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“Slippery,” but “charming.” “Magnetic,” but “useless.” And “utterly unapologetic.” Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein invited New York Times columnist James Stewart to his Manhattan home last August. Following Epstein’s apparent suicide last week, as he awaited trial for sex trafficking and conspiracy to traffic minors for sex, Stewart and the Times made the decision to publish details of their interview, though Epstein spoke with Stewart on background. Here CJR Editor and Publisher Kyle Pope and Stewart discuss the ethical questions behind that decision, and the moral imperative to publish facts quickly.
SHOW NOTES:
- The Day Jeffrey Epstein Told Me He Had Dirt on Powerful People, James B. Stewart, The New York Times
- After Jeffrey Epstein’s death, conspiracies—and journalism—flourish, Jon Allsop, CJR
- Labeling Jeffrey Epstein, Merrill Perlman, CJR
- Jeffrey Epstein’s arrest puts a Miami Herald story back in the spotlight, Jon Allsop, CJR
