HBO Announces Ronan Farrow Documentary Investigating Threats Against Journalists

LaToya Ferguson

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As announced at HBO’s session at the 2020 Winter Television Critics Association (TCA) Press Tour, HBO is currently in production on the first project of its multi-film deal with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ronan Farrow. The documentary — a collaboration with Loki Films’ Academy Award-nominated directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (“Jesus Camp”) — is an investigation of threats against journalists in the United States and internationally, from intimidation to physical violence.

“Around the world, journalists are under fire,” Farrow said in a statement. “They’re being spied on using new surveillance technology, imprisoned, even murdered. And we’re seeing evolving tactics deployed against reporters in the United States, too, against the backdrop of a new era of misinformation campaigns and rhetoric that seeks to undermine the very idea of objective reporting. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to work with Rachel, Heidi, and HBO to tell these stories.” Farrow has spoken before about his own personal dealings with “threatening and menacing” comments after he wrote one of the first articles about women accusing Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment, as well as his experience with being suppressed in his attempts to report on the matter.

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Casey Bloys, President of HBO Programming added in a statement, “Now more than ever, as evidenced by Ronan’s recent reporting, unbiased investigative journalism is both essential and under siege. We’re excited to provide a platform for Ronan, Heidi and Rachel to shed light on the harrowing circumstances thrust upon journalists in their tireless pursuit of the truth.”

Ewing and Grady have collaborated with HBO before, for their documentary 2010 “12th & Delaware.” The directing duo won a Peabody Award for the crisis pregnancy center-set documentary. As for Farrow, it was announced in January 2018 that published author had signed a three-year television deal with HBO to develop investigate specials such as this for the cable network.

Farrow will executive produce this documentary through his production company Glass Cannon Inc., in association with Loki Films. Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller will executive produce for HBO.

HBO also announced another slate of documentaries for the first half of 2020, including: “McMillion$”; “Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes”; “We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest”; “Axios Season Three”; “After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News”; “Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America’s Elections”; “Atlanta Child Murders”; “Autism: The Sequel”; “The Art of Political Murder”; “Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind”; “Welcome to Chechnya”; “Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn” and “Transhood.”

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