Jane Mayer

Jane Mayer serves as the Chief Correspondent for The New Yorker, a position she has held since joining the publication as a writer in 1995. Her investigative journalism has covered a range of critical and impactful stories, including the Pentagon’s secret torture policy, the United States' practices of outsourcing torture (rendition), and the operations at the prison at Guantánamo Bay. Mayer's work often challenges powerful figures and institutions, as evidenced by her reporting on George W. Bush, the bin Laden family, Sarah Palin, and the television show "24".

Before her tenure at The New Yorker, Mayer made significant strides at the Wall Street Journal, where she began her 12-year career. In 1984, she broke new ground as the Journal’s first female White House correspondent. She gained further recognition as a war correspondent and a foreign correspondent, covering major events such as the bombing of the American barracks in Beirut, the Persian Gulf War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the final days of Communism in the Soviet Union. During her time at the Journal, Mayer was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in feature writing.

Mayer's written work extends beyond journalism into the realm of impactful literature. She is the author of several best-selling books including "The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals," which was not only a New York Times Top Ten Best Book of the year but also received high praise as “brilliantly researched and deeply unsettling...extraordinary and invaluable" by The New York Times. Another notable work, "Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right," sold over 400,000 copies and is currently being adapted into a feature film by Paramount. Additionally, a Netflix adaptation about her profile of Christopher Steele from The New Yorker is in production, demonstrating the significant impact of her investigative insights on both literature and film.

Mayer's academic background includes graduating with honors from Yale in 1977 and furthering her studies in history at Oxford. She now resides in Washington with her family, continuing to enlighten and provoke thought through her rigorous examination of American politics and society.