Rolling Stone and Variety announced today that they will be hosting the second Truth Seekers Summit, presented by Showtime Documentary Films. This year, the summit will expand to a hybrid event with an in-person luncheon and virtual livestream on Aug. 25. The invitation-only, in-person event will take place in New York City, while the content from the summit will be available live and on-demand for virtual registrants on an immersive platform. 

The summit features keynotes and panel conversations highlighting excellence in documentary storytelling, the intersection between media and the fight for social justice, the integrity of journalism versus mass disinformation, and more essential topics. 

Lesley Stahl, who has worked as a correspondent for 60 Minutes for more than 30 years, will be presented with the Variety and Rolling Stone “Truth Seekers Award.” She will participate in a keynote Q&A about her historic rise in broadcast journalism. Stahl was the first woman to serve as the CBS News White House Correspondent and won a Lifetime Achievement Emmy for News and Documentaries in 2003. 


Phoebe Robinson, host and executive producer of Doing the Most With Phoebe Robinson; Amber Ruffin, host, executive producer, and writer of The Amber Ruffin Show and writer for Late Night With Seth Meyers; Comedy Central late-night host and executive producer Charlamagne tha God; and The Daily Show With Trevor Noah correspondent Jordan Klepper will talk about how they are succeeding in connecting with audiences over current events, cultural issues, trends, and political humor on the “Late Night Trendsetters” panel.

ABC News President Kimberly Godwin, MSNBC President Rashida Jones, NBC News President Noah Oppenheim, CBS News President Neeraj Khemlani, and PBS NewsHour Productions Senior Executive Producer Sara Just will participate in the “Newsmakers” panel where they will discuss how their teams are delivering news in polarizing times.

“True Crime Visionaries Presented by Rolling Stone” will uncover how true crime is powering TV, film, books, podcasts, and more, and will feature panelists Rebecca Jarvis, host and executive producer of The Dropout podcast; Elizabeth Cole, Dateline executive producer, NBC News Studios president, and executive producer of The Thing About Pam; Confronting a Serial Killer and Paradise Lost filmmaker Joe Berlinger; and Nanfu Wang, executive producer and director of Mind Over Murder.

Additional programming for the summit will be announced in coming weeks. 

“We are excited to join forces with Rolling Stone and Showtime Documentary Films for the second year to celebrate truth seekers, documentarians, and investigative reporters who keep us informed and shine a light on the most pressing issues of our time,” says Michelle Sobrino-Stearns, CEO and group publisher of Variety. “The Truth Seekers Summit is proud to provide a platform that encourages open dialogue to advance our communities forward.”

“Showtime Documentary Films has always embraced filmmakers devoted to telling courageous stories,” Vinnie Malhotra, executive vice president of nonfiction programming for Showtime Networks Inc., says. “In working with Variety and Rolling Stone on this summit again, we commit to seeking the truth through nonfiction storytelling.”

“We are thrilled to shine a light on the journalists and filmmakers who put truth above all else,” says Rolling Stone CEO Gus Wenner. “We could not have better collaborators to celebrate these brave voices than Showtime Documentary Films and Variety. We look forward to another incredible event bringing together some of the most prominent figures across entertainment and culture.”


Corresponding with the Truth Seekers Summit, Variety and Rolling Stone will partner to create a special print issue that expands on the Truth Seekers theme with stories — both original and archival — that demonstrate the brands’ decades-long dedication to the truth. The special issue will be sent to a select list of Variety and Rolling Stone subscribers. 

Register for virtual access to the summit here: Variety.com/Truthseekers