The Reporters Who Broke The Harvey Weinstein News Are Now Writing A Book

Since the publication of their first article detailing Harvey Weinstein's sexual misconduct back in October, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey's reporting has revealed one of the biggest abuse scandals in American history, but it seems their work isn't done quite yet. The two New York Times reporters will write a book on the sexual harassment and assault revelations that led to Weinstein's firing and sparked a public debate about the pervasiveness of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace. Publisher Penguin Press has not announced a title or release date at this time.

Kantor and Twohey, veteran reporters who are no strangers to covering sexual misconduct and the mistreatment of women in the workplace, first began reporting on the long history of sexual misconduct by Hollywood magnate Harvey Weinstein in October when they published an article that detailed several payouts the powerful producer made to sexual harassment accusers over the course of several decades. In their continued coverage of the scandal, Kantor and Twohey's reporting also revealed that Weinstein's abuse could be traced all the back to the 1970s, when he allegedly raped and sexually assaulted several women, and that the Weinstein Company was aware of their co-founders payouts as early as 2015.

Most recently, Twohey and Kantor co-authored a piece with fellow reporters Susan Dominus, Jim Rutenberg and Steve Eder that explained "Weinstein's complicity machine." In the in-depth report, they detail the expansive network of enablers who helped Weinstein cover up decades of sexual abuse through intimidation, spying, and threats that kept the accusers silent.

In a tweet about the news of the pair's forthcoming book, Kantor told followers "We're going deeper," and promised both she and Twohey were "far from done."

Before covering the Weinstein scandal, Twohey worked as a reporter on The New York Times presidential politics team, where she helped uncover several controversies around Donald J. Trump, including his mistreatment of women. Already a bestselling author for her 2012 book The Obamas, Kantor has dedicated a lot of her investigative reporting to uncovering unethical workplace practices, exposing gender biases, and highlighting women's issues. Since October, both women's reporting has been devoted to the ongoing national discussion of sexual abuse, assault, and harassment in American culture.

“In this moment of attack on their profession, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey’s investigative reporting on sexual harassment has proven that the discipline, craft and ethics of journalism can truly spark social change,” Ann Godoff, the president and editor in chief of Penguin Press said in a statement. “Their book will contextualize and enlarge this important conversation.”

The power of Kanton and Twohey's reporting has already proved effective: as a result of their work, Weinstein was fired by his production company just days after their original story was run. Since then, several other powerful men have been ousted from Hollywood, the media, and most recently, Washington as a result of sexual misconduct allegations and the media's expansive coverage of it. Just this week, Democratic Senator Al Franken of Minnesota, Republican Representative Trent Franks or Arizona, and Democratic Representative John Conyers Jr. of Michigan all retired or resigned amid mounting allegations of sexual wrongdoing.

In November, both Kantor and Twohy presented at Glamour's 2017 Women of the Year Awards, where Kantor spoke about the power of reporting like theirs. “Every day of the last six weeks has brought new stories as women have come forward with accusations against abusers in every field,” she said. "Female farmworkers, restaurant workers and athletes have shared their stories; to date the hashtag #MeToo has been tweeted over 2.3 million times in 85 countries.”

If Kantor and Twohy's forthcoming book is anything like their groundbreaking reporting on the Weinstein scandal, it's safe to assume it will be a powerful contribution to the ongoing national conversation, and, perhaps, a vehicle for change.