The Intersection of Law and Storytelling: Emily Bazelon ’89 at the Christopher Allen ’09 Lecture

Friday, March 6, 2026, marked the third annual Christopher Allen ’09 Lecture, a series established by John Allen and Joyce Krajian in memory of their son Chris, a freelance journalist who lost his life in 2017 while covering the conflict in South Sudan. (Learn more about Chris and his work giving voice to the voiceless.)

This lecture invites accomplished journalists to Germantown Friends School’s campus to speak with Upper School students. This year’s featured guest was Emily Bazelon ’89, a New York Times Magazine staff writer, Yale Law School fellow, co-host of the Slate podcast Political Gabfest, and author of two national bestsellers: Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy and Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration. 

Bazelon covered a number of relevant political topics in her lecture, prompted by the thoughtful questions of co-moderators Sona Wink ’21, GFS English/journalism teacher, and Alexander Duggan ’26, Editor-in-Chief of Earthquake, GFS’ student-run magazine. 

Bazelon is well-equipped to untangle and illuminate some of the most complex, thorny issues in the modern political landscape. After graduating from GFS and attending Yale University for her undergraduate studies, she earned her law degree at Yale Law School in the hopes that it would advance a career in journalism. It’s a strategy that paid off, not only in terms of her grasp of legal matters, but also in her approach to writing stories about political issues. 

“The knowledge base from law school has been really relevant: it gave me confidence and a set of questions to ask and people to call, and a way into topics that have proven to be endlessly interesting,” Bazelon said.

Duggan kicked the questions off, asking what Bazleon would say to aspiring journalists considering “taking the risk” of entering the unstable, unpredictable field, particularly in light of the recent layoffs at The Washington Post. Bazelon reaffirmed her love of the work she is able to do and urged students to forge ahead if they have “the bug”, and to also develop a suite of storytelling skills to compete in the evolving media landscape. 

“I learned how to podcast—audio journalism is amazing,” she said. “And more and more, as all of you know, we're consuming a lot of video content. If I was at GFS now thinking about being a journalist, I would try to learn how to do both audio and video production and editing as part of my skill set.”

Wink asked Bazelon about her recent stories covering the FBI, and how her unique background that blends legal scholarship and investigative journalism shapes the human side in her stories. Bazelon noted that she often starts with a question she wants to answer in the world, usually about something that is having a significant human impact. Over the last year and a half, one of those questions has been about how the federal government is changing and how the shift is affecting the rule of law.

“One thing I can do right now is try to tell a story that will get behind the scenes by interviewing people in the Justice Department and the FBI,” Bazelon said. “For public servants like career lawyers and FBI agents and analysts—their world is exploding, and I’ve been putting together a mosaic of their perspectives in stories that are less mediated, not soundbites that I’ve chosen, but more just letting them speak.”

The conversation continued, with questions about shifts in national security and safety, political weaponization of the legal system, the surge of immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, and Bazelon’s take on how the three branches are responding to the president’s testing of his authority.

Wink shifted the topic toward journalistic ethics, the power of narrative, and what’s important for journalists to remember when covering sensitive topics. Bazelon spoke at length about following the facts where they lead and striving to tell the most complete story possible.

“At the Times Magazine, we work on things for months or even longer, and we fact-check them very carefully—there's a lot of conversation about every word and how we're presenting things,” she said. “I have learned over the years to have faith in our process; it doesn't mean that we're always going to get it right, but I know that we're going to really be cautious and thoughtful about how we present things.”

Students were given the chance to ask Bazelon questions, which included: “As a journalist, how do you create an active narrative instead of a reactionary response in your writing?” and “How do you think your practice of journalism has changed in response to how U.S. policy and government have changed?”

The final student question was: “In this age where there's so much misinformation being spread, and there's a fight against truth and journalism, how do you and your colleagues work to make sure the truth gets out there?”

Bazelon responded that part of The New York Times’ strategy has been to bring the news to different platforms and outlets, such as YouTube videos and social media, in an attempt to reach audiences outside of its subscriber base. 

“I feel really strongly that trying to reach out to people who don't already read newspapers is crucial to democracy right now,” she said. “If we can make something that people will see and then associate reliable information with The New York Times, that is a gain for the next time.”

The lecture concluded with a rousing rendition of GFS’ school song “Jerusalem” which was stealthily organized during the lecture after Bazelon mentioned that one of her favorite memories from being a student at GFS was group singing. Senior members of the Choir accompanied Bazelon on stage while the whole audience stood and joined together in song.  

Afterwards, Bazelon joined the staff of Earthquake in the All School Commons for lunch and a Q&A. 

Elie Bekelman ’27, the 2026-27 Editor-in-Chief of Earthquake, attended the lunchtime meeting with Bazelon and found it a valuable experience for herself and the magazine’s staff.

“It was a great chance for EQ staff to get their questions answered in a small setting rather than a large lecture,” Bekelman said. “Lots of students were able to ask really specific questions, and Emily gave us some in-depth answers.”

As a young journalist, Bekelman looks to more seasoned writers and reporters for guidance and moral support, both of which she gained from the meeting with Bazelon.

“Her encouragement was super useful,” Bekelman noted. “She gave advice on how journalists can stay relevant today with the rise of social media and technology, and motivated me to continue pursuing a profession that many say isn't worth it anymore. I am so grateful to Emily for that!”