Jane Mayer in Conversation with Frank Rich - The 92nd Street Y, New York

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Jane Mayer in Conversation with Frank Rich

May 19, 2009


New Yorker investigative journalist Jane Mayer and The New York Times Op-Ed columnist Frank Rich joined on stage for a conversation about Mayer's book, 'The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals'.

Video highlights include Mayer talking about her interested in these issues, her opinion on the compromise Obama has made on Military Commissions, having to withhold publishing certain information in the book per order of the C.I.A., and how investigative reporting might fare in the years to come.

In regards to withholding publishing information in the book, she said:

"We've been asked to withhold some things, usually by the C.I.A...There's a redhead who you hear about who is hell on wheels...I wish I could tell people who she was...she renditioned somebody who was innocent and kept him in a dungeon, despite the fact that everybody else kept saying he's innocent, and she's been promoted twice since. So I'd love to identify her but I can't, because the C.I.A. says that she's in a delicate position job and can't be identified, so we didn't."

On how we can support investigative reporting, Mayer said:

"Read the New Yorker, they'll be investigative reporting...I know at the New York Times...I know there be investigative reporting so long as [Jill Abramson] is there...

Frank Rich: "Not so much television though, which is a problem...they didn't even go looking"

Mayer: "That's true. ...I don't know what's going to happen, there have been a lot of books...If you get a book...you start in one place and you follow the whole thing, and you can see how it all unfolded...So maybe, hopefully books, maybe Kindle will save us."

Categories: News & Politics


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