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‘Who is Government?’ Recognizing America’s unsung heroes with The Washington Post

Although they often go unnoticed, public servants are the heartbeat of our nation.

That was the message conveyed at “Honoring Public Service: The Untold Stories,” an event hosted by The Washington Post to mark the launch of its new series spearheaded by best-selling author Michael Lewis.

“Who Is Government?” serves as a reminder to understand and appreciate the individuals who make it function. The series features stories by seven writers who set out to find “the essential public servant” and shine a light on the individuals behind the scenes responsible for some of the government’s most remarkable achievements. During the event, Lewis, and fellow authors W. Kamau Bell and Geraldine Brooks, sat down with David Shipley, opinion editor of The Washington Post, to discuss these outstanding public servants.

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READ: Who is Government? A series by the Washington Post

• The Canary | Michael Lewis on Chris Mark of the Department of Labor
• The Sentinel | Casey Cep on Ronald E. Walters of the National Cemetery Administration
• The Searchers | Dave Eggers on NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab
• The Number | John Lanchester on the Bureau of Labor Statistics
• The Cyber Sleuth | Geraldine Brooks on Jarod Koopman of the Internal Revenue Service
• The Equalizer | Sarah Vowell on the National Archives
• The Rookie | W. Kamau Bell on he Department of Justice
• Directions to a Journalistic Gold Mine | Michael Lewis on the series

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Empowering young storytellers

A main topic discussed was the challenge of making stories about public servants compelling in a digital age that often prioritizes sensational content.

Bell, an author and filmmaker, said he was inspired to join the series after conversations with his goddaughter, a paralegal at the Justice Department.

He emphasized the importance of using storytelling to reveal the human side of government, particularly at a time when public servants are often vilified or ignored.

He also stressed the need to bring these stories into the mainstream by leveraging young storytellers and social media. “There are plenty of them, and they are amazing,” he said, referring to young content creators who are often dismissed despite their creativity and potential.

Bell believes that using modern platforms is crucial to reconnecting the public with the government and showing that public servants, like most of us, are just “people trying to do a good job.”

Uncovering the human side of public service

Geraldine Brooks, another author in the series, shared her experience writing about one of the government’s least popular agencies: the IRS.

Brooks focused on Jared Koopman, the head of the IRS’ Criminal Investigations Division who was instrumental in bringing down the Silk Road, a notorious online black market. Known for her meticulous journalistic approach, Brooks emphasized the importance of “putting in the time” to get to know public servants like Koopman on a deeper level.

In telling a positive story about an individual in one of the least popular federal agencies, Brooks wanted to humanize the government, delving into a public servant who strives to make a difference.

Alluding to the human side of government, one audience member noted, “Government is the tool which we use to tackle shared problems. It was made by people, and therefore has all the things which are amazing about people as well as all our flaws.” Lewis agreed, stating that when stories about public servants are told well, they resonate with—and inspire—readers because they perfectly capture the essence of people who find deep meaning in their work.

Michael Lewis, W. Kamau Bell and Geraldine Brooks join Washington Post Live on Tuesday, Sept. 10. (Video: The Washington Post)

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