For decades, Jodi Kantor has been banging away at the truth.
Case in point: In October 2017, The New York Times investigative reporter teamed up with colleague Megan Twohey to unearth the long-suppressed sexual conduct allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
The Weinstein story yielded a Pulitzer Prize, and the truths it revealed resulted in a far greater return. The watershed Weinstein revelation helped break loose the #MeToo movement. This is recounted in their acclaimed book, She Said, which was then adapted into a film.
Since then, Kantor’s truth-seeking has intensified.
“I just feel great urgency in talking about the truth and journalism and stories and facts and what they mean to us and can still mean to us in this very difficult moment in our nation’s history,” Kantor said.
On March 11, the celebrated journalist is speaking her own truths in Charleston as the featured speaker at the College of Charleston’s Milton and Freddie Kronsberg Memorial Lecture Series.
Moderated by former USA TODAY managing editor Donna Leinwand Leger, the 7 p.m. conversation at the Simons Center Recital Hall will focus on the practice and impact of investigative journalism, as well as the personal and professional challenges that come with that work.
The exchange will more than likely include the Weinstein story, Kantor said. Years later, she has found it is still a topic many want to hear about, particularly as a story about how truth won and the brave women who were willing to be sources for it.
Candor in the court
Elizabeth Meyer-Bernstein, dean of the College of Charleston Honors College who oversees the series, which is hosted by the college’s Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program, underscored that now is particularly a compelling moment to hear from the journalist. Questions about institutional trust, media credibility and democratic norms are at the forefront of public discourse, she said.
“Kantor’s work provides a powerful example of how careful, principled inquiry can lead to meaningful societal change. Her presence invites reflection on the role of truth-seeking in a democratic society.”
These days, Kantor is training her sharply-honed skills on a similar level of transparency from another secrecy-shrouded institution, the U.S. Supreme Court. It’s a subject she would be eager to talk about in Charleston, given the court’s tradition of being off-limits to journalism.
“We’re reporting stories from inside the court. We’re asking the big questions about how the justices do their jobs. Are they partisan? How does power flow inside the holy of holies of the American legal system?”
From Kantor’s perspective, the job of journalists is to scrutinize that power, particularly when dynamics behind it are elusive.
“Also as an investigative journalist I like impossible stories. My job is to do the hard stories that people say can’t be done,” she said.
Truth to students
Over the past year,Kantor said she has found herself wrestling with a question that is particularly relevant to students: “How in this crazy environment is anyone supposed to find and start their life’s work?”
This was driven home by her return last year to deliver the keynote address at her alma mater, Columbia University, in a moment of pitch upheaval on the campus.
“My friends told me not to go and that I was going to be booed, but I said give me those kids for 15 minutes because I’m so upset as an alum [about] how low this place has been brought and I’d like to try to do something to help,” she said.
That also prompted her to pen a new book, How to Start: Discovering Your Life’s Work. Set for an April 21 release, it offers guidance for young professionals navigating modern careers. At the college, she will engage directly with students in a talk solely for them.
Truth to community, too
For those who planned this year’s series, Kantor was a natural.
A central part of the College of Charleston’s Jewish Studies Program, the Kronsberg Memorial Lecture Series was established to bring nationally significant Jewish voices to campus to engage the campus and the wider community in thoughtful conversations about democracy, ethics, leadership and the public good.
Founded in honor of Milton and Freddie Kronsberg by their family, it has evolved over the years in response to the times in which we live, challenging audiences to think critically about structures and values shaping public life.
For Lisa Strauss, granddaughter of the Kronsbergs, the selection of Kantor as this year’s speaker resonates.
“This year’s speaker furthers the Kronsberg lecture’s purpose of bringing the community together to learn from Jewish thought leaders,” she said, noting that Kantor’s investigative reporting about transparency and the Supreme Court is particularly timely.
For the broader Charleston community, the series reinforces the college’s role as a civic partner and intellectual resource. This year, it’s also a resource for illuminating crucial truths.
When the journalist was asked if there is ever a moment when she has a spider sense about what is left unsaid, and if it needs to be pursued, Kantor’s response was quick and clear.
“That’s an easy yes.”
IF YOU WANT TO GO: The lecture starts at 7 p.m., March 11, at the College of Charleston Simons Center Recital Hall, 54 St. Philip St. Tickets are free but require registration. More: bit.ly/kantorlecture
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