Chasing the Truth: A Young Journalist's Guide to Investigative Reporting

by Ruby Shamir (Adapter), Jodi Kantor, Megan Twohey

The perfect book for all student journalists, this young readers adaptation of Pulitzer Prize winning reporters' Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey's New York Timesbestselling She Said will inspire a new generation of investigative journalists.

Soon to be a major motion picture!

Do you want to know how to bring secrets to light?
How journalists can hold the powerful to account?
And how to write stories that can make a difference?

In Chasing the Truth, Pulitzer Prize winning journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey share their thoughts from their early days writing their first stories to their time as award-winning investigative journalists, offering tips and advice along the way. Adapted from their New York Times bestselling book She Said, Chasing the Truth not only tells the story of the culture-shifting Harvey Weinstein investigation, but it also shares their best practices with readers. This is the perfect book for aspiring journalists or anyone devoted to uncovering the truth.

Genres: Nonfiction, Journalism, Childrens, Read For School

272 pages, Hardcover

First published September 14, 2021

Reviews

[Melissa Purser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t really sure what it was about when I checked it out from the library (other than journalism) but I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed seeing everything that happened with Harvey Weinstein from the eyes of the journalists and victims. It helped me understand more about everything and helped me feel more sympathy to those who were victimized. I could see how brave they were for standing up for themselves and others. I would definitely recommend this book (I listened to it).

[Lily Webber · Rating 3 out of 5]

made me question the ethicality of their journalism and the way they profit off of it

[George Kasnic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Purchased multiple copies of this from First Book for my sixth grade classroom library. As nonfiction informational text it will work for a student interesting in journalism. I think more not as an introductory text to journalism but as a follow on.

The authors do a good job of reviewing journalistic rigor in an accessible way. They do not do this enough. Four stars only because it is apparent the book was written by journalists not novelists. The focus shifts as the book progresses to more celebrity and court details, losing the clarity of the journalistic heavy lifting the authors did. This made the book less effective than it could have been in delivering on its promise. They handle the violence the perpetrator did in a deft manner, respecting those attacked without minimizing the acts, nor sparing the attacker.

[Ranada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man! If you want to know what GOOD journalism is, read this. We read this as our second book club book at school, and the students and I agree that it was AMAZING.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to read for class but actually p good

[Dekan Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gave me a good grade in my English class so I can’t complain, other they that all I have to say is… Harvey Weinstein is a naughty little boy 😈

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruby Shamir adapts SHE SAID into a young adult version that is about Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey sharing their journey from their early days when they were writing about the Harvey Weinstein investigation. These two women are the perfect role models for young aspiring writers. They speak of feminism and the movement of women writers while also sticking to importance of searching for the true answers.

CHASING THE TRUTH is a riveting novel that opens the reader's eyes to what Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey accomplished in their early careers. They helped pave the way for women writers. In the introduction they address how most jobs were held by men and many women were sexually harassed, but it was brushed under the table. Their courage to continue chasing the truth opened up the possibility for other women to speak up.

There are sensitive topics in this book with the investigation focusing on sexual harassment, so I do want to mention that trigger warning. In the back of the book, there are tips for aspiring journalists to shape their way of writing and investigating. The index in the back of the book shares where they got all their information from.


Final Verdict: I would recommend this to all females who want to be journalists because Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey are inspirations. Their tale will help young journalists decide if this career is for them, and if so, then it shows how to search for the truth before composing an article.

[Kim Bongiorno · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up because I thought I had marked it as a book about writing, one to help me sift through the muck of misinformation and misleading information. It was so much more than that.

This is the telling of how two journalists ended up teamed together to investigate and write about the Harvey Weinstein story, breaking decades of silence and coverups regarding his mistreatment of women.

Intellectually, I know it's a lesson in quality journalism, fact-finding, integrity in writing for public consumption, and handling the human part of human-interest stories, but really it was like watching a documentary that got my heart racing one minute and breaking another. Timing, tools, perseverance and planning are all on display here, making it impossible to put down.

Note: Because this is a Young Readers' edition, the crimes committed were not delved into with detailed language or explicit coverage. Plain, clear terms (assault, rape, non-consentual contact, etc) were used without graphic details, allowing the book to be more about the process than something that is likely to trigger someone who has been assaulted/harmed.

[Carmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was a doozy! Great book, but I can only imagine the adult version is reaaaally intense (this one was intense enough). There was a lot about the Weinstein mess that I missed, and I’m glad I got the details (with the luxury of hindsight) from this book.

I will say that I found the title to be a bit of a misnomer. I wish it were more of the “guide to investigative journalism” that was promised. Or at least a little more explicit? The story was fantastic, but it would’ve been great to have more of an outline like: we were stuck with this decision. As reporters, we might’ve done A. As NYT journalists, we could’ve done B. But because we were using (insert specific tool or strategy here), we had to stay the course as INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS first and foremost. I dunno, maybe there’s too much nuance there but that’s where I thought the title was taking me.

Kudos to the authors for their initial work, first book, and then for taking the effort to make this book come true for young, aspiring journalists everywhere!

Highly recommended.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will read anything that Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey write. This was a nice follow up to "She Said," which I enjoyed immensely. The end of the book of this new edition was the best part, where they gave advice to up and coming journalists. I wish more of that was infused throughout the book, but nonetheless, these two journalists are heroes and every time I read about the difficulties they faced breaking this landmark story and how truly impossible it seemed at times, it fills me with hope and admiration.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deliberately picked this version because it contained a guide to investigative journalism. I have not read She Said yet so I can’t speak to differences between the versions. That all being said, this book focuses on Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey reporting out their story on Harvey Weinstein’s pattern of sexual misconduct and abuse— like All the President’s Men to Woodward and Bernstein’s Watergate articles. Just from that, it is very clear in showing how they reported it and why they did certain things. There is also an explicit section at the end of tips for investigative journalism.

[Steve Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was distracted by a few simple editing errors in the book, however it got better and the work of Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey to expose Weinstein's decades of predatory behavior is revealed. They worked tirelessly to report his brash and often unapologetic behavior in the New York Times, once agin making it clear that journalism is often the best way to expose wrongs. We have to remember that, including the young people this book is designed for: Reporting wrong can sometimes be more effective (if not more important to society) than reporting assaults to officials.

[Miriam T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always so interested in the inner workings of investigative journalists: the off vs on the record conversations, the leads they get that end up going nowhere but they had to see them through, all the many emails and texts and documents they have to sift through etc. It really feels like a mystery novel almost. This books definitely delivered many of those juicy details, delving into the story of the two NYTimes journalists who broke the Harvey Weinstein story.

[Max Forstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

My parents got me this book a couple of years ago with the impression that I would be going to college and studying to be a journalist. While that has not entirely held up (I would still love to be a journalist), the themes and lessons learned from this story still certainly hold up and apply to my reporting journey. Really well-adapted and the events as a whole are so wild and fascinating to read about.

[Leah Coyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for my Journalism 2 class! I thought that this was so interesting and insightful. I didn’t even know anything about the Harvey Weinstein case and the sexual assault and rape cases that were brought against him. I thought that Megan and Jodi did an incredible job of keeping it timely, respecting victims if they wanted to stay anonymous, and tying up loose threads that were dispersed throughout the book. Highly recommend reading this if you want an insightful read and more info on the Harvey Weinstein case/investigative journalism!

[Vonita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young journalists guide but be prepared for the content. The investigative journalist over view shared in the book was the process of calling Harvey Weinstein out in the NYT on his sexual assault, rape and cover-ups. While there was no graphic testimony the content may be triggering for some readers and should include unpacking convos with younger readers.

[Blythe Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a really cool book. I looked into the "she said" book, but I found this YA version and I was really excited. This was really crazy, and heartbreaking to learn about. It's crazy everything he got away with, for that long. The journalists also went through so much just to get enough information.

[Jayden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a page-turner, and on top of a well-written story on the process of breaking one of the most impactful news articles of all time - this book also contained great insight and notes on how to break an investigative journalism article and what makes it great. An amazing book that both tells a story and informs very well.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a testament to their writing that I wanted to read this book instead of watching football yesterday. Even though I know what happened, I couldn't stop turning the page to see what happened next. THIS is how you make our society change.

[Geannie Bastian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this today even though I have read the longer She Said. It’s adapted for a younger audience, and gives advice on reporting strategies and backgrounds on the journalist. Fascinating to see how the work was adapted , especially given the fairly sensitive topic.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the original, adult text She Said. This is a wonderful adaption for the YA audience. It was incredibly clear, and I was able to follow the entire story. I love how things like "deep background" were defined.

[Starry Night · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book should be required reading for high school

Wish it contained multiple story examples instead of just one story so that young writer's could get a feel of how to write on different subjects.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this because of the subtitle--as a journalism advisor, I thought it would be useful for my students. And maybe it will be, but I am not sure I see the need for this book, when one could just read the original, "She Said," which is brilliant and comprehensive.

[Jaise King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Required reading for my History and Principles of Journalism classes. Incredible recount of what it took to complete the Harvey Weinstein investigation. Definitely gave me some great perspective on approaching contentious interviews during investigative stories.

[Shanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting book, however, I thought it would going to focus more on how a young person could go about becoming an investigative journalist rather than just relaying the story of them outing Weinstein.

[Jess Thinking Aloud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed Jody and Megan's career path to nailing one of the biggest stories of the century for Hollywood.

Loved to understand how they used interpersonal skills to track down and talk with sources.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thorough account of the Harvey Weinstein investigation by the New York Times.

[Kimberly Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent description of the journalism behind #metoo
Riveting, topical. Notes at the end as well as tips for aspiring journalists add to the value of this book.

[Annelise Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried. Women are really cool and resilient.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed listening to how they started the downfall of Harry Weinstein.