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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Contrasting Public Styles
- Newer justices vary in public posture: Amy Coney Barrett promotes trust and explains decisions while Ketanji Brown Jackson speaks forcefully and warns of disillusionment.
- Those contrasting styles reflect different strategies for engaging the public about the Court.
Liberal Strategy Split
- Liberals on the Court are fracturing on strategy: diplomacy and persuasion behind the scenes versus public confrontation.
- Kantor framed this as a deliberate tactical split rather than a mere personality clash.
Target High-Value Inquiries
- Reporters should target secret, public-interest matters rather than exhaustively chase every internal detail.
- Kantor allocates investigative capital to inquiries unlikely to surface otherwise, not things that will become public anyway.