I have long been a subscriber to the New York Times. I read the online version daily, and closely follow its reporting about the Supreme Court. Traditionally, the Times had a single Supreme Court reporter at a time: Anthony Lewis, Stuart Taylor, Linda Greenhouse, and most recently Adam Liptak. These reporters would cover all facets of the Supreme Court. They would preview high-profile cases, write about oral argument, analyze decisions, and offer updates whenever the Justices did something noteworthy. But in recent years, I've noticed a shift in how the media covers the Supreme Court. New reporters were hired who focused not on the work of the Court, but on the Justices themselves. There were many stories about Justice Alito's flags and Justice Thomas's travels. And Jodi Kantor published inside information about the Court's deliberations.
The Times Insider interviews the SCOTUS quartet--Jodi Kantor, Adam Liptak, Ann Marimow, and Abbie VanSickle--to explain why the Times has expanded its coverage.
Adam Liptak, who practiced law for 14 years, has been the dominant and authoritative voice on the beat since he began covering the court in 2008. He has just taken on a new role, chief legal affairs correspondent, and will soon start writing a weekly newsletter, The Docket, about the most pressing legal questions of the day.
Nearly four years ago, Jodi Kantor, an investigative reporter with a track record of telling difficult stories, began taking readers inside the institution and delivering telling portraits of how the justices exercise their power, often working with Adam. In 2023, The Times added an investigative reporter and lawyer, Abbie VanSickle, to the team. Last summer Ann E. Marimow, who previously covered the court at The Washington Post, took over Adam's role writing about major cases.
