ░░░░░░░░ what you don t ░░░░░░░░ You should show the ░░░░░░░░ to the degree you ░░░░░░░░ what you ve got ░░░░░░░░ think this has come ░░░░░░░░ around the Tara Reade ░░░░░░░░ in a certain way ░░░░░░░░ I just think that ░░░░░░░░ look so closely at ░░░░░░░░ and are examining not ░░░░░░░░ what we find but ░░░░░░░░ we find it so ░░░░░░░░ that you shouldn t ░░░░░░░░ to spin people STELTER ░░░░░░░░ me give you an ░░░░░░░░ involving your paper That ░░░░░░░░ front page this morning ░░░░░░░░ the thousand names of ░░░░░░░░ 19 victims Some sleuths ░░░░░░░░ the Internet found that ░░░░░░░░ of the thousand died ░░░░░░░░ a homicide not Covid ░░░░░░░░ And then all these ░░░░░░░░ on Twitter tried to ░░░░░░░░ like the entire thing ░░░░░░░░ discredited it was all ░░░░░░░░ news Of course shame ░░░░░░░░ them for trying to ░░░░░░░░ one error and smearing ░░░░░░░░ entire New York Times ░░░░░░░░ it But that s ░░░░░░░░ world we live in ░░░░░░░░ t it You have ░░░░░░░░ bad faith actors that ░░░░░░░░ good but flawed reporting ░░░░░░░░ try to smear with ░░░░░░░░ SMITH You know I ░░░░░░░░ not sure about good ░░░░░░░░ and bad faith I ░░░░░░░░ think all reporting will ░░░░░░░░ flawed It s always ░░░░░░░░ best we can do ░░░░░░░░ re always trying to ░░░░░░░░ you as much as ░░░░░░░░ know when we know ░░░░░░░░ And I think to ░░░░░░░░ degree we pretend otherwise ░░░░░░░░ sets us up for ░░░░░░░░ Every journalistic project has ░░░░░░░░ Sometimes you get things ░░░░░░░░ wrong often you get ░░░░░░░░ a little wrong and ░░░░░░░░ best thing you can ░░░░░░░░ is correct them as ░░░░░░░░ as you can I ░░░░░░░░ we ought to be ░░░░░░░░ with our audiences about ░░░░░░░░ STELTER My concern is ░░░░░░░░ live in an environment ░░░░░░░░ any error is turned ░░░░░░░░ a conspiracy or proof ░░░░░░░░ a plot That s ░░░░░░░░ I just don t ░░░░░░░░ how to fight back ░░░░░░░░ that though I don ░░░░░░░░ know how to show ░░░░░░░░ that journalists are mostly ░░░░░░░░ in good faith SMITH ░░░░░░░░ I do think there ░░░░░░░░ broadly this moment when ░░░░░░░░ in this unbelievably disoriented ░░░░░░░░ kind of dark moment ░░░░░░░░ looking for wheels within ░░░░░░░░ One of the really ░░░░░░░░ things to me first ░░░░░░░░ all about working for ░░░░░░░░ New York Times where ░░░░░░░░ just arrived but also ░░░░░░░░ these stories everything you ░░░░░░░░ is interpreted through these ░░░░░░░░ motives It was an ░░░░░░░░ wildly shared Tweet suggesting ░░░░░░░░ I do not think ░░░░░░░░ believes this or suggested ░░░░░░░░ at all but that ░░░░░░░░ must have written this ░░░░░░░░ Farrow has something coming ░░░░░░░░ The New York Times ░░░░░░░░ this is sort of ░░░░░░░░ institutional defensive maneuver On ░░░░░░░░ hand I think for ░░░░░░░░ who is not paying ░░░░░░░░ know you can see ░░░░░░░░ that has a certain ░░░░░░░░ to it and how ░░░░░░░░ that logic is I ░░░░░░░░ we have to resist ░░░░░░░░ seduction STELTER Yeah we ░░░░░░░░ do Ben thank you ░░░░░░░░ being here.”