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Joe Conason

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Joe Conason(born January 25, 1954)[1]is an American journalist, author andliberalpolitical commentator. He is the founder and editor-in-chief ofThe National Memo,a daily political newsletter and website that features breaking news and commentary.[2]

Joe Conason
Born(1954-01-25)January 25, 1954(age 70)
New York City,New York,U.S.
OccupationJournalist, author, commentator
Alma materBrandeis University
Notable worksNon-fiction
SpouseElizabeth Horan Wagley (m. 2002)
Children2

Conason was formerly the executive editor of theNew York Observer,where he wrote a popular political column for almost 20 years.[3]He was also a columnist forSalon.comfrom 1998 to 2010.[4]His articles have appeared in dozens of publications around the world includingThe New York Times,The Washington Post,The New Yorker,The New Republic,The Nation,The Guardian,The Village VoiceandHarpers.[5]A winner of the New York Press Club's Byline Award, Conason has covered every American presidential election since 1980.[5]

Conason's books includeThe Hunting of the President(2000) andBig Lies: The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth(2003). His newest book,Man of the World(2016), focuses on the post-presidency ofBill Clinton.[6]

Early life

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Conason was born inNew York Cityand grew up inWhite Plains, New York.The family's surname was originally "Cohen".[7]He was named after his paternal grandfather,Joseph Jacob Cohen,an organizer and journalist of theAmerican anarchist movementduring the 1920s and 1930s.[8]Conason's parents, Eleanor (née Levinson; August 20, 1917 – January 5, 2002) and Emanuel Voltaire Conason (1912–2008), co-owned Ellie Conason, a contemporary design and crafts store in White Plains.[9]

Conason earned a degree in history fromBrandeis Universityin 1975.[10]

Career

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After college, Conason was appointed co-editor of theEast Boston Community Newsand then he joined the staff ofThe Real Paper,an alternative weekly based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He covered environmental, racial, and political issues for both publications.[11]

From 1978 to 1990, Conason worked as a columnist, staff writer, and national correspondent for the counter-culturalThe Village Voicein New York City where he made a name for himself as an experienced and skilled reporter as well as a sharp commentator. His investigative reporting in 1985 exposed the hidden Manhattan real estate holdings ofPresidentof thePhilippinesFerdinand Marcos(and his wife,Imelda), thereby helping to topple their dictatorial government.

During 1986–87, Conason traveled repeatedly to the Philippines to write about politics there. In 1989, he arrived inBeijingthe night after theTiananmen Squaremassacre and reported on the tragic aftermath forThe Village Voice.[11]After leavingThe Village Voicein the early 1990s, Conason served as editor-at-large for theCondé Nast'sDetailsmagazine, which focused on lifestyle, political, and social issues.[12]

For almost two decades (from 1992 to 2010), Conason served as a columnist, political editor, executive editor, and national correspondent for theNew York Observer,a weekly publication whose founder, Arthur Carter, had previously been associated withThe Nation.[13]

During thepresidency of Bill Clinton,Conason's investigative reporting onWhitewaterbrought him national media attention, and he was a frequent cable television guest duringBill Clinton's impeachmenttrial from 1998 to 1999. During this time, he wrote about the "Arkansas Project",a secret, multi-million-dollar plan funded byconservativePittsburgh billionaireRichard Mellon Scaifeto find (or invent) negative material about the Clintons.

In 2004, Conason was one of the first journalists to delve into the background and finances of the group known as the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth",which had targeted Democratic presidential nominee and Vietnam veteranJohn Kerry.[5]Since 2006, he has served as editor of The Investigative Fund, a nonprofit journalism center.[14]

In July 2011, Conason founded a daily political newsletter calledThe National Memoto try "to bring to readers a very sharp take on the day's news, a fair amount of original news, and aggregation."[15]According toThe National Memo,it aims to combine "the spirit of investigative journalism with new technology and ideas."[16]They cover various political related stories including campaigns, elections, the White House and presidency, Congress, and beyond.[17]

Writing

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In 1992, Conason wrote an article forSpy Magazinethat claimed thenPresident of the United StatesGeorge H. W. Bushhad cheated on his wife,Barbara.[18]Conason explained in a laterSalonarticle, "I examined the rumors and allegations — and knocked down most of them. Yes, I quoted many anonymous sources on the subject. But I also quoted Washington journalistsJack Germond,Fred Barnesand the greatWalter Pincus— along with the president's sonGeorge W.— denying any substance to such allegations... If I have any qualms about the Bush story, they're the same ones that I felt at the time. The headline — 'He cheats on his wife' — oversold what we were publishing, as I told [Spyeditors Kurt] Andersen and [Susan] Morrison. They disagreed. And theSpystyle tended to preface allegations with the word "alleged" less diligently than other publications. "[19]

In February 2000, Conason published an investigative profile of George W. Bush inHarper'sMagazine that examined his business career in Texas and how his former business partners potentially profited from state investments after Bush becamegovernor.[20]This story was revived in 2002, early inBush's presidency,when his ties toHarken Energycame under scrutiny.[21][22]

Along with Arkansas journalistGene Lyons,Conason is the co-author ofThe Hunting of the President:The 10 Year Campaign to Destroy Bill andHillary Clinton(St. Martin's Press,2001) with Arkansas journalist,Gene Lyons.The book focuses on what he describes as a "vast right-wing conspiracy"to bring down Bill Clinton—a term initially used by Hillary Clinton in defending her husband against accusations during his ultimately successful1992 presidential bid—by identifying the main participants, revealing their tactics, tracing the millions of dollars spent on their efforts, and examining how (and why) mainstream news organizations helped those determined to bring down the Clintons.[23]The book, aNew York Timesbestseller, was later turned into a documentary in 2004, which Conason co-produced.[24]

Conason's next endeavor,Big Lies: The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth,addresses what he labelsright-wingbias and purporting to debunk ten lies he claims are perpetrated byconservativepropaganda.This was Conason's secondNew York Times-bestselling book.[25]

Conason profiled Bill Clinton forEsquirein December 2005, after traveling to Africa with the former president and covering the inaugural conference of theClinton Global Initiative.[26]The cover story, titled "The Third Term: The Dawning of a Different Sort of Post-Presidency", was later included in Best American Political Writing of 2006, published byThunder's Mouth Press.[27]

The Raw Deal: How the Bush Republicans Plan to Destroy Social Security and the Legacy of the New Deal,about what Conason claims was the Bush administration's efforts to "endSocial Securityas we know it ", appeared in 2005 with a preface byAl Franken,[28]another liberal writer who later served as aU.S. Senatorfrom Minnesota.

FollowingThe Raw DealandBig Lies,Conason wroteIt Can Happen Here: Authoritarian Peril in the Age of Bush(St. Martin's Press, January 2008).[25]The title comes fromSinclair Lewis' 1935 novelIt Can't Happen Here,which portrays an American dictatorship.[29]In this book, Conason discusses what he views as a move towardsauthoritarianismduring the administration ofGeorge W. Bush.

During the2016 United States presidential electioncampaign, Conason and Gene Lyons published a free e-book calledThe Hunting of Hillary,which was primarily based on their previous book,The Hunting of the President.[30]The e-book reviews more than twenty years of alleged Clinton scandals includingWhitewaterwith a particular focus onHillary Clinton.[31]

In September 2016,Simon & SchusterpublishedMan of the World: The Further Endeavors of Bill Clinton,Conason's account of the 42nd president's post-presidency. Conason interviewed Bill, Hillary, andChelsea Clintonand many of Clinton's friends, aides, rivals and supporters to offer a comprehensive analysis of Clinton's post-presidency.[32]

Public appearances

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Conason is a frequent guest on radio and television includingMSNBCandCNN.[33]

Personal life

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In October 2002, Conason married Elizabeth Horan Wagley, then the development director of the U.S. branch ofMédecins du Monde.[34]They have two children, Edward and Eleanor, and currently reside in New York City.[33]

Books

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  • Big Lies: The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth.St. Martin's Press. June 15, 2003.ISBN978-0-312-31561-0.
  • It Can Happen Here: Authoritarian Peril in the Age of Bush,St. Martin's Press,ISBN978-0-312-37930-8
  • Gene Lyons; Joe Conason (February 3, 2001).The Hunting of the President: The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton.St. Martin's Press.ISBN978-1-4668-2873-5.
  • Sarah Posner, Joe Conason,God's Profits: Faith, Fraud, and the Republican Crusade for Values Voters,PolipointPress, 2008;ISBN9780979482212
  • The Raw Deal: How the Bush Republicans Plan to Destroy Social Security and the Legacy of the New Deal,PoliPointPress, 2005;ISBN9780976062127
  • Man of the World: The Further Endeavors of Bill Clinton,Simon & Schuster, 2016;ISBN9781439154106
  • The Longest Con: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Frauds Hijacked American Conservatism,St. Martin's Press, 2024;ISBN978-1250621160

References

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  1. ^Profile,google.com; accessed August 17, 2016.
  2. ^"Joe Conason, Author at The National Memo".The National Memo.Retrieved2016-08-17.
  3. ^"Joe Conason".Observer.Retrieved2016-08-17.
  4. ^"Stories written by Joe Conason".Retrieved2016-08-17.
  5. ^abc"About Joe Conason".creators.com.Retrieved2016-08-17.
  6. ^"Joe Conason".Simon & Schuster.Retrieved2016-08-17.
  7. ^Kisch, Guido (1942-01-01).Historia Judaica.
  8. ^Avrich, Paul (2005).Anarchist Voices: An Oral History of Anarchism in America.AK Press. pp. 308–309.ISBN1904859275.
  9. ^"Couple's Long Career Culminates in Festival",The New York Times,December 13, 1992.
  10. ^"About Joe Conason".creators.com.Retrieved2016-08-18.
  11. ^ab"About Joe Conason".www.creators.com.Retrieved2016-08-23.
  12. ^"Joe Conason profile".The Nation.2010-04-02.Retrieved2016-08-17.
  13. ^"Joe Conason, Columnist".truthdig.com.Retrieved2016-08-17.
  14. ^"Our Editors".www.theinvestigativefund.org.Retrieved2016-08-17.
  15. ^"Joe Conason, Coming to an Inbox Near You".23 August 2011.Retrieved2016-08-18.
  16. ^"About - The National Memo - Smart. Sharp. Funny. Fearless".Retrieved2016-08-18.
  17. ^"The National Memo".The National Memo.Retrieved2016-08-18.
  18. ^"Spy".Books.google.com.pp. 31–38.RetrievedJanuary 17,2016.
  19. ^Salon Staff (18 February 2004)."Joe Conason".Salon.Retrieved2016-08-18.
  20. ^Conason, Joe (2000-02-01)."I. The George W. Bush success story".Harper's Magazine.ISSN0017-789X.Retrieved2016-08-23.
  21. ^"Bush's Tangled Past Is Relevant Today".The New York Observer.2002-07-29.Retrieved2016-08-23.
  22. ^"The Harken Energy Distraction".Washington Post.Retrieved2016-08-23.
  23. ^Lyons, Gene; Conason, Joe (2001-02-03).The Hunting of the President: The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton(1st ed.). New York: St. Martin's Griffin.ISBN9780312273194.
  24. ^"Joe Conason".IMDb.Retrieved2016-08-18.
  25. ^abConason, Joe (2003-09-01).Big Lies: The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth(1st ed.). Thomas Dunne Books.ISBN9780312315603.
  26. ^"Esquire".archive.esquire.com.December 2005.Retrieved2016-08-23.
  27. ^"Table of Contents: The best American political writing 2006 /".www.buffalolib.org.Retrieved2016-08-23.
  28. ^Conason, Joe; Franken, Al; Roosevelt, James Jr. (2005-10-01).The Raw Deal: How the Bush Republicans Plan to Destroy Social Security and the Legacy of the New Deal.Sausalito, CA: Polipoint Press.ISBN9780976062127.
  29. ^Conason, Joe (19 February 2007)."It could happen here".Salon.Retrieved2016-08-23.
  30. ^""The Hunting of Hillary" by Joe Conason & Gene Lyons ".hillarybook.nationalmemo.com.Retrieved2016-08-23.
  31. ^"The Hunting of Hillary: A conversation with Joe Conason".Retrieved2016-08-23.
  32. ^Conason, Joe (2016-09-13).Man of the World.Simon and Schuster.ISBN9781439154106.
  33. ^ab"Joe Conason, Author at The National Memo".The National Memo.Retrieved2016-08-23.
  34. ^"Elizabeth Wagley, Joe Conason".The New York Times.13 October 2002.
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