Olivia Nuzzi Explains Her Approach to Reporting in Unearthed 2021 Clip: ‘Objectivity Is Certainly Not Something I Aspire To’

Well, you can’t call her a liar.

Writer Olivia Nuzzi revealed objectivity is not part of her approach to reporting during a podcast interview in 2021.

“I think objectivity is certainly not something that I aspire to or that I think is valuable for me and the type of journalism I do,” Nuzzi said. “But I understand why it’s important if you’re at the New York Times or a network to claim to be completely objective.”

Vanity Fair’s west coast editor shared her thoughts on objectivity vs. subjectivity when asked about the state of the media world and the “future of journalism,” while talking to Patrick Murray, the director of Monmouth University’s Polling Institute at the time.

“I never had a mandate to be objective and be this news robot, like an AP wire, right?” she told Murray. “My worldview is a really important part of how I approach my work and how I approach a profile or feature or news item.”

Those comments stand out, considering Nuzzi is currently at the center of a media controversy due to her close relationships with politicians she has covered.

The first wave hit last year, when it was revealed Nuzzi had a “digital” relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom she profiled while working for New York Magazine in 2023.

Nuzzi lost her job at NYM and went into self-imposed exile in Los Angeles to write her new memoir, American Canto, right after. She also broke up with her then-fiancé, fellow political journo Ryan Lizza.

She has been on a small media tour promoting the book recently, which includes passages about “the politician” having eyes that are “blue as the flame.” The New York Times was also mocked a bit for its profile and glamour photos of Nuzzi, including her walking along the beach and looking out at the Pacific Ocean.

And the latest Nuzzi news hit on Monday night, when Lizza posted a bombshell claim on his website, Telos News, that Nuzzi had slept with former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) while covering his campaign in 2020. Lizza said the romp torpedoed a book deal he and Nuzzi had.

He also alleged that Keith Olbermann had been her “sugar daddy,” which included paying for her fancy West Village apartment.

Watch her discuss her reporting approach above.