Episodes
Brian Stelter addresses the end of "Reliable Sources" on television and thanks the audience. Carl Bernstein, Jeffrey Goldberg, Jodie Ginsberg, David Zurawik, Claire Atkinson, Eric Deggans, and Brian Karem discuss the past, present and future of journalism and media. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
Published 08/21/22
Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Shefali Luthra of The 19th discuss their roles as health care beat reporters in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. They tell Brian Stelter about coverage priorities; different types of stories about abortion; and sudden spikes in interest about reproductive rights. "I think what's been so deeply important to me has been trying to prioritize the voices of people who are affected," Luthra says. "I just feel a lot of responsibility to...
Published 08/19/22
Henry Reese, who was on stage with Salman Rushdie when Rushdie was brutally stabbed, joins Brian Stelter. Plus: Bill McCarren on the ten year anniversary of Austin Tice's disappearance in Syria; Byron Allen on his plans for theGrio; John Dean on Donald Trump's potential legal peril; and Laura Bassett, Oliver Darcy and Caitlin Dickson on anti-FBI rhetoric becoming mainstream in the GOP. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
Published 08/14/22
In his new book "The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan," combat veteran and acclaimed novelist Elliot Ackerman documents the horrors of America's evacuation from Afghanistan. He talks with Brian Stelter about why he wrote the book; what people need to know about the August 2021 withdrawal; and the media's coverage of war. In "our obsession not to repeat Saigon... we actually created, I think, a far more terrible image and grisly image," he says. Ackerman also shares how the war in...
Published 08/12/22
First Lady Jill Biden's former press secretary Michael LaRosa talks with Brian Stelter about media coverage of the first family. Plus, Elaine Godfrey, Howard Polskin and Lauren Wright analyze election denialism; Dan Friesen and Jordan Holmes, co-hosts of the "Knowledge Fight" podcast, dissect the trial of Infowars host Alex Jones; and David Bornstein explains how "solutions journalism" can transform the media. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
Published 08/07/22
Oliver Darcy analyzes Alex Jones' legal quagmire and Jennifer Mercieca explains that Jones' media properties have "had a hard time acquiring new customers." Both Darcy and Mercieca comment on Jones' demeanor during the recent trial in Texas and compare his defensive crouch to his past behavior. Mercieca says the Jones case is about accountability for lies: "They're not being gaslit by Alex Jones anymore." At the same time, Darcy points out that Jones has "become more accepted by the...
Published 08/05/22
The acclaimed economist talks with Brian Stelter about recession fears, inflation and the "dystopian myths of red America." Plus, Tara Palmeri, Oliver Darcy and Liz Mair analyze Jon Stewart's use of TV interviews to highlight veterans' health care needs; Rachel Leingang discusses Arizona's primaries and the growing trend of GOP candidates running against the media; Lydia X. Z. Brown shares what really happened during a White House meeting that was ridiculed by right-wing media; and Katherine...
Published 07/31/22
With the TikTok app becoming more popular and powerful by the day, BuzzFeed News contributor Emily Baker-White discusses her string of scoops about TikTok and its parent company ByteDance. She says ex-employees have opened up to her because they feel "weird" about "the power that ByteDance has now amassed through TikTok in the US." Regarding TikTok's Chinese ownership, "we've seen a lot of concern from the US government; we haven't seen a lot of action," she says. She also points out that...
Published 07/29/22
Sarah Longwell shares findings from her GOP voter focus groups and says there is a key difference between "Trump the man" and "Trump the phenomenon." Plus, David From discusses the state of American politics; Jennifer Dresden shares findings from Project Democracy's "Authoritarian Playbook;" David Zurawik analyzes recent anti-Trump editorials in Rupert Murdoch's newspapers; Bill Weir discusses life on the climate change beat; and columnist Lynne O'Donnell describes being detained and...
Published 07/24/22
"How 'Stop the Steal' Captured the American Right" is this week's New York Times Magazine cover story. Author Charles Homans says the movement predates Donald Trump and will outlast him as well. Homans tells Brian Stelter about his interviews with GOP voters; why the conversations "quickly shift from 'stolen election' to abortion or Covid lockdowns;" and what might happen to "democratic trust in the system one step down the road." To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit...
Published 07/22/22
Dr. Tracey Wilkinson describes a "chilling effect" in the medical field as abortion bans take effect. Plus, Nicole Carroll describes how the Columbus Dispatch confirmed a child rape allegation that some conservative media outlets disbelieved; Natasha Alford and Bill Carter analyze the partisan media battles over abortion; Shimon Prokupecz discusses the need for transparency in Uvalde; Brian Stelter says polls show many Americans want generational and structural changes to politics; and...
Published 07/17/22
The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg talks about the magazine's decision to digitize its 165-year archive and what he noticed about the centuries-old articles. "We're not going to know ourselves if we don't know what we thought 10, 20, 30, 100 years ago," he says. Plus, Goldberg shares his new reporting about the author of "Where the Crawdads Sing," and discusses his coverage priorities heading into the 2024 election. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit...
Published 07/14/22
Nina Jankowicz, former Director of DHS Disinformation Governance Board, joins to reveal how the the latest trends in disinformation are becoming harder to solve. Then, Melissa Bell on how to reestablish trust in American media and how to find the line between informing while not overwhelming the nation. Also, Elon Musk tells Twitter he wants out of the takeover deal, but is there someone who will buy it now? Plus, what is motivating voters this midterm year. To learn more about how CNN...
Published 07/10/22
David Zurawik, a 32-year veteran of the Baltimore Sun, opens up about why he left the newspaper last year. He says he sensed pressure to tone down some of his politically opinionated columns and lacked confidence in hedge fund Alden Global Capital's ownership of the paper. Zurawik, now a CNN media analyst, talks about the state of local news; the launch of a nonprofit news outlet called The Baltimore Banner; and the House's hearings about January 6. He says it is vital to uphold the news...
Published 07/07/22
Brian Stelter interviews TikTok VP Michael Beckerman and FCC commissioner Brendan Carr about TikTok's handling of user data. Plus, Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa talks about the fight for press freedom around the world; David French says most Americans are part of an "exhausted majority;" and Nicole Hemmer, Lulu Garcia-Navarro, and Oliver Darcy discuss some of the week's top media stories. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
Published 07/03/22
Author and Dartmouth professor Jeff Sharlet has been reporting on the American right from a religious studies perspective for two decades. He talks with Brian Stelter about his forthcoming book, "The Undertow: Scenes From a Slow Civil War," and the blind spots that some members of the media have. He says it is important to understand the religious "lens" that many Americans see the world through. "If you don't have that lens, you're only telling part of the story," he says. Plus, Sharlet...
Published 07/01/22
Kate Smith, Susan Matthews, and Sarah Longwell discuss how the overturning of Roe v. Wade is being covered by newsrooms. Plus, Brian Stelter connects the dots between recent episodes of political violence; Tom Nichols identifies some of the reasons why threats and violence keep occurring; and Ron Brownstein explains "the great divergence" between red and blue states. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
Published 06/26/22
What is The New York Times' vision for Wordle and how does the viral hit game fit into the news outlet's broader strategy? Brian Stelter talks about that and more with Jonathan Knight, a senior vice president at The Times. Knight discusses the meteoric rise of the game; why The Times moved quickly to acquire it; and upcoming updates that will protect users' streaks and stats. Games are "intended to give people a bit of a break from the news, which can be a tough read," Knight says. To work on...
Published 06/23/22
Top Associated Press editor Julie Pace joins Brian Stelter to discuss. Plus: Danielle Belton, John Harwood, Robby Soave, Brian Fung, and more. Amy Doyle shares memories of her father Mark Shields, the longtime PBS and CNN analyst who died at age 85. Ibram X. Kendi addresses the media's coverage of race education. And Kaya Yurieff explains why "everyone wants to be TikTok." To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
Published 06/19/22
Keri Blakinger's reporting for The Marshall Project focuses on prisons and jails. Her new memoir, "Corrections in Ink," shares her personal experience with the criminal justice system, from her arrest for heroin possession to her two years behind bars. Blakinger tells Brian Stelter how she created a journalism career by accepting the "darkest parts of her past" and how being a former inmate impacts her storytelling. She also critiques how other news outlets cover America's prison system. To...
Published 06/16/22
Brian Stelter analyzes Fox's decision not to air the prime-time hearings live and talks with Shelby Talcott and Garrett Graff. Plus, filmmaker Nick Quested on his newly published video of the Capitol riot; former Obama aide Dan Pfeiffer on growing complaints about Biden's media strategy; and a discussion of the Washington Post's Twitter feuding with Oliver Darcy and Mara Schiavocampo. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad...
Published 06/12/22
Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition politician and Washington Post contributing columnist, has been detained since April. His wife Evgenia is advocating for Vladimir and other activists and journalists who have been swept up amid Russia's crackdown on dissent. She tells Brian Stelter that "Russia can be different" and "we need to make it harder for those who would try to be silent about it."  To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about...
Published 06/09/22
Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward reflect on their bond 50 years after the Watergate story began. Plus, Biden senior adviser Gene Sperling explains the administration's media blitz about the economy; San Antonio Express-News executive editor Nora Lopez says officials are stonewalling the press in Uvalde; and Brian Stelter reports on CNN setting a higher standard for "breaking news." To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices....
Published 06/05/22
James Pogue's reporting for Vanity Fair has been one of the most-talked-about political articles of the year. Brian Stelter asks Pogue about the "dissident right;" its use of words like "regime;" and why it flies under the radar of much of the media. Pogue describes how he gained the trust of key sources like J.D. Vance and Blake Masters. He warns that "if we don't get government working again, on some level, somebody is going to come in and do something very authoritarian because our society...
Published 06/02/22
Brian Stelter asks whether Texas officials are still withholding information about the massacre in Uvalde. Shimon Prokupecz and Stella Chavez report on the fallout. Stephen Gutowski and Clara Jeffery discuss media coverage of guns. Plus: Would graphic images of victims change the debate? John Woodrow Cox shares his thoughts. Later, Afghan news anchors Farida Sial and Hamid Bahraam discuss the Taliban's face-covering directive for women anchors. To learn more about how CNN protects listener...
Published 05/29/22