“In the end, the courage of women can’t be stamped out. And stories – the big ones, the true ones – can be caught but never killed.”
Synopsis: “In 2017, a routine network television investigation led Ronan Farrow to a story only whispered about: one of Hollywood’s most powerful producers was a predator, protected by fear, wealth, and a conspiracy of silence. As Farrow drew closer to the truth, shadowy operatives, from high-priced lawyers to elite war-hardened spies, mounted a secret campaign of intimidation, threatening his career, following his every move and weaponizing an account of abuse in his own family.
All the while, Farrow and his producer faced a degree of resistance that could not be explained. And a trail of clues revealed corruption and cover-ups from Hollywood, to Washington, and beyond.”
When I read SHE SAID, a lot of people recommended CATCH AND KILL. When I found a copy at a used bookstore, I picked it up. I wanted to learn more about the reporting that gave a voice to women long ignored. The reporting didn’t happen easily, and people across various organizations tried to bury the stories that seemed to be pouring in. A dam had burst, and there was no way to stop the flow of stories, no matter the tactics tried. One such tactic was claiming that Farrow was biased in reporting on sexual assault accusations because of his sister, who alleged that his father molested her. That aspect of the book, among others, enraged me. The claim implies that anyone who knows anyone who has been sexually assaulted is biased, which is absurd because nearly everyone knows someone who has been assaulted (even if they don’t ~know~).
This book chronicles the lengths that people go to in order to hide their crimes and how many people are willing to be complicit if enough money and intimidation is used. Farrow’s writing is, expectedly, exceptional and outlines the investigative journalism behind his New Yorker piece that published roughly a week after The New York Times broke the story about Harvey Weinstein. It is smart, hauntingly honest, and includes anecdotes about his personal life.
Have you read this? 💛
Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow
Read It Like Rory 