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Megan Twohey (/ˈtuːi/ TOO-ee)[1] is an American journalist. She is an investigative reporter at The New York Times and previously reported for Reuters, the Chicago Tribune, and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.[2]

Key Information

On October 5, 2017, Twohey and fellow Times journalist Jodi Kantor published a report about Harvey Weinstein detailing decades of sexual abuse allegations, and more than 80 women publicly accused Weinstein of sexually abusing or assaulting them.[3] The story led to Weinstein's firing and helped to ignite the viral #MeToo movement started by the American activist Tarana Burke.[3][4] That work was honored in 2018, when The New York Times was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.[5] Kantor and Twohey won the George Polk award and were named to Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people of the year. Twohey and Kantor subsequently authored a 2019 book, She Said, which chronicled their report about Weinstein and was adapted into a film of the same name in 2022. In addition to winning the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, Twohey was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting in 2014.[2][6]

Early life and education

[edit]

Twohey was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Evanston, Illinois.[2] Twohey's parents were both involved in news media; her mother Mary Jane Twohey was a television news producer and her father John Twohey was an editor for the Chicago Tribune.

She went to Evanston Township High School, then attended Georgetown University, graduating in 1998 with a Bachelor's degree in American studies.[7][8] While in college, she interned at the ABC News production Nightline.[8]

Career and investigations

[edit]

After graduating from Georgetown, Twohey wrote for Washington Monthly and the National Journal before spending a year in Moscow as a reporter for The Moscow Times. In 2002, she became a general assignment reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, then began writing investigations at the Chicago Tribune.[8] She reported for Reuters before joining The New York Times in 2016, first focusing on Donald Trump's tax history, possible business ties to Russia, and his past treatment of women.[9]

Untested rape kits

[edit]

In 2009, Twohey reported in the Chicago Tribune that several suburban police departments around Chicago were not submitting all rape kits for testing.[10] In the following year, Illinois became the first U.S. state to require every rape kit be tested, and many other states in the U.S. followed soon after.[11][12]

Predatory doctors

[edit]

From 2010 to 2011, Twohey published a series of articles in the Chicago Tribune detailing cases of doctors who had been convicted of violent felonies or sex crimes and were still practicing and abusing patients.[13] Her reporting has been credited for leading to new legislation and policies in Illinois aimed at protecting patients, for example requiring background checks for healthcare providers.[14][15]

Abandoned children

[edit]

In 2013, Twohey published an investigative report in Reuters News that detailed how some people in the United States were using the internet to find places to abandon their adopted children.[16] Several segments of this story were broadcast on the Nightly News and the Today Show on NBC.[17] She received a Sydney Award and the Michael Kelly Award for her work revealing these underground networks.[17][18] Twohey was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for this work.[6]

Donald Trump

[edit]

In 2016, Twohey and Michael Barbaro published several investigative pieces to The New York Times about sexual misconduct by then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.[19][9] She continued to report on the incidents into 2017.[20] Trump threatened to sue The New York Times if they did not take down the articles.[21][22]

Weinstein sexual abuse

[edit]
Book signing at Evanston Township High School

On October 5, 2017, Twohey and Jodi Kantor co-wrote a New York Times exposé on sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein. Twohey said they were encouraged to investigate untold stories, and that Dean Baquet, executive editor, and Rebecca Corbett, head of investigative projects, had supported them even though Weinstein had threatened to sue The New York Times.[23] Twohey and Kantor had two in-person meetings with Weinstein. Twohey, Kantor, and Corbett also had multiple conversations with Weinstein's lawyers and publicists.[24] A follow-up piece with fellow reporter Ellen Gabler added more allegations and expanded the Weinstein timeline.[25] Twohey said it was an emotional experience when she began seeing friends and family using the #MeToo on her social media feed in the aftermath of the Weinstein allegations.[26] Jezebel announced in 2018 Twohey and Kantor were publishing an international book, set to be published in Spring 2019, based on their investigation that would reveal more about what happened.[27] They received a Sidney Award for their exposé. They were also given L.A. Press Club's Inaugural Impact Award and the McGill Medal for Journalistic Courage from the Grady College of Journalism.[28][29] The New York Times won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for Twohey's and Jodi Kantor's reporting, sharing the award with Ronan Farrow at The New Yorker,[30] as well as the 2018 Gerald Loeb Award for Investigative business journalism.[31]

She Said

[edit]
Main articles: She Said (book) and She Said (film)

Twohey and Kantor authored a book which chronicled their exposé into Weinstein and the structures of power that enabled him, titled She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story that Helped Ignite a Movement, which was published by Penguin Books in September 2019.[32] In 2022, the book was adapted into a film of the same name. The film is directed by Maria Schrader from a screenplay by Rebecca Lenkiewicz. Twohey is played by Carey Mulligan.[33]

Suicide forum investigation

[edit]

In December 2021, Twohey and Gabriel Dance published an investigative report in The New York Times about an American web forum dedicated to discussing and encouraging suicide.[34] The report identified the founders of the suicide forum as Lamarcus Small and Diego Joaquín Galante and confirmed the deaths of 45 participants of the forum.[34][35] As part of the report, Twohey and Dance consulted established reporters and suicide and medical experts, to find ways to limit the potential for suicide contagion.[34] Twohey stated that the overall lack of awareness over the site pushed them to name it in their report, but that the decision was among the "biggest ethical issues that we had ever dealt with",[34] and also stated that the hope of the report was “to bring about more accountability than anything else.”[36] Twohey's report was later cited in a letter from members of the U.S. House of Representatives to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking the attorney general what action could be taken against the site.[35]

Transgender healthcare

[edit]
See also: The New York Times § Transgender People

In November 2022, The New York Times published a piece co-written by Twohey about the concerns some medical professionals (including Hilary Cass) had about the possible consequences of transgender adolescents taking puberty blockers.[37] Dr. AJ Eckert (director of the gender-affirming care program for Anchor Health in Connecticut and a teacher at Quinnipiac University's School of Medicine) called the Times' piece "another hit piece against trans people".[38] Eckert also wrote an article published by Science-Based Medicine, in which he said "the reporting ignored evidence and important context to weave a narrative portraying puberty blockers as far more risky than they actually are".[39] In an op-ed published by Teen Vogue, the chief medical officer of the Los Angeles LGBT Center said the New York Times' authors "[failed] to meaningfully investigate the most compelling reason why medical providers consider puberty blockers in trans and gender diverse youth: These medications save lives."[40]

A statement issued by the executive committee of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and the board of its U.S. affiliate said the reporting "furthers the atmosphere of misinformation and subjectivity that has grown to surround the area of gender affirming medical interventions for transgender youth", and accused the authors of "[coming] up short in their interpretation and application of available data".[41] On social media, lawyer and transgender rights activist Chase Strangio of the ACLU pointed to the piece as an example of how "rhetoric found in major news outlets fuels anti-trans violence", according to the geek culture website The Mary Sue.[42] A writer for Slate magazine said the New York Times piece "does not seem to trust [the] medical consensus view".[43] Fox News said the report "sparked jeers from critics on social media mocking their newfound nuanced coverage of puberty blockers" and was "also blasted by progressives".[44]

Personal life

[edit]

Her father John Twohey is a journalist, who was Chicago Times magazine editorial director in 1989.[45][46][47] He joined the Chicago Tribune in 1977, after serving for five years as design director of The Washington Post. Earlier in his career, he served as press secretary for Sargent Shriver's 1972 Democratic vice presidential run and for Senator Fred R. Harris (D-Okla.).[48] Megan's mother Mary Jane Twohey worked as a Congressional aide and as a news producer at WETA-TV in Washington, D.C. before serving for many years as a spokesperson and media-relations manager for Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Twohey's husband, Jim Rutman, is a literary agent.[49][50][51]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Megan Twohey

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia

Megan Twohey is an American investigative journalist who has worked for since 2016, focusing on accountability for powerful individuals and institutions in areas such as , child welfare, and online harms.
Her most prominent reporting includes co-authoring with the October 2017 article detailing long-suppressed allegations of sexual harassment, coercion, and abuse against Hollywood producer , which exposed patterns of victim silencing and prompted his ouster from , criminal charges, and a broader reckoning on workplace .
This work earned the for , shared with 's for complementary reporting, recognizing its role in igniting global discussions on sexual predation.
Twohey, a graduate, previously investigated untested rape kits at the and an underground adoption rehoming network at , contributing to policy reforms like ' mandate for DNA testing in cases.
She co-authored the 2019 book She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite the #MeToo Movement, which became a bestseller and was adapted into a 2022 film.
More recently, her examination of alleged misconduct and PR tactics surrounding the 2024 film has drawn legal challenges, including suits against from producer Justin Baldoni's team, highlighting disputes over the sourcing and portrayal of private communications in her reporting.

Early life and education

Childhood and family background

Megan Twohey was born in , and raised in , near Green Bay Road and Central Street. Her parents were both journalists whose careers centered on news media. Her father worked for during the Watergate era before serving as an editor at the . Her mother worked as a news producer at prior to transitioning to at . Family discussions frequently focused on current events, shaped by her parents' professional immersion in .

Academic pursuits and influences

Twohey graduated from Evanston Township High School in Evanston, Illinois, in 1994. She then attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., graduating in 1998 with a bachelor's degree in American studies. Her choice of Georgetown was influenced by an early idealism focused on social justice issues, including poverty and inequality, which aligned with the university's emphasis on public service and ethical inquiry. The major exposed Twohey to interdisciplinary examinations of U.S. history, culture, and societal structures, fostering analytical skills applicable to investigative reporting on institutional accountability. Following graduation, she transitioned directly into roles, indicating that her academic training provided foundational preparation for scrutinizing power dynamics and social inequities in professional contexts.

Journalistic career

Early reporting roles and foundational investigations

Twohey began her journalism career shortly after graduating from in 1998, initially covering for an unnamed Washington-based magazine, where she developed an interest in policy impacts on vulnerable populations. She advanced to reporting roles at regional newspapers, joining the as a reporter from 2003 to 2007, initially handling general assignment duties before focusing on issues affecting women and children. In 2007, Twohey moved to the , where she shifted toward , examining topics such as and forensic evidence handling over her tenure until February 2012. A pivotal early investigation at the centered on untested rape kits in Chicago-area suburbs. In a June 14, 2009, article, Twohey revealed that dozens of police departments had failed to submit rape kits for DNA testing, with at least 47 kits from 2005 to 2008 left unprocessed across agencies like those in Naperville, Wheaton, and , citing resource constraints and oversight lapses. This reporting prompted legislative action; by July 2010, Illinois enacted a mandate to test every collected in the state, making it the first U.S. jurisdiction to do so universally and leading to the processing of thousands of backlogged kits statewide. Twohey's work highlighted systemic delays in investigations, contributing to broader national discussions on forensic backlogs affecting over 100,000 kits nationwide at the time. These foundational efforts at the Tribune established Twohey's expertise in accountability journalism, particularly regarding failures in public safety and victim support systems, setting the stage for her subsequent probes into healthcare and adoption irregularities.

Investigations into systemic failures in justice and healthcare

In 2009, while at the Chicago Tribune, Twohey exposed systemic delays in the processing of sexual assault evidence, reporting that dozens of rape kits collected from victims in Chicago-area suburbs had not been submitted for DNA testing by local police departments, hindering investigations and allowing potential perpetrators to remain free. Her series highlighted how resource shortages and inconsistent protocols across agencies contributed to backlogs exceeding thousands of kits statewide, with some evidence stored for years without analysis. This reporting prompted Illinois lawmakers to enact the state's first mandate in July 2010 requiring the testing of every rape kit within specified timelines, marking an initial effort to address prosecutorial gaps in sexual violence cases. Twohey extended her scrutiny to child welfare oversight deficiencies at Reuters, launching an 18-month investigation in 2012 that uncovered an unregulated online "re-homing" network where adoptive parents exchanged thousands of children—primarily those adopted internationally—with strangers via platforms like Yahoo groups and , often without background checks or legal transfers. Her reporting documented cases of severe abuse, neglect, and exploitation post-re-homing, attributing the phenomenon to inadequate post- support, lax federal and state monitoring of disrupted adoptions, and gaps in the 's implementation for foreign adoptions. In one profiled instance, parents handed off a troubled Liberian adoptee to unqualified individuals, resulting in further instability; overall, Twohey estimated over 300 such exchanges annually evaded . Her findings, presented in testimony on July 8, 2014, spurred calls for enhanced tracking of adoption disruptions and informed subsequent legislative proposals, though implementation remained uneven due to jurisdictional fragmentation. On healthcare regulation, Twohey's 2011 Chicago Tribune investigation revealed that ' Department of dismissed or failed to fully probe the vast majority of patient complaints against hospitals—over 90% of roughly 7,000 annual filings from to 2010—despite allegations of medical errors, infections, and abuse in facilities including those serving vulnerable populations. The series detailed how understaffed inspectors and reliance on self-reported data from providers allowed persistent violations to go unaddressed, with only a fraction leading to fines or closures; for instance, serious incidents like surgical mishaps were often downgraded to paperwork reviews. This exposed broader regulatory inertia, where annual licensing fees from nursing homes and hospitals—totaling nearly $2,000 per facility—did not translate into rigorous enforcement, contributing to preventable harms in an industry handling millions of admissions yearly. Her work underscored causal links between lax accountability and elevated risks, though state officials defended partial investigations as resource-constrained rather than systematically flawed.

Political and high-profile accountability reporting

Twohey contributed to early investigative reporting on allegations of by during his 2016 presidential campaign. In October 2016, she co-authored an article with detailing accounts from two women who described Trump groping them without consent, one incident occurring in 2005 at and the other in 2006 on a flight. The reporting, based on direct interviews, aimed to highlight patterns of behavior amid Trump's denials and counterclaims of fabrication by his campaign. Trump dismissed the accusations as politically motivated lies, asserting the women had not raised complaints contemporaneously. Her work extended to scrutiny of handling of evidence prior to joining . At , Twohey investigated the backlog of untested rape kits in police departments across the U.S., revealing how thousands of kits sat unprocessed for years due to resource shortages and prosecutorial inaction, impeding investigations and convictions. This 2014 series prompted legislative responses, including federal grants for testing and state-level reforms in places like , where over 8,000 kits were eventually analyzed, leading to hundreds of identifications of suspects. Twohey testified before the U.S. HELP Committee on , 2014, advocating for changes, which contributed to a Government Accountability Office study on the issue. In 2025, Twohey co-authored reporting on Elon Musk's personal conduct amid his political involvement with Donald Trump's campaign and administration. A May 30 article with Kirsten Grind examined Musk's alleged drug use—including , ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms—and family conflicts while he advised Trump and led rallies, drawing on interviews with associates who expressed concerns over his stability and access to sensitive matters. denied the claims, calling the reporting false and accusing of bias, while sources close to him noted no formal interventions despite awareness among Tesla and executives. The piece raised questions about accountability for unelected influencers in political spheres, though it faced for relying on anonymous sources amid Musk's denials. Twohey also contributed to a July 19, 2025, investigation into the historical relationship between Trump and , detailing their social ties from the 1980s through the early 2000s, including shared events and Epstein's visits to Trump properties. The reporting, involving court records and interviews, highlighted Epstein's access to Trump's circle before their 2004 fallout over a property bid, but noted no evidence of Trump involvement in Epstein's crimes. Trump distanced himself post-arrest, banning Epstein from , while the article underscored patterns of association with controversial figures in elite networks.

Cultural and social issue probes

Twohey's investigations have extended to probing societal norms surrounding structures and welfare, notably through her series "The Child Exchange," which exposed an unregulated online where adoptive parents "re-homed" unwanted children via platforms like Yahoo and groups, often to strangers without legal oversight or background checks. The reporting documented over 200 cases of such illicit transfers, primarily involving internationally adopted children from regions like and , revealing systemic gaps in U.S. laws that failed to monitor post-adoption outcomes and left children vulnerable to abuse, trafficking, or unstable placements. This work, which earned a Sidney Hillman Foundation , highlighted cultural attitudes toward as a disposable transaction rather than a lifelong commitment, prompting calls for federal of private re-homing. In the realm of and medical norms, Twohey co-authored a 2022 New York Times investigation into the use of blockers for , scrutinizing the rapid expansion of these interventions amid limited long-term evidence of safety and efficacy. The reporting detailed growing reservations among European medical authorities—such as the UK's restricting blockers to research settings in 2020 and Sweden's health agency citing insufficient evidence for routine use—contrasting with U.S. clinics administering them to thousands of minors annually, often with minimal . Interviews with detransitioners and clinicians underscored potential risks like and loss, challenging narratives of blockers as unequivocally reversible and safe, while noting the influence of advocacy-driven protocols over rigorous trials. This piece, part of broader Times scrutiny, faced criticism from advocacy groups like for allegedly amplifying skepticism toward gender-affirming care, though it drew on peer-reviewed studies and regulatory shifts to question causal assumptions about early intervention benefits. Twohey's reporting on cultural complicity in power imbalances has also targeted industries like and , including a probe into Adidas's decade-long tolerance of Kanye West's disruptive behavior, which enabled his Yeezy brand partnership despite internal warnings of antisemitic remarks and erratic conduct by 2013. Such investigations illuminated how corporate deference to celebrity influence perpetuated toxic norms, echoing patterns in her earlier #MeToo-era work that revealed institutional silencing of . These efforts collectively underscore Twohey's focus on empirical disruptions to prevailing social conventions, prioritizing documented cases and regulatory data over ideological consensus.

Major works and publications

Collaborative investigations and books

Twohey and , both investigative reporters at , collaborated on a series of articles exposing decades of and assault allegations against film producer . Their initial report, published on October 5, 2017, detailed accounts from at least eight women, including actresses and , who described patterns of coercion, nondisclosure agreements, and intimidation used to silence victims. The investigation drew on , internal company documents, and interviews with over 100 current and former employees, revealing how executives enabled the misconduct. Follow-up reporting in the following months corroborated additional allegations from more than 80 women, contributing to Weinstein's ouster from his company and eventual criminal charges. This collaboration culminated in the 2019 nonfiction book She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement, co-authored by Twohey and Kantor. The book recounts the year-long reporting process, including challenges in securing sources amid legal threats and nondisclosure agreements, and examines the story's role in amplifying public awareness of workplace sexual misconduct. It became a New York Times bestseller and inspired a 2022 film adaptation directed by Maria Schrader. In 2022, Twohey and Kantor published Chasing the Truth: A Young Journalist's Guide to Investigative Reporting (She Said Young Readers Edition), an adaptation of She Said aimed at high school and college students. The book emphasizes practical techniques for ethical reporting, source cultivation, and overcoming institutional barriers, using the Weinstein investigation as a . No other major collaborative books or investigations by Twohey are documented in primary journalistic records.

Key articles and series

Twohey's reporting at the Chicago Tribune from 2010 to 2011 exposed the failure of suburban police departments to test thousands of rape kits containing DNA evidence, with over 2,500 kits in Cook County alone remaining unprocessed despite victims paying fees for testing. Her series detailed how this backlog hindered prosecutions and justice for survivors, prompting Illinois lawmakers to pass a 2012 law mandating the testing of all untested kits and establishing a statewide tracking system. In another Tribune investigation, Twohey revealed how doctors convicted of violent felonies or sexual offenses continued to practice due to lax oversight by state medical boards, documenting cases where physicians evaded license revocations through appeals or incomplete reporting. This work highlighted systemic gaps in healthcare regulation, influencing discussions on professional accountability. At , Twohey contributed to the 2013 "Child Exchange" series, which uncovered an underground online market for "re-homing" adopted children, primarily from abroad, where parents traded custody via Yahoo groups and forums without oversight, affecting an estimated 100 cases annually. The reporting, based on court records and interviews, led to U.S. hearings and calls for federal intervention to protect vulnerable children from unregulated transfers. Twohey's most prominent work came at , where she co-authored with the October 5, 2017, article "Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Accusers for Decades," detailing settlements with at least eight women over allegations of harassment and assault spanning three decades, supported by documents, recordings, and witness accounts. Follow-up pieces expanded on additional accusers and Weinstein's tactics, contributing to his ouster from and sparking the global , with the series earning the for . Subsequent Times investigations by Twohey included a 2019 series on predatory behavior in online suicide forums, exposing how platforms like 8chan facilitated encouragement of self-harm among vulnerable users, including teenagers, through unmoderated discussions and live streams. This work underscored failures in content moderation and prompted platform policy reviews amid debates over free speech and safety.

Awards, recognition, and influence

Pulitzer Prize and journalistic honors

In 2018, Megan Twohey, alongside Jodi Kantor, led The New York Times reporting that exposed sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein, earning the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service; this award was shared with The New Yorker's Ronan Farrow for related investigations and recognized the work's role in sparking the #MeToo movement. The Pulitzer citation highlighted the reporting's contribution to public awareness of workplace sexual harassment. Twohey was a finalist for the 2014 for her series "The Child Exchange" at the , which examined the underground market for adopted children. Among other honors, Twohey and Kantor received the 2018 McGill Medal for Journalistic Courage from the University of Georgia's Grady College for their Weinstein investigation. Their work also garnered the Award in Journalism. Additionally, Twohey has been recognized with the Edgar A. Poe Award from the in 2014 for her reporting on mishandled evidence by police.

Broader impact on policy and public discourse

Twohey's October 5, 2017, investigative report with exposing Harvey Weinstein's decades-long pattern of and abuse, including payoffs to accusers via nondisclosure agreements, catalyzed a surge in public discourse on workplace misconduct and power imbalances. The story, which detailed accounts from at least eight women and revealed systemic cover-ups in Hollywood, prompted Weinstein's ouster from his company within days and amplified the hashtag, originally coined by activist in 2006, into a global phenomenon that encouraged millions to disclose personal experiences of . This shift normalized conversations about , influencing media coverage, , and victim advocacy worldwide, with cultural repercussions evident in the downfall of numerous high-profile figures across industries. The reporting's influence extended to policy reforms, as the ensuing #MeToo momentum pressured lawmakers to address evidentiary and procedural barriers for survivors. In New York, post-2017 legislation extended statutes of limitations for second- and third-degree rape, banned nondisclosure agreements in most harassment settlements, and required employers to provide annual sexual harassment training, measures advocates tied to heightened awareness from exposés like Twohey's. Federally and in other states, similar changes emerged, including prohibitions on forced arbitration for sexual misconduct claims under the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2022, reflecting broader reevaluations of legal protections against silencing tactics highlighted in the Weinstein coverage. Earlier investigations by Twohey also drove targeted policy adjustments; her 2009 Chicago Tribune series revealed thousands of untested rape kits languishing in suburban police storage, depriving cases of DNA evidence and delaying justice for victims. This prompted Illinois to enact a 2010 law mandating the testing of all unsubmitted kits and establishing grants for backlog processing, ultimately leading to over 5,000 kits tested statewide by 2015 and increased convictions in cold cases. Such reforms underscored journalism's role in exposing institutional inertia, fostering public pressure for resource allocation in forensic handling of sexual assault evidence.

Controversies and critiques

Scrutiny of transgender youth medical interventions

In November 2022, Megan Twohey and Christina Jewett published an investigative report in The New York Times titled "They Paused Puberty, but Is There a Cost?", which examined the expanding use of puberty blockers—medications like leuprolide that suppress estrogen and testosterone production—for adolescents identifying as transgender. The article detailed how these drugs, administered to thousands of U.S. youth annually, aim to pause puberty and alleviate acute gender-related distress, often serving as a precursor to cross-sex hormones. Drawing on interviews with over 50 medical professionals, including endocrinologists and psychiatrists, as well as reviews of clinical guidelines and patient cases, the reporting underscored a shift in expert opinion: while short-term benefits like reduced suicidal ideation were observed in some cases, long-term data remained sparse, with European health authorities in Finland, Sweden, and England imposing stricter criteria due to insufficient evidence of net benefits outweighing risks. Key concerns highlighted included irreversible effects on bone mineral density, with studies showing losses of up to 10-15% in treated youth that may not fully recover post-treatment, potentially increasing fracture risks into adulthood. Fertility preservation emerged as another issue, as blockers often lead to permanent infertility when followed by hormones, a sequence occurring in approximately 98% of cases at leading U.S. clinics per internal data reviewed. Mental health outcomes were mixed; while some youth reported relief, others experienced persistent depression or anxiety, and a subset discontinued treatment after affirming their birth sex, illustrating desistance rates that challenge assumptions of inevitability in gender dysphoria persistence. The reporters noted methodological challenges, such as reliance on low-quality observational studies rather than randomized controlled trials, which major medical bodies like the Endocrine Society acknowledged as limiting definitive claims of safety and reversibility. The article provoked significant backlash from transgender advocacy groups, who contended it exaggerated risks and ignored consensus on the treatments' lifesaving potential, with accusing it of inaccuracies that fueled anti-trans legislation and school policies. In February 2023, more than 180 New York Times contributors, including opinion writers and journalists, issued an criticizing the paper's coverage—including Twohey's piece—as disconnected from community realities and overly deferential to skeptics, prompting internal debates on editorial balance. The World Professional Association for Health (WPATH) and its U.S. affiliate issued a multi-page , defending blockers as -based despite the evidentiary gaps cited. Critics of the backlash, such as medical commentators, argued that such responses reflected institutional pressures to affirm treatments amid weak empirical support, potentially prioritizing ideological consensus over causal of harms like impaired neurodevelopment from . Twohey defended the reporting as an effort to illuminate genuine scientific unknowns, stating in a companion piece that the focus stemmed from clinicians' private admissions of unease and the ethical imperative to question interventions applied to minors without robust longitudinal data. The controversy amplified broader debates on youth gender medicine, influencing policy discussions and cited in U.S. state-level restrictions on such interventions by 2023, though advocates maintained the piece contributed to heightened stigma without disproving clinical utility.

Implications and debates surrounding #MeToo reporting

Twohey's collaborative reporting with on , published by on October 5, 2017, revealed a pattern of allegations spanning decades, including nondisclosure agreements and settlements exceeding $10 million to silence accusers such as and Ambra Battilana. This exposé directly precipitated Weinstein's firing from on October 8, 2017, and fueled the viral expansion of the , which by 2018 had prompted over 200 high-profile resignations or firings across industries, alongside legislative reforms like extended statutes of limitations for claims in states including New York and . The reporting's causal impact extended to criminal accountability, as it contributed to Weinstein's 2020 New York conviction on charges of criminal sexual act and third-degree rape, resulting in a 23-year sentence. Debates intensified around the tension between journalistic exposure and legal , particularly after the overturned Weinstein's 2020 conviction on April 25, 2024, citing the trial judge's allowance of "prior bad acts" testimony from uncharged accusers as a prejudicial error that deprived him of a fair . Critics contended that pre-trial media scrutiny, exemplified by Twohey and Kantor's detailed accounts of allegations, fostered a public that biased judicial proceedings and eroded traditional safeguards like the exclusion of propensity evidence under rules such as New York's Molineux doctrine. This ruling highlighted broader #MeToo implications, where empirical analyses of opposition to the movement cite failures—such as inadequate defense opportunities—as a primary concern for 22% of detractors in national surveys, potentially incentivizing evidentiary shortcuts in prosecutions to align with cultural reckonings. Proponents of the reporting's approach, including legal commentators, argue it rectified systemic underreporting of —evidenced by a post-#MeToo surge in harassment complaints to the EEOC, rising 12% in 2018—without inherently violating procedural norms, as journalistic standards demanded corroboration through documents and multiple sources rather than uncorroborated claims. Yet, the Weinstein appeal spurred legislative responses, such as New York proposals in May 2024 to codify "prior bad acts" admissibility in sex crime , illustrating ongoing causal debates over whether #MeToo-driven journalism necessitates recalibrating evidentiary rules to prioritize victim testimony while mitigating risks of reversible convictions. These discussions underscore a meta-tension: while outlets like maintain high verification thresholds, systemic biases in media and academia toward amplifying accuser narratives may undervalue countervailing evidence, as seen in defenses of the overturned despite appellate findings of .

Personal life

Marriage and family

Twohey is married to Jim Rutman, a at Sterling Lord Literistic. She and Rutman reside in , with their daughter, Mira Twohey Rutman. Mira was an during the Weinstein investigation, weighing 12 pounds and not yet eating solid foods as of October 2017, when Twohey was on maternity leave. Twohey was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Evanston, Illinois, by parents who worked in journalism; her father contributed to The Washington Post during the Watergate scandal coverage, while her mother served as a news producer at WLS-TV before transitioning to public relations at Northwestern University.

Public persona and work-life balance

Megan Twohey maintains a professional public persona centered on her role as an , emphasizing rigorous over personal celebrity. She has been widely regarded as a pivotal figure in exposing systemic through her collaboration with on the 2017 investigation, which earned a in 2018 and catalyzed the . In media appearances, such as and panels, Twohey discusses the mechanics of accountability , crediting persistence and source empathy for breakthroughs, while avoiding . Her work-life balance has been tested by the demands of high-stakes investigations coinciding with early motherhood. Twohey gave birth to her daughter, Mira Twohey Rutman, in 2017, and resumed reporting on Weinstein mere days after maternity leave, managing a newborn who weighed just 12 pounds and required constant care during the story's development. Married to Jim Rutman, she has described the period as one of acute tension, including struggles with , as depicted in the 2019 book She Said and its 2022 film adaptation, which underscore the broader challenges working mothers face in deadline-driven newsrooms. Twohey has reflected that her daughter's presence served as both motivation and logistical hurdle, prompting adaptations like remote interviews amid , yet reinforcing her commitment to stories impacting future generations.

References

  1. https://www.nytimes.com/by/megan-twohey
  2. https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/new-york-times-reporting-led-jodi-kantor-and-megan-twohey-and-new-yorker-reporting-ronan
  3. https://today.advancement.georgetown.edu/georgetown-magazine/2020/alumna-who-uncovered-harvey-weinstein-story-and-helped-reignite-metoo/
  4. https://www.shesaidthebook.com/about
  5. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/21/business/media/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-it-ends-with-us.html
  6. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/01/us/justin-baldoni-blake-lively-it-ends-with-us-new-york-times-lawsuit.html
  7. https://dailynorthwestern.com/2018/05/09/city/eths-grad-pulitzer-prize-winning-journalist-reflects-on-success/
  8. https://evanstonroundtable.com/2023/02/14/les-jacobson-evanston-native-reporter-megan-twohey-tells-all/
  9. https://www.familyactionnetwork.net/events/she-said-a-conversation-with-megan-twohey/
  10. https://law.marquette.edu/2018-05-11/issues-megan-twohey
  11. https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-twohey-6304266
  12. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2009/06/14/dozens-of-rape-kits-not-submitted-for-testing-by-chicago-suburban-police-departments-2/
  13. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2010/07/06/illinois-to-test-every-rape-kit-2/
  14. https://www.newsweek.com/who-are-jodi-kantor-megan-twohey-journalists-she-said-movie-harvey-weinstein-1760711
  15. https://evawintl.org/wp-content/uploads/Module-14_Cold-Case.pdf
  16. https://www.loc.gov/events/2020-national-book-festival/authors/item/no2019132747/megan-twohey/
  17. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/adoption/
  18. https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Twohey.pdf
  19. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/adoption-follows/
  20. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2011/11/06/state-declines-to-investigate-vast-majority-of-hospital-complaints-2/
  21. https://www.scotusblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/15-7bsacJudgeDavidL.BazelonCenterForMentalHealthLaw.pdf
  22. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-sexual-assault-accusations-two-women-new-york-times-reporters-defend-article/
  23. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/us/elon-musk-drugs-children-trump.html
  24. https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5328672-elon-musk-denies-drug-use-new-york-times/
  25. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/19/us/politics/inside-trump-epstein-friendship.html
  26. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/11/13/health/puberty-blockers-transgender-youth.html
  27. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/14/health/puberty-blockers-transgender.html
  28. https://glaad.org/new-york-times-inaccurate-coverage-transgender-people-being-weaponized-against-transgender/
  29. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/586563/she-said-by-jodi-kantor-and-megan-twohey/
  30. https://news.uga.edu/new-york-times-reporters-receive-2018-mcgill-medal/
  31. https://www.familyactionnetwork.net/speaker/megan-twohey/
  32. https://whca.press/award/2014-award-winners/
  33. https://niemanreports.org/jodi-kantor-and-megan-twohey-on-the-meticulous-reporting-and-hard-earned-trust-behind-the-harvey-weinstein-investigation/
  34. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/10/03/us/me-too-five-years.html
  35. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2010/08/05/watchdog-update-whats-happened-since-trib-investigations/
  36. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/new-york-times-trans-coverage-debate
  37. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/06/15/new-york-times-transgender-coverage-controversy/
  38. https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/what-the-new-york-times-gets-wrong-about-puberty-blockers-for-transgender-youth/
  39. https://www.politico.com/newsletters/future-pulse/2022/11/18/accord-and-discord-on-transgender-care-00069273
  40. https://scholarship.law.umn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1056&context=mlr
  41. https://apnews.com/article/weinstein-metoo-appeal-ed29faeec862abf0c071e8bd3574c4a3
  42. https://www.albanylawreview.org/article/123137.pdf
  43. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/09/29/more-than-twice-as-many-americans-support-than-oppose-the-metoo-movement/
  44. https://www.yalejournal.org/publications/the-impact-of-the-me-too-movements-journalism
  45. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/after-weinsteins-case-was-overturned-new-york-lawmakers-move-to-change-sex-crime-legal-standards
  46. https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/02/the-weinstein-trial-and-the-ugly-realities-of-due-process/606262/
  47. https://www.bookreporter.com/authors/megan-twohey
  48. https://nytco-assets.nytimes.com/m/Pulitzer-speech-from-Jodi-and-Megan.docx.pdf
  49. https://katiecouric.com/podcast/next-question/megan-twohey-jodi-kantor-she-said-harvey-weinstein/
  50. https://www.npr.org/transcripts/564310240
  51. https://www.elle.com/culture/books/a28969687/new-york-times-jodi-kantor-megan-twohey-lisa-bloom-book/
  52. https://www.msnbc.com/know-your-value/out-of-office/how-she-said-spotlights-everyday-bravery-working-moms-n1300883
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