Leah McGrath Goodman

Leah McGrath Goodman
Born Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation Journalist, author
Nationality American
Education St. Bonaventure University ('98)
Website
leahmcgrathgoodman.com

Leah McGrath Goodman is an American author and freelance journalist who has worked in New York and London.[1][2] She has contributed to publications and agencies such as Fortune,[3] The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, Condé Nast Portfolio, the Associated Press, Forbes and The Guardian.[2][4] In 2010 McGrath Goodman was the recipient of a Scripps Howard Foundation fellowship in environmental journalism.[2] Her first book The Asylum: The Renegades Who Hijacked the World's Oil Market, about the global oil trading market, was published in 2011.[5] In 2014, a Newsweek cover story where she allegedly uncovered the identity of Bitcoin's inventor attracted widespread criticism.

Early life and education

McGrath Goodman was born in Boston, Massachusetts; her parents were a teacher and an artist.[6] She graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 1998 with a Bachelor's degree in journalism and political science.[2][7]

Career

Jersey child abuse investigation

In 2012, UK politician John Hemming tabled an early day motion regarding the withdrawal of McGrath Goodman's UK visa, because she had been prevented from entering the UK after declaring her intentions to investigate allegations of a cover-up regarding the Jersey child abuse investigation, despite having a clean immigration and travel record.[8] In an interview with RT News, McGrath Goodman stated that she was confused as to why she was not allowed entry into the UK and was therefore unable to catch a connecting flight into Jersey. In 2013, the ban was lifted and a new visa granted after a campaign by British politicians and journalists. A major new inquiry into the abuse scandal led by a senior UK judge was also announced.[9]

2014 Bitcoin article

In a March 2014 Newsweek magazine cover story, McGrath Goodman published what she asserted to be the identity and location of Satoshi Nakamoto, the inventor of Bitcoin.[10] The article has generated controversy for its methodology and conclusions.[11][12] Writing in Forbes magazine, Andy Greenberg stated that "Criticism of Newsweek’s article, which describes a silent standoff as reporter Leah McGrath Goodman’s stood at the end of Nakamoto’s driveway and was questioned by police, focused in particular on Goodman's decision to name Nakamoto’s family members and to publish a picture of his house."[13] Goodman wrote that when she asked him about Bitcoin during a brief in-person interview, Nakamoto seemed to confirm his identity as the Bitcoin founder by stating: "I am no longer involved in that and I cannot discuss it. It's been turned over to other people. They are in charge of it now. I no longer have any connection."[14] (This quote was later confirmed by deputies at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department who were present at the time.)[15] However, several hours later, Nakamoto's P2P Foundation account posted a message stating he was not the person in Newsweek's article.[16][17][18]

Books

References

  1. ↑ "Early day motion 504 – LEAH McGRATH GOODMAN – UK Parliament". Parliament.uk. 2012-09-11. Retrieved 2012-10-02.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Scripps Howard Foundation: Programs and Projects: Ted Scripps Environmental Fellowships: 2010-11 Fellows". Scripps.com. Retrieved 2012-10-02.
  3. ↑ "MF Global: The mess that keeps getting messier – The Term Sheet: Fortune's deals blog Term Sheet". Finance.fortune.cnn.com. 2011-11-21. Retrieved 2012-10-02.
  4. ↑ "Leah McGrath Goodman". Huffingtonpost.com. 2011-03-14. Retrieved 2012-10-02.
  5. ↑ "BusinessWeek review, February 17, 2011". Businessweek.com. 2011-02-17. Retrieved 2012-10-02.
  6. ↑ "Leah McGrath Goodman - Official Site". LeahMcGrathGoodman.com. Retrieved February 13, 2015. I was born in Boston and am the daughter of an artist and an English teacher
  7. ↑ "Senior from East Lansing named 2010 Woman of Promise". Inside Bona's. St. Bonaventure University. March 18, 2010. author and journalist Leah McGrath Goodman, a 1998 graduate of the Jandoli School, served as the keynote speaker
  8. ↑ "Early day motion 504 – LEAH McGRATH GOODMAN – UK Parliament". Parliament.uk. 2012-09-11. Retrieved 2012-10-02.
  9. ↑ McGrath Goodman, Leah (2013-07-18). "When Journalism Works". LeahMcGrathGoodman.com. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  10. ↑ McGrath Goodman, Leah (March 6, 2014). "The Face Behind Bitcoin". Newsweek. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  11. ↑ Salmon, Felix (March 7, 2014). "The Satoshi Paradox". Reuters. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  12. ↑ Oputu, Edirin (May 1, 2014). "Darts & Laurels". Columbia Journalism Review.
  13. ↑ "Bitcoin Community Responds To Satoshi Nakamoto's Outing With Disbelief, Anger, Fascination". Forbes. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
  14. ↑ McGrath Goodman, Leah (March 6, 2014). "The Face Behind Bitcoin". Newsweek. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  15. ↑ Winton, Richard (2014-03-07). "Deputies: Newsweek Bitcoin story quoted Satoshi Nakamoto accurately". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2014-03-09.
  16. ↑ "Bitcoin open source implementation of P2P currency". 2014-03-07. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  17. ↑ "'Real' bitcoin creator: 'I am not Dorian Nakamoto'". CNBC.
  18. ↑ "Bitcoin Creator Returns To Internet To Say, 'I Am Not Dorian Nakamoto'". Forbes.

External links