Two years ago the New York Times published its investigation into decades of sexual misconduct allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein — an article that kickstarted a movement of women coming forward with sexual harassment allegations against powerful men. That movement, which came to be known as #MeToo, eventually brought down some of the most powerful figures in America: Al Franken, Mark Halperin, Louis C.K., Kevin Spacey, Mario Batali, Matt Lauer, and Charlie Rose, to name a few.
The two reporters that broke the Weinstein story, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, have detailed the inside story of their investigation in a new book: “She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement."
Twohey and Kantor joined Greater Boston Monday to discuss the changes brought about by their investigation and the lingering questions of the #MeToo movement.
“Part of what is so confounding is that everything has changed, and nothing has changed,” Kantor said.
“What we have found again and again is that, in the political realm, these stories turn into almost holy wars,” Kantor said. "Everybody takes sides. It gets infected with all the poison and heat of American political life and in a sense it’s almost not even about the women anymore."
That dynamic was at play during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, for example, who was confirmed to the court despite California professor Christine Blasey Ford's testimony that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her as a teenager.
But Twohey points out that Blasey Ford's testimony had significant impacts regardless — including on the decision of Rowena Chiu, Weinstein's former assistant, to come forward with her own story in the New York Times this week.
“After watching all these women come forward with allegations against Weinstein, it was really watching Christine [come] forward that gave her the courage to make the leap," Twohey said.
Kantor said she hopes her and Twohey's work serves as an affirmation of the societal importance of deeply-reported investigative journalism.
“We want people to believe that facts can actually drive social change and that stories, when they’re told bravely and accurately, can really cause compassion — and action," Kantor said.
