What’s a Fact, Anyway?
Fergus McIntosh, The New Yorker; David Baumgarten ’06, The Atlantic
October 30, 2025 · 4:30 pm—6:00 pm · Chancellor Green Rotunda
Humanities Council's Program in Journalism; Princeton Humanities Initiative
Join the Humanities Council’s Program in Journalism for this special event featuring Fergus McIntosh, Head Research Editor at The New Yorker and David Baumgarten ’06, general counsel for The Atlantic.
The pair will discuss the essential role of fact-checking, legal review, and other often hidden aspects of journalism, which are increasingly critical in today’s media landscape. Moderated by Eliza Griswold, program director, with Ferris Professors Rozina Ali of The New York Times Magazine and Carolyn Kormann of The New Yorker.
Read Fergus McIntosh’s article, “What’s a Fact, Anyway?” in The New Yorker.
This event is presented by the Humanities Council’s Program in Journalism and co-sponsored by the Princeton Humanities Initiative.
David Baumgarten is the General Counsel of The Atlantic, where he advises its journalists and executives. A proud member of Princeton’s Class of 2006, he currently serves as the Vice President of the Board of Trustees of the Daily Princetonian and as a member of the Princeton Schools Committee. He previously worked as a management consultant at Boston Consulting Group, attended Harvard Law School, practiced law at Williams & Connolly LLP, taught at UVA School of Law, and served on the Board of Directors of the Student Press Law Center.
Fergus McIntosh leads the fact–checking department at The New Yorker, where he has worked since 2015. Outside of the magazine, he has collaborated on books by authors including Jake Tapper, Andrea Bernstein, and Patrick Radden Keefe. He writes occasionally about music, politics, and the nature of facts.
