{
  "id": 14186116,
  "title": "The Journalist and the Manipulator",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/the-journalist-and-the-manipulator",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-13T11:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Atlantic",
    "slug": "the-atlantic",
    "url": "https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/11/absent-woman-janet-malcolm-eve-sneider/688701/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Janet Malcolm, a journalist known for her critical essays and literary analysis, frequently viewed her chosen professions and art forms as arduous endeavors. She famously contended that psychoanalysis often yielded \"near-uselessness\" in its insights, yet continued to incorporate Freudian concepts in her work. Malcolm's eight-year stint in psychoanalysis lent her a personal connection to the field, which she explored through her writing. Biographies, the genre she both practiced and investigated, were deemed \"transgressive\" by Malcolm, as they delved into the lives of others, potentially causing distress. She believed that autobiographies should refrain from publishing memories of conflict, resentment, blame, and self-justification, arguing that such publication was unethical and unfair. In her book The Journalist and the Murderer, Malcolm examined the lawsuit brought by Jeffrey MacDonald against Joe McGinniss, the journalist who authored a book about MacDonald's conviction for killing his wife and children. MacDonald had cooperated with McGinniss by believing in his innocence, but McGinniss's portrayal in Fatal Vision affirmed MacDonald's guilt instead. Malcolm's critique went beyond MacDonald's case, as she disapproved of nonfiction writers' tendency to manipulate reality to create coherent narratives, similar to the methods used in fiction. Her own experience of litigation launched by psychoanalyst Jeffrey Masson, a subject she had previously chronicled, further fueled her skepticism towards journalistic ethics. Malcolm argued that journalists should translate interview transcripts into prose to ensure accurate representation, a stance that diverged significantly from mainstream journalistic ethics. Despite acknowledging her discomfort with journalistic practices, Malcolm continued to produce compelling portraits through her writing, employing an incisive and often unconventional style. Her observations, such as the unequal viewing experience of live theater compared to literature and art, demonstrated her unique perspective on human nature and the arts.",
  "summary": "Janet Malcolm policed the literary ruses of others, but wasn’t afraid to deploy them herself.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}