The New York Times Tackles Government Secrecy in Its Latest 'Truth Is Hard to Find' Ad

The latest New York Times spot for its "The Truth Is Hard to Find" campaign takes a direct route to that message, via a bevy of redacted government documents and an increasing lack of transparency in recent administrations across parties and ideologies. Droga5 launched the campaign in February with a series of print ads, OOH work and a 30-second spot that made its broadcast debut during the Academy Awards on Feb. 26. That bare bones effort delivered a message about "the truth" with just text and audio. The agency kicked off the second phase of the campaign on April 21 with a series of spots directed by Darren Aronofsky that highlight the risks photojournalists face when working in the most dangerous corners of the world. The newest addition to "The Truth Is Hard to Find" features The New York Times' Washington investigations editor, Mark Mazzetti, narrating how journalists attempt to force government agencies to be accountable and transparent. [kickout id="1"] Since 2001, the Times has filed dozens of requests for public information, backed up by the Freedom of Information Act, spanning both the Bush and Obama administrations. During the last administration, this work helped uncover new information on government surveillance and drone-strike programs. Now more than ever, transparency is a hot-button issue as the current president breaks with decades of tradition by refusing to release his tax returns and declining to share information regarding his family's business interests around the world, but The New York Times argues this lack of transparency is nothing new. Mazzetti stresses that "secrecy in government is not something that came around this year," nor is it a partisan issue. The ink-stained vet said secrecy in government is something that has grown "across the years, over several administrations." His words are paired with striking images of redacted government documents unearthed by investigative efforts that ultimately uncovered the National Security Administration's secretive wiretapping program. The spot made its broadcast debut on Saturday and will run through May 2. It harkens back to the minimalism of the campaign's debut effort. And it focuses on the idea that the truth is both "hard to find" and "more important now than ever," implying that without quality journalism, the lack of sufficient government transparency could easily get much worse. "No other media organization has done more than The New York Times to fight for the public’s right to information about their federal, state and local governments," publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. said in a statement. "From the Pentagon Papers to the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping and more, our legacy of holding government to account makes us proud." Credits: Client: The New York Times Campaign: Dedicated Journalists Title: The Truth is Hard to Find - Mark Mazzetti Launch Date: 4/29/17 Agency: Droga5 NY Creative Chairman: David Droga Chief Creative Officer: Ted Royer Executive Creative Director: Tim Gordon ACD Copywriter: Brian Eden ACD Art Director: Ben Grube Junior Copywriter: Mitchell Quesada Junior Art Director: Fatima Jafri Chief Content Creation Officer: Sally Ann Dale Co-Director of Film Production: Jesse Brihn Co-Director of Film Production: Bryan Litman Associate Producer, Film: Kylie Loeffler Integrated Production Business Manager: Grant Thompson Internal Legal Counsel: Erica Palaia Global Chief Strategy Officer: Jonny Bauer Co-Head of Strategy: Harry Roman Strategy Director: Tom Gibby Head of Communications Strategy: Colleen Leddy Communications Strategist: Eric Chow Group Account Director: Julian Cheevers Account Director: Keith Jackson Account Manager: Sophia Bernard Project Manager: Caroline Kosse Client: The New York Times David Rubin: SVP and Head of Brand Amy Weisenbach: VP of Brand Marketing Iain Newton: Brand Consulting Executive James Perkins: Senior Brand Manager Tom Bodkin: Chief Creative Officer Laura Forde: Executive Creative Director Brenda Natoli: Head of Voice Sabena Gupta: Brand Planner Isabelle Ambler: Associate Brand Manager Blair Ecton: Project Manager David Furst: International Photo Editor Brenda Hutchings: Photo Editor Editorial: D5 Studios Senior Editor: Matt Badger Post Producer: CJ Trahan Associate Post Producer: Brielle Mordant Post Production: The Mill Executive Producer: Mel Wickham Senior Producer: Colin Blaney Producer: Luis Martin Production Coordinator: Michael Brown Lead Compositor: Ilia Mokhtareizadeh Compositor: Brandon Danowski Sound & Mix: Sonic Union Audio Post Mixer: Michael Marinelli Audio Post Mixer: Fernando Ascani Audio Post Producer: Pat Sullivan Sound: Barking Owl Sound Designer: Morgan Johnson CD/ EP: Kelly Bayett Producer: Ashley Benton

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The New York Times Tackles Government Secrecy in Its Latest 'Truth Is Hard to Find' Ad

Investigative editor Mark Mazzetti narrates

Erik Oster

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Erik Oster