Takeaways From Rolling Stone’s and Variety2022 Truth Seekers Summit

Luminaries, legends, and thought leaders alike came together last Thursday (August 25th) for Rolling Stone and Variety’s annual Truth Seekers Summit, presented by Showtime Documentary Films. The one-day, live-streamed event featured keynotes and panel conversations that centered on the pursuit of truth.

Kicking off the summit, veteran, Emmy-winning 60 Minutes correspondent Leslie Stahl reflected on moments that marked her storied career, one in which she’s interviewed everyone from the likes of Margaret Thatcher to Donald Trump. Her keynote conversation was followed by a panel of more trendsetters behind the mic, which included hosts, comics, and correspondents: Soledad O’Brien, Jordan Klepper, Samantha Bee, and Chris Redd. Together, they discussed discerning truth in media and the importance of authenticity with Rolling Stone editor-in-chief, Noah Schachtman.

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Keeping on authenticity, W. Kamau Bell, executive producer and director of We Need to Talk About Cosby, took to the stage shortly after with Rolling Stone news director Jason Newman. In the keynote, he gets candid about his subjective and affirming approach to the documentary.

Meanwhile, the following panel took it back to the cold hard facts of newsmaking with MSNBC president Rashida Jones, CBS news president Neeraj Khemlani, and Senior Executive Producer of PBS Newshour Productions Sarah Jones. Moderated by Variety senior TV editor Brian Steinberg, the conversations kept its focus on the dissemination of news in the streaming and social media age.

A key point in the event, documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple was awarded the Truth Seekers Award for Documentary Filmmaking. She joined Variety contributor Thelma Adams for a look back on her career and the great lengths and dangers she withstood for the sake of honest storytelling. Like Kopple, White Tiger and 2nd Chance filmmaker Ramin Bahrani also spoke of his storytelling with sincerity, comparing his approach with poetics, with Rolling Stone senior editor and critic David Fear.
Wrapping up the talks, all-things true crime took the stage for the largest panel of the night: “The Dropout” host and producer Rebecca Jarvis of, Paradise Lost filmmaker Joe Berlinger, NBC News Studios president Elizabeth Cole, Mind Over Murder executive producer Marc Smerling, and Vice News EVP & global head of programming and development Subrata De. With Rolling Stone editor Brenna Ehrlich, the speakers discussed how to discover your story, the dramatic structure of a true crime tale, and the purpose the genre can serve for social change.

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