He's worked for the release of journalists who were kidnapped by extremists or detained by hostile governments.ĭuring the Trump era, he says, the fight about press freedom is about the very nature of truth and whether we, as a nation, believe that a free press counts for something. McCraw has filed dozens of lawsuits seeking information that was withheld by the government in spite of the Freedom of Information Act. He's dealt with legal issues surrounding the publication of sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein and the threat of a libel suit that followed. McCraw will read that letter in a minute.Īs the Times' newsroom lawyer, McCraw has defended the Times against libel suits in the U.S.

It was in response to a letter from Donald Trump's lawyer threatening to sue the Times for libel. You probably know my guest, the New York Times deputy general counsel David McCraw, from a letter he wrote that went viral. 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. 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. 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. 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.

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.

Truth in Our Times by David E. McCraw