The New Yorker may not be thrilled that the author of its blockbuster Harvey Weinstein expose said last night that he offered the story first to NBC News. Ronan Farrow is a contributor at NBC News after his short-lived MSNBC series came and went.
On Rachel Maddow’s MSNBC show, the host asked Farrow, “Why did you end up reporting this story for The New Yorker and not NBC News?” (Watch his remarks in the video below, at around the 4 minute mark.)
Responded Farrow: “You would have to ask NBC and NBC executives about the details of that story. I’m not going to comment on any news organization’s story that they did or didn’t run.”
But then, he added, “I will say that over many years, many news organizations have circled this story and faced a great deal of pressure in doing so,” commenting by implication.
“And there are now reports emerging publicly about the kinds of pressure that news organizations face in this. And that is real,” he added.
Sister publication Variety reported Tuesday afternoon that Farrow had asked NBC News if he could bring his work to a print outlet thinking that sources might be more willing to cooperate if they did not have to go on camera, adding NBC News agreed, with the understanding that if he got the story published he would come back and talk about it for NBC outlets.
Maddow, however, reported NBC News said what he brought to them was not ready to air.
Farrow was having none of that. “I walked into the door at The New Yorker with an explosive reportable piece that should have been public earlier. And immediately New Yorker recognized that, and it is not accurate to say that it was not reportable,” Farrow said. “In fact, there were multiple determinations that it was reportable at NBC.”
Watch here Part 1 of Farrow’s discussion with Maddow about his Weinstein expose: