Checking In with Rachel Lerman and Covering the Theranos Trial

Just Checking In

Unicorns and dragons? A criminal trial? Eluding death? It sounds like we might be talking about Game Of Thrones in this episode, but actually we’re discussing a recent event that shook Silicon Valley to its core. Rachel Lerman was one of the people on the front lines covering the landmark Theranos/Elizabeth Holmes trial over the past few months. Rachel is a tech reporter at the Washington Post and previously worked for other publications including the AP and the Seattle Times. Listen in and discover what it was like to be in the hallways of federal court in San Jose during this trial–and, separately, how The Washington Post continues to grow its technology team and focus on “accountability journalism.”

Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!

Jump straight into:

(04:48) - Rachel’s 3AM trip to have a place in the San Jose Federal Courthouse - “It wasn't just me and other reporters, but also spectators because people have heard so much about her, seen the documentary or read the book, so they wanted to come and see it for themselves.

(08:34) - Rachel's pre-trial research and involvement in the Theranos case - “It makes it almost easier to see the case through fresh eyes because you're seeing the evidence that they're presenting to the jury as new evidence.”

(10:59) - The moment that Elizabeth Holmes was called to the stand - “It's the only voice I've ever heard her talk in, including in the hallways of the courtroom house, because it was a very, very small, tight courtroom. So truly I have no idea if it's her real voice.”

(16:29) - Rachel's internal debate to decide what questions to ask - “The only time I really tried to ask her questions was when she was entering or leaving the courthouse on big days, like on the verdict day, we tried to call out questions to her, which she didn't answer.”

(18:31) - Will this be a major highlight in Rachel’s reporting career? - “This is probably one of the more high profile people that I've covered. Of course I've covered tech CEOs and things like that, but she is a very controversial and battled figure.”

(19:35) - Were Elizabeth Holmes' allegations against “Sunny” Balwani an effective move for her defense? - “I expected since they brought it up, maybe they would bring on the psychologist or psychiatrist to kind of back that up or maybe they would bring it up in their closing arguments. They didn't do that.”

(21:17) - The Washington Post: How is it doing? How is it stacking up against the competition? - “They're putting a real focus on accountability journalism, so they want to hold companies accountable. They want to investigate what's going on and shed light on these historically very opaque institutions.”

Episode resources:

Rachel Lerman’s Twitter and Linkedin

Rachel Lerman - The Washington Post

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

Thank you for listening to Just Checking In by Battery Ventures. Go follow Becky and Keyana on social media to know more about them. If you enjoyed this show leave a review and help us find new audiences!

This show is produced by StudioPod Media in SanFrancisco. Nicole Genova is the Show Coordinator. Editing and music provided by Teresa Buchanan.