Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 14 hours ago
What did journalists know about terrorism before 9/11? How has national security reporting changed over the past several decades? In this compelling episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Judith Miller reflects on her extraordinary career covering global conflicts, terrorism, intelligence, and the Middle East.
Drawing from decades of frontline reporting, Judith discusses her experiences covering major events in the Middle East, the growing threat of terrorism before the September 11 attacks, and the complex relationship between journalism, government policy, and national security. She also reflects on her time in jail and defending the First Amendment, shares her perspective on how the media landscape has evolved, the challenges facing modern journalism, and the responsibility of reporters covering high-stakes international issues.
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Judith Miller: https://x.com/JMfreespeech
Rafael Mangual: https://x.com/Rafa_Mangual
00:00 Introduction and Judith Miller’s background
01:39 Career at The New York Times and early experiences
04:01 Covering biological weapons and national security
09:04 Pre-9/11 intelligence and Osama Bin Laden
12:35 Living through 9/11 and its aftermath
15:13 Lessons from 9/11 and evolving threats
17:45 Counterterrorism efforts and local law enforcement
19:40 Lone wolf threats and modern security challenges
22:57 Embedded journalism in Iraq and military insights
26:45 The importance of on-the-ground reporting
28:53 The impact of AI on journalism and future challenges
31:14 Judith Miller’s jail experience and First Amendment defense
What did journalists know about terrorism before 9/11? How has national security reporting changed over the past several decades? In this compelling episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Judith Miller reflects on her extraordinary career covering global conflicts, terrorism, intelligence, and the Middle East.
Drawing from decades of frontline reporting, Judith discusses her experiences covering major events in the Middle East, the growing threat of terrorism before the September 11 attacks, and the complex relationship between journalism, government policy, and national security. She also reflects on her time in jail and defending the First Amendment, shares her perspective on how the media landscape has evolved, the challenges facing modern journalism, and the responsibility of reporters covering high-stakes international issues.
Get the best of City Journal, delivered weekly:
city-journal.org/email-alerts
Follow City Journal on X: https://x.com/CityJournal
Judith Miller: https://x.com/JMfreespeech
Rafael Mangual: https://x.com/Rafa_Mangual
00:00 Introduction and Judith Miller’s background
01:39 Career at The New York Times and early experiences
04:01 Covering biological weapons and national security
09:04 Pre-9/11 intelligence and Osama Bin Laden
12:35 Living through 9/11 and its aftermath
15:13 Lessons from 9/11 and evolving threats
17:45 Counterterrorism efforts and local law enforcement
19:40 Lone wolf threats and modern security challenges
22:57 Embedded journalism in Iraq and military insights
26:45 The importance of on-the-ground reporting
28:53 The impact of AI on journalism and future challenges
31:14 Judith Miller’s jail experience and First Amendment defense
