Journalism on the Ropes

In a presidential race destined to come down to a handful of swing states, Arizona is a political puzzle: a Sun Belt state that’s historically gone red, but went for Biden in 2020. Do the changing demographics prime it for Harris, or will it turn back to Trump? John King talks with two swing voters who exemplify how Arizona defies stereotypes — and represent exactly who the parties are trying to win over. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

16 Syys 202431min

Colleges and universities are still dealing with the political fallout of last spring’s campus protests and encampments. It’s a political fight that’s led to the ouster of high-profile university presidents and generated national debate and even Congressional hearings. Audie talks with Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan University, about how campus protests over Gaza offer a lens on wider arguments about academic freedom. And we hear the perspective of Sam Hilton, a Wesleyan student and executive editor of the student newspaper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

12 Syys 202437min

Audie talks with actor and producer LeVar Burton about the political events that shaped his life and informed the way he guided younger generations, especially as they grappled with the political and cultural events of their own time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

5 Syys 202434min

Kamala Harris has “Freedom.” Donald Trump has “God Bless the USA” (and a lot of cease-and-desist letters). What makes for a good campaign song? And why do we respond so viscerally to the ones that work? Audie talks with DJ Cassidy, who DJ'd the DNC Roll Call. And Dana Gorzelany-Mostak, who studies the use of music in political campaigns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Elo 202431min

We've watched Democratic leaders hand the reins to the next generation at their surprisingly lit convention in Chicago this week. Audie sits down in with CNN’s Van Jones and Evan McMorris-Santoro of the nonprofit news site NOTUS (News of the United States) to talk about who’s taking the stage and changing the party.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

21 Elo 202442min

Audie talks with journalist Kara Swisher about the rise of Silicon Valley’s big donors and how Trump won some of them over. Plus, how Kamala Harris’ California roots have worked to her advantage with tech donors. Kara is the author of “Burn Book: A Tech Love Story.”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

15 Elo 202430min

CNN’s Elle Reeve did her best-known reporting during the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, when she followed neo-Nazis over a weekend of violent protests. Seven years later, her new book looks at how that movement — born in online communities of mostly white men — gave rise to extremist thinking that is now threaded through today’s political discourse.  Audie talks with Reeve about reporting on Nazis, the mainstreaming of their ideology, and why she started “Black Pill: How I Witnessed the Darkest Corners of the Internet Come to Life, Poison Society, and Capture American Politics” with a story about a dead cat.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

8 Elo 202438min

How will Donald Trump and Republicans talk about Kamala Harris without walking into a buzzsaw of accusations and potential backlash over attacks on her race and gender? This week Audie talks with two people with some answers: Kevin Madden is a CNN Political Commentator and was a senior advisor to Mitt Romney on his presidential campaigns, and Doug Heye was the head of communications for the RNC and for the House Majority Leader. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1 Elo 202435min