Jodi Cantor's careful language on the podcast isn't just caution; it's a strategic necessity. She operates under the assumption that her sources, or even the subjects of her reporting, could be listening. Every word is weighed to avoid giving the "wrong impression" and jeopardizing hard-won reporting access.
Related Insights
Andrew Ross Sorkin's best sources are often "jilted" individuals—bankers who lost a deal, executives passed over for promotion, or spurned partners. These sources have nothing to lose and are motivated to talk, providing reporters with a powerful, albeit biased, starting point for a story.
NYT's Jodi Cantor explains her focus isn't leaking decisions that will eventually be public. Instead, she uses her limited time and capital to move information from the "secret side of the ledger" to the public side—facts and context that would otherwise remain hidden forever.
Veiled threats or polite requests convey a message without making it "official" common knowledge. This preserves the existing social relationship (e.g., friends, colleagues) by providing plausible deniability, even when the underlying meaning is clear to both parties.
In high-visibility roles, striving for perfect communication is counterproductive. Mistakes are inevitable. The key to credibility is not avoiding errors, but handling them with authenticity. This display of humanity makes a communicator more relatable and trustworthy than a polished but sterile delivery.
When faced with sustained political attacks and threats, a media organization may strategically shift from cautious appeasement to aggressive, adversarial journalism. This pivot reflects a calculation that defending journalistic integrity is a better brand and survival strategy than attempting to placate a hostile political actor.
Instead of asking for confirmation on a rumor, Sorkin's method is to build the story almost completely with details from various sources. By the time he asks the company for comment, he presents so many facts that they are incentivized to cooperate and shape the narrative, rather than just deny it.
To broach a sensitive topic, Andrew Ross Sorkin reads a critical quote from another source. This technique shifts the focus from a personal attack ("I think you...") to a public concern ("Others are saying..."). It forces the interviewee to grapple with an issue they have likely already considered, leading to a more thoughtful response.
When sharing sensitive stories involving other people, use the "Five-Year Pride Test." Ask yourself, "Will I be proud of this sentence, paragraph, and chapter in five years?" This filter encourages a long-term perspective, promoting compassion over sensationalism and preventing future regret.
Using the Harvey Weinstein case, reporter Jodi Cantor makes a crucial distinction: victims deserve privacy (control over their story), but secrecy (systems of NDAs, settlements, and cover-ups) is what enables abuse. This framework helps organizations navigate transparency without harming individuals.
Andrew Ross Sorkin believes the most crucial moment of an interview is the brief, informal interaction just before it officially begins. This is the window to calm a guest's nerves, build rapport, and set a tone that encourages candor, which is more important than the first question asked.