Truth in Our Times
Inside the Fight for Press Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts
-
- $11.99
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
David E. McCraw recounts his experiences as the top newsroom lawyer for the New York Times during the most turbulent era for journalism in generations.
In October 2016, when Donald Trump's lawyer demanded that The New York Times retract an article focused on two women that accused Trump of touching them inappropriately, David McCraw's scathing letter of refusal went viral and he became a hero of press freedom everywhere. But as you'll see in Truth in Our Times, for the top newsroom lawyer at the paper of record, it was just another day at the office.
McCraw has worked at the Times since 2002, leading the paper's fight for freedom of information, defending it against libel suits, and providing legal counsel to the reporters breaking the biggest stories of the year. In short: if you've read a controversial story in the paper since the Bush administration, it went across his desk first. From Chelsea Manning's leaks to Trump's tax returns, McCraw is at the center of the paper's decisions about what news is fit to print.
In Truth in Our Times, McCraw recounts the hard legal decisions behind the most impactful stories of the last decade with candor and style. The book is simultaneously a rare peek behind the curtain of the celebrated organization, a love letter to freedom of the press, and a decisive rebuttal of Trump's fake news slur through a series of hard cases. It is an absolute must-have for any dedicated reader of The New York Times.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
McCraw, the deputy general counsel of the New York Times, recounts 17 years of defending the First Amendment and the paper's legal integrity in this passionate memoir. Best known for a letter he wrote responding to a lawsuit threat from President Trump about a report detailing groping accusations against him from two women, McCraw colors his legalese with wit and levity. Much of the book involves the 2016 election, including the paper's publication of a portion of Trump's 1995 tax return (a move that McCraw reassured reporters would have no legal consequence), but also features lighter anecdotes, such as a libel suit from Beatles acquaintance "Magic Alex" about his portrayal as a "charlatan" in an obituary for Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Stories including the Harvey Weinstein sexual allegations (during which McCraw reviewed early article drafts) are recounted vividly, and McCraw includes correspondence with opposing legal teams, as well as his fielding of questions from reporters, once via phone from the stands of Yankee Stadium. Laws regarding leaks, libel, and Freedom of Information Act requests are explained thoroughly, with McCraw believing "there was still something right about a system where you had a chance to stand up to your government in a court of law." News junkies will relish the insider access.