• by February 25, 2020

Harvey Weinstein's conviction for sex crimes is a victory for his victims and the reporters who overcame the adversity that comes with investigating the misdeeds of the wealthy and powerful.

The disgraced movie mogul was found guilty of first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape, which means he may be sentenced to as many as 25 years in prison. A jury in New York City acquitted him of the more serious charges of predatory sexual assault and first-degree rape.

The trial likely never would have happened without the enterprising efforts by  The New York Times and  The New Yorker to listen to the many women who had harrowing stories to tell about Weinstein. Most of those stories weren't heard as testimony in his criminal trial, but that doesn't diminish their power to show a long-term pattern of sexual misconduct.

Since those publications printed their bombshell reports in October 2017, the #MeToo movement gained momentum and inspired countless women to come forward with their stories of being sexually assaulted or harassed.

Again, I recommend everyone read the personal accounts of the journalists who broke the Weinstein story. 

NYT reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey provide a gripping account of their work in the book "She Said."<

New Yorker reporter Ronan Farrow's "Catch and Kill" tells the tale of his ordeal to break the story for NBC News, whose management showed no conviction in reporting one of the most consequential stories of the past decade. Fortunately, The New Yorker reported the story that delved more deeply into Weinstein's allegedly criminal conduct.