Mixed Signals from Semafor Media Can the Supreme Court keep its secrets? With Jodi Kantor of the New York Times
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Nov 21, 2025 
Jodi Kantor, an investigative reporter at The New York Times known for her groundbreaking work on the Weinstein case, dives into the secrets of the U.S. Supreme Court's internal culture. She reveals the court's enduring secrecy, the impact of recent justices on its public persona, and the nuances of liberal dissent between Kagan and Jackson. Kantor also discusses the cultural dynamics at play, the implications of the Dobbs leak, and how her experiences in the #MeToo era inform her journalistic approach to power and accountability.
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Court's Built-In Secrecy
- The Supreme Court is institutionally secretive despite public-facing rituals like oral arguments and opinions.
- Justices control the lens through which the public sees them by limiting interviews and withholding records.
History Of Court Reporting
- Journalists have long tried to peek inside the Supreme Court but face a historically locked institution.
- Kantor positions her work as one of many sustained attempts to scrutinize nine lifetime-appointed justices.
Focus On Institution And Individuals
- Kantor focuses less on case-by-case legal analysis and more on the institution and the people inside it.
- She wants to reveal how nine lifelong justices organize work, relationships, and accountability.