Overview

In Bad Faith is the historical thriller where a subpoena, a newsroom, and a movement collide. In 1970, New York Times national correspondent Earl Caldwell—one of the first Black reporters hired to cover America's civil-rights flashpoints—was ordered to reveal what he had learned about the Black Panther Party behind the sealed doors of a federal grand jury. Convinced that testifying would destroy the trust he'd built and silence a vital source of truth, Caldwell refused—setting off a showdown that raced from Bay Area streets to the steps of the Supreme Court. Lee Levine tells this story as it unfolded: a Black journalist with rare access; a mostly white press struggling to cover Black communities; and a government—under J. Edgar Hoover and Richard Nixon—running COINTELPRO, a sweeping campaign to infiltrate, discredit, and break the Panthers while pressuring reporters who covered them. When United States v. Caldwell reached Washington, DC, the Justices issued a 5–4 ruling against the reporter and the First Amendment cause he championed—a landmark decision that still imperils press freedom today. Drawing on one-on-one interviews and once-secret FBI, Justice Department, and White House records, In Bad Faith reveals how legal tactics, surveillance, and media manipulation converged on a single reporter to test the nation's promises of equal justice and a free press. Levine's dynamic narrative showcases the dramatic events of the era and highlights the clash of race and power, and how that impacts who gets to tell America's story.

Full Product Details

9781501790270

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Lee Levine has practiced, taught, and written about First Amendment law for fifty years. He has argued on behalf of the press in courts nationwide, including the US Supreme Court. He taught at Georgetown University's law school, has written three books, and regularly publishes in popular and academic journals.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available