The killing of two US citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis has made January a dark month for many across America. Both Alex Pretti and Renee Good were quickly labeled “domestic terrorists" by the Trump administration, which accused them of endangering the lives of law enforcement. Video evidence soon appeared to contradict government claims, but it’s still a label that filmmaker Laura Poitras says she finds chilling. 

Poitras has been producing and directing documentaries for more than 20 years, winning both an Oscar and a Pulitzer Prize for her 2014 work “Citizenfour,” which focussed on the whistleblower Edward Snowden and mass surveillance. She too has her own experience of being regarded as a threat by the US government and says she was on a terrorist watch list for years. 

Her latest film, which this week was nominated for a BAFTA, profiles renowned US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh. “Cover-Up,” on Netflix, traces Hersh’s life from his early days in Chicago through his scoops of the 1960s to his current journalism on Substack. 

It’s a story of media both past and present. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Poitras also reflects on the role of citizen journalism in documenting government violence in places like Minneapolis.

02:53 - “Legendary investigative journalist” Seymour Hersh
05:35 - Poitras and Hersh’s Iraq connection
06:40 - US public “failed by our legacy media”
09:06 - Cycles of impunity
09:50 - Criticism of Hersh’s journalism
11:30 - Hersh quits the film
15:00 - Hersh’s early life 
16:19 - Poitras’ lens on America
17:40 - Parallels between Iraq and Venezuela
19:30 - “Regime change” in Venezuela 
20:20 - Poitras under surveillance
23:00 - Leaving the US
24:40 - Edward Snowden and NSA secrets
28:15 - “I’m very happy he’s not in a US prison”
32:00 - “Cover-Up” and the present day
33:33 - “Whistleblowers face the consequences”
35:00 - “Citizen journalists” 
37:00 - Mishal speaks to Poitras for a second time
38:00 - Alex Pretti and the violence in Minneapolis
39:30 - “Domestic terrorist”
40:17 - “Journalists have an obligation”
40:50 - A tipping point for ICE? 

Watch this podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe4PRejZgr0Ns_wjGlmjlPz0cded0nTYS

You can find the written version of this interview with Mishal’s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: https://www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview

Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net

Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The killing of two US citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis has made January a dark month for many across America. Both Alex Pretti and Renee Good were quickly labeled &ldquo;domestic terrorists" by the Trump administration, which accused them of endangering the lives of law enforcement. Video evidence soon appeared to contradict government claims, but it&rsquo;s still a label that filmmaker Laura Poitras says she finds chilling. Poitras has been producing and directing documentaries for more than 20 years, winning both an Oscar and a Pulitzer Prize for her 2014 work &ldquo;Citizenfour,&rdquo; which focussed on the whistleblower Edward Snowden and mass surveillance. She too has her own experience of being regarded as a threat by the US government and says she was on a terrorist watch list for years. Her latest film, which this week was nominated for a BAFTA, profiles renowned US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh. &ldquo;Cover-Up,&rdquo; on Netflix, traces Hersh&rsquo;s life from his early days in Chicago through his scoops of the 1960s to his current journalism on Substack. It&rsquo;s a story of media both past and present. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Poitras also reflects on the role of citizen journalism in documenting government violence in places like Minneapolis. 02:53 - &ldquo;Legendary investigative journalist&rdquo; Seymour Hersh 05:35 - Poitras and Hersh&rsquo;s Iraq connection 06:40 - US public &ldquo;failed by our legacy media&rdquo; 09:06 - Cycles of impunity 09:50 - Criticism of Hersh&rsquo;s journalism 11:30 - Hersh quits the film 15:00 - Hersh&rsquo;s early life 16:19 - Poitras&rsquo; lens on America 17:40 - Parallels between Iraq and Venezuela 19:30 - &ldquo;Regime change&rdquo; in Venezuela 20:20 - Poitras under surveillance 23:00 - Leaving the US 24:40 - Edward Snowden and NSA secrets 28:15 - &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very happy he&rsquo;s not in a US prison&rdquo; 32:00 - &ldquo;Cover-Up&rdquo; and the present day 33:33 - &ldquo;Whistleblowers face the consequences&rdquo; 35:00 - &ldquo;Citizen journalists&rdquo; 37:00 - Mishal speaks to Poitras for a second time 38:00 - Alex Pretti and the violence in Minneapolis 39:30 - &ldquo;Domestic terrorist&rdquo; 40:17 - &ldquo;Journalists have an obligation&rdquo; 40:50 - A tipping point for ICE?&nbsp;
Watch this podcast here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe4PRejZgr0Ns_wjGlmjlPz0cded0nTYS">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe4PRejZgr0Ns_wjGlmjlPz0cded0nTYS</a> You can find the written version of this interview with Mishal&rsquo;s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview">https://www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview</a> Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net
Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Make sense of the world with one essential conversation, every week. Mishal Husain, one of Britain's best interviewers, brings her signature blend of curiosity and tenacity to weekly conversations with world leaders, business titans, and cultural icons, revealing who they really are and how they see the world changing around them.

Subscribe today at Bloomberg.com/audio or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For annotated transcripts of Mishal's conversations head to Bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview

Make sense of the world with one essential conversation, every week. Mishal Husain, one of Britain's best interviewers, brings her signature blend of curiosity and tenacity to weekly conversations with world leaders, business titans, and cultural icons, revealing who they really are and how they see the world changing around them.
Subscribe today at Bloomberg.com/audio or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For annotated transcripts of Mishal's conversations head to Bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview

The Mishal Husain Show

Netflix’s ‘Cover-Up’ Director Laura Poitras on ICE, ‘Domestic Terrorists’ and US Surveillance

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/4d17b288-d7ea-441c-b06a-b3e10146670a/transcript