Expert Investigative Journalism Advice with John Carreyrou - ONA18

In one of the biggest news stories of the year, Wall Street Journal reporter John Carreyrou exposed fraud by the founder of Theranos, a startup promising rapid blood testing and early disease detection. In a culmination of years of investigative work, Carreyrou published a bestselling book, Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup. We’ll walk through the reporting it took to bring a piece that spans science, health and big business to fruition, with expert advice on research and investigative techniques. We’ll be sure to leave plenty of time for Q&A.

[@rosemarieward1738]

Great journalist. Broke the story of the decade. The Wall Street Journal is blessed to have him. Rupert Murdoch showed a lot of class leaving him alone.

[@pillettadoinswartsh4974]

Yeah, seeing as Murdoch stood to lose more than any other investor.

[@PungiFungi]

@@pillettadoinswartsh4974 Murdoch probably knew he was scammed and let the Journal go ahead with the piece. It was his form of revenge and payback.

[@sophocles8761]

@@PungiFungi if he did try to interfere Carreyrou is an extremely successful award winning journalist he could go to the FT or any other big news organisation with the story Murdoch would then have been fucked three times over 1. Corruption, 2. Losing an award winning journalist and 3. still losing all his money - if he could have controlled the situation he would have

[@pete6705]

Yes, I was very impressed that Murdoch let him write the story and expose the truth. Even though he knew that meant he would lose his 125M investment, and he’d personally be exposed as a bad investor that got duped. That showed some true journalistic integrity. And Liz did push him hard to kill the story, but he told that blonde btch no

[@joeadams1225]

Heya Rosemarie, did'nt Murdoch sell his share holding back to Elizabeth for $1 and claim the loss against his Tax Liability ? Nothing Personal, it's just Business.......!

[@Michael.Sinclair]

There could have been a lot of people who might have either had unnecessary surgeries or even died from ailments not detected as a result of inaccurate blood test results, had Theranos continued. John is a hero. Also, Holmes should be in jail.

[@BilgePump]

Oh she’s been off to Burning Man and is knocked up.

[@cstevens1569]

The first question asked during the Q&A was an excellent question.

[@BilgePump]

This is what’s so puzzling, all these well known very rich people line up to give a 19yo a billion w/no real research 🔬

[@thewkovacs316]

cons always know their marks she went after elderly powerful men who had zero background in tech or medicine once she had those on the board it was easy to con others into handing her over money

[@gloriaeverson8577]

I think she should be found guilty, but wanted to point out that the majority of the money was not given to a 19 year old but rather someone in her late 20s who had been heading a startup for 10+ years.

[@filthylucreonyoutube]

One of his better interviews, in part because of an amazing interviewer - good job! 13:28 "Why was it (the romantic relationship between CEO and COO) important to know?" That was very good question that was never really answered because of the interview moving forward so quickly. In my opinion and experience, it was important to know because in typical corporate governance there is no small amount of tension between the CEO, who is focused on the strategic vision of the company, and the COO, who is trying to make that vision happen under the constraints of reality. The CFO in an organization also plays a role in this tension, being the person responsible for paying for it all. This is likely precisely why Elizabeth eliminated that role as soon as it started to fulfill its obligations. Board members and investors depend on this three-way tension as part of the balance of power in the organization, helping to protect the interests of the company as a whole. At Theranos, there was none of the expected tension between the CEO and COO roles (and no CFO at all) and that's why it would have been important for the romantic relationship to be revealed, and also likely exactly why it was not revealed.

[@thewkovacs316]

he did answer it. part of the grift was making everyone think that holmes was in charge of everything. that she was single and lived like a monk...they needed the image to sell the product...it's why i still believe that the grift started from day one she didnt drop out of stanford to do the start up...she was still enrolled when she was able to con one of her professors into her idea and got him to leave with her. that was when she knew she could run the con successfully

[@filthylucreonyoutube]

@@thewkovacs316 Spot on!

[@TheSaguaroMan]

I agree; he tried to answer it but didn't really succeed. I think Carryrou is a great journalist, and I don't think he's sexist at all, and I DO think it was relevant that they were in a relationship, but 'why' is a difficult question to answer. Had they been a public company, it would have been a legal requirement (I believe) but since the company was private, you could argue there was no legal 'need to know'. So I have a hard time giving a compelling, cut-and-dried answer to 'why' it was relevant.

[@markr002]

He answered it very well I thought.

[@richardybanez9052]

John Carreyrou is A Hero.Richard.

[@nancychace8619]

Very good interview. He could write a book just about the process. Appreciate his determination to shine a light on the truth.

[@kentuky1233]

The person who made the first question is what everyone hates about q&a. Just ask the question, Mark.

[@missingchannel]

Sell-a-con Valley.

[@LichenAndMoss]

Daay-yum

[@steewith2ees14]

That's amazing security on the final draft copies - changing a punctuation mark. Does not matter if you detect it or not you have no idea what the 4 other copies contain. Great book just finished it.

[@toneranger]

Hey Cameraman, you had one job!? Well done John Carreyrou and the brave whistleblowers of #Theranos.

[@TheDavidlloydjones]

His discussion of how to handle his agent's list of star producers 26 minutes in: this Carreyrou is clearly one very bright guy!

[@k1llyah]

was listening on 2x speed, then glanced and saw the sign language. Now genuinely curious if there are sign language rappers or speed talkers

[@us-Bahn]

The aura of Woodward & Bernstein is everywhere in this saga.

[@Elizabeth.C.Holmes]

Geeze it's strange hearing my first and last name out loud connected to a crime. I wonder if she has any monogrammed items for sale?

[@UNUSUALUSERNAME220]

She's takin them with her. I had to change my name, Jack T Ripper. Imagine my embarrassment.

[@padminiramaswamy294]

Who is the interviewer? She does a good job asking the right questions!!

[@21972012145525]

No video?

[@RIMJANESSOHMALOOG]

Amazing author, story teller and researcher

[@andersjohansson1889]

When John Carreyrou comes along stones are going to get turned. :=)

[@texanrob]

The camera production and views are terrible! Plan the camera view better! 😳

[@markr002]

Just enjoy the story. Listen to it instead if you’re they bothered.

[@Foxie635]

I have a business idea right now but limited money to start it. :( Millions of people have great ideas but they don't go around lying to people to get money. Also, Holmes is a gifted story teller to a point, I will say that either Greed got her or she is truly dumb. Her reputation has been tainted, who wants that?

[@RajeshJustaguy]

i can tell you sometimes it's luck... and it's extremely difficult to get people to part with their money.... but for some it's so easy it's ridiculous

[@texanrob]

You also have close caption, so you don't need show the sign language! The interview of John Carreyrou is very good! 👍

[@TheDavidlloydjones]

The closed captions are sometimes inaccurate and always sloppy. The ASL interpreters are often really brilliant at conveying the emotional content correctly. If you ever make a video, be sure to edit the machine-made dot-srt file containing the captions, to avoid making a fool of yourself.

[@theresachung703]

I love watching the hand sign language

[@greg1mcintosh844]

Interesting story

[@corinthchavez3444]

Do NOT defend or agrandize david boies.....he put the theranos good guys through much in money and stress Even the series seems to softsell him since he represented algae i mean algore

[@us-Bahn]

There’s a YT excerpt of David Boies insisting he and his team went to the WSJ offices (the “standoff” as Carreyrou refers to) and demanded to demonstrate in front of all the WSJ staff and officers that the Theranos ‘black box’ could really work. Does Carreyrou ever confirm this challenge or is Boies revising history?

[@alexgummer4979]

This is the worst video setup.

[@TheDavidlloydjones]

"The Wall Street Journal's editorial page is isolated from the newsroom..." Graceful gentle understatement of the year! The Wall Street Journal's editorial page has no connection whatsoever to the real world.

[@us-Bahn]

Quite remarkable that Rubert Murdoch, owner of the News Corporation that controls the WSJ & perhaps the single largest investor on Theranos, did not kill the story. And after serious and repeated lobbying by E Holmes.

[@UNUSUALUSERNAME220]

Skip the first 20 minutes, the cameraperson was not deaf but blind. At least this interviewer let him talk. I bet Murdoch never even said, "Thanks kid. I could of come off lookin like a right twat!" It's not about the money with these big wigs, it never is. These big money guys are about "The Game"! That's what gets these old men out of bed every morning! The game keeps one foot moving in front of the other! 11 years baby girl! Have fun! Your kids will just about be at the point where they start to become trouble! Good idea havin kids with a Federal Indictment against you! Now it's OUR problem! A whole new bunch of future felons! It runs in the family!

[@21972012145525]

Wow kind of rude of the host to keep pushing additional questions!

[@m4st3rm1nd9]

45:35 He accidentally reveals the real name of his source Alan Beam - “…especially to the laboratory director, and Adam (Rosendorff) re-explained things to me…”

[@Creative-Chaos]

Alan Rosendorff came forward on his own. This is the reason the name was used.

[@chriss740]

@@Creative-Chaos Correct. He WAS originally un-named (or pseudo-named) but agreed to be identified later.

[@ramjet5192]

What in the living hell is that distracting shadow in the background of this crappy video?

[@markr002]

It’s called a sign language expert. Chill out and enjoy the story. Christ.