‘Celebrated for both its impactful, enduring message about why NYT reporting is worth paying for as well as its exquisite craft. “Truth Needs Life’ conveys the highs, the lows, the struggles, the heartbreak and even the mundane of the past year in a single “visual poem”—woven together through the lens of NYT headlines and with a seductive track from jazz drummer Makaya McCraven. Elegantly capturing the 2020 roller coaster with the gravity it deserved but also the levity needed.’ (paraphrased from AdAge)

‘“Life Needs Truth” is a campaign that responds to the idea that the truth can guide us through life and help us navigate the world we live in.

The work is the next iteration of the “The Truth Is Essential” campaign that shows Times journalism as part of the fabric of life. The work looks to capture the current time in America through the lens of New York Times reporting—bringing it to the fore—and reminding people that, in times like these, we all need journalism to help us process the world.

The films are poems about life crafted from New York Times journalism and structured over five verses. Built with words lifted from New York Times articles, the headlines come together with the beat of Makaya McCraven’s jazz and the sound of typing to put the infectious rhythm of the writing and the story in the viewer’s head.