44 EMMYmix
in the
“I was surprised, because I didn’t even know that the New York Times did
TV,” metro reporter Brian Rosenthal says. That was a year ago, when he was
approached by Jason Stallman, editor and executive producer of The Weekly,
the first news-documentary series from the Times.
While lining up the thirty episodes for season one — which premiered
on FX in June — Stallman got wind of Rosenthal’s investigation into a taxi
medallion racket that had bankrupted drivers and even pushed some to
suicide. He thought the story would make a compelling TV installment, but
he wanted to know how the classic shoe-leather journalist would feel about a
camera crew tailing him as he conducted his yearlong probe.
“I was certainly self-conscious and uncomfortable about it,” Rosenthalsays. “[But] it was very clear that this was going to
be a major priority for the paper. And, of course, you
want to be a part of it.”
The Times may have to change its slogan to “All
the news that’s fit to print, air and stream.” The organization has partnered
with Amazon to turn its Modern Love reader essays into a video anthology
featuring actors like Tina Fey and Anne Hathaway. Netflix is rejiggering the
Times’ long-running Diagnosis column to let viewers watch Dr. Lisa Sanders
diagnose patients’ puzzling medical issues.
The paper has also sold the rights to a movie about how it broke the
Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment story. And its Overlooked series of
obituaries — which belatedly recognize women, people of color and others
who didn’t fit earlier criteria — may be developed into a series by Netflix,
Anonymous Content, 3dot Productions, and Barack and Michelle Obama’s
Higher Ground Productions.
Obviously, the Times wants to tap
the deep well of viewership. To that end,
The Weekly premieres on FX on Sundays
and is available on Hulu the next day.
“We see television as the next
frontier for us,” says assistant managing
editor Sam Dolnick, who oversees
the Times’ film and audio projects. He
callsthenewsoperation“afirehoseof
stories”andnotes,“It’sfuntothinkhow
manycantranslatetothescreenand
findnewaudiences.”
TheWeeklyalsoletstheTimespull
backthecurtainonnewsgathering—at
atimewhenlegitimatemediaoutlets
arebeingunderminedbychargesofso-
calledfakenews.“Morethananything,”
FX chief John Landgraf says, “Iwas
interested in showing thejournalist’s
relationshiptothestoryandtheprocess
of howthese stories arefound and
researched.”
He’s referring, for instance, to a
chilling episode shot when award-
winningjournalistRukminiCallimachitraveledtoTajikistanandsatface-to-
facewiththeISISterroristwhoorchestratedamurderousattackthereon
internationalcyclists.Inanotherstory,CaitlinDickersontrackeddowna child
who was separated from his parents at the U.S.–Mexico border when he was
four months old, making him the youngest-known victim of such treatment.
None of the reporters gets a face-powdering before the camera rolls.
“We’re convinced the idea of the camera-ready, prettified person parachuting
in to tell you a story is long dead,” Stallman says.
Rather, we observe these professionals even when they get choked up,
as Rosenthal briefly did while interviewing a distraught taxi driver. “We are
humans,” he says. “And I think it’s really cool that people get to see us and
get to understand the people who are doing this work. I think it’s vital for
journalism today.” —Ann FarmerWhen the New York Times — which is so traditional that it angsted over adding
color to its pages in the ’90s — decided to expand into living color, its own staff
didn’t see the change coming.A Show Built on Shoe Leather
With FX’s The Weekly and a slate of projects, the New York Times expands into television.
GIOVANNI RUFINO; FXCatherine Keener and Dev Patel in Modern LoveAn episode of The Weekly covered the story of Constantin Mutu, the
youngest child separated from his family at the U.S. border.