Mediaite's Press Club

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks to Michael Smerconish, host of Smerconish on CNN and The Michael Smerconish Program on SiriusXM, about his opinion that left-leaning media went too far in their critiques of Trump, potentially explaining his winning of the popular vote. They also speak about the effect of young men in this increasingly divided media landscape, or podcast age, on the election. In the second half of the episode, Aidan talks with Mediaite's founding editor, Colby Hall, about how the Trump cabinet is shaping up. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Piers Morgan, host of Piers Morgan Uncensored on YouTube. He's been on and off friends with Trump since 2008, and while he previously thought Jan. 6 disqualifying for the former president, he's since changed his mind. The hysteria over Trump from his critics, Morgan said, fuels his appeal. He also speaks about the success of his YouTube, leaving linear television behind to go fully digital, and what he makes of criticism that his show platforms trolls. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with The Atlantic's Anne Applebaum about Trump's recent spike in rhetoric used by Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin. Anne is out with a new book, Autocracy Inc., which goes deep into the complex financial system 21st-century autocrats employ to stay in power. She makes comparisons here to Trump's relationship with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and warns Trump has no real understanding of history– he's using this dehumanizing language because he believes it'll help him achieve absolute control. Aidan also speaks with Charlotte Klein, a features writer at New York Magazine, about her recent piece in which she interviewed 57 media elites, on and off the record, about the future of the news business. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Ali Abbasi, the critically acclaimed director of the new film The Apprentice, which depicts the origin story of Donald Trump. Ali discusses Trump's relationship with ruthless prosecutor and political fixer Roy Cohn, why he decided to get involved with the project in the first place– as a lot of Hollywood was fearful to get involved in a Trump biopic– and why he thought of the film as a humanist project. Aidan also speaks with Steve Hayes, the founder, CEO, and editor of The Dispatch, about how to launch a successful media outlet in the current climate. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Andrew Ross Sorkin, founder of the New York Times' DealBook and co-anchor on CNBC's SquawkBox. They talk about Andrew's take on whether Silicon Valley has really gone MAGA, Fortune 500 CEOs' fear of former President Trump, and DealBox's infamous Elon Musk interview. Andrew also talks about his optimism for the future of the media industry and the difficulties of being an apolitical reporter in the Trump era. In the second part of the episode, Aidan speaks with Tim O’Rourke, the VP of content strategy at Hearst Newspapers, about how the San Francisco Chronicle is using AI to cover the 2024 election. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with veteran news anchor Chris Wallace– now the host of two shows at CNN– about what ultimately sparked his departure from Fox News, Fox's $787 million Dominion settlement, and his take on presidential debates as someone who's moderated quite a few. Wallace is also out with a new book, Countdown 1960, on the parallels between that consequential election and 2024. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with CNN international correspondent Nada Bashir. They discuss her coverage of the occupied West Bank and Gaza, since Hamas' October 7th attacks and Israel's bombing campaign that followed, the unimaginable conditions Palestinian journalists are working under, and reporting in the Middle East amid a mistrust of Western media. Aidan also speaks with Jeff Coltin, a POLITICO reporter and co-author of the NYC Playbook newsletter, about the recent indictment against Mayor Eric Adams. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner, New York Times reporters and authors of "Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father's Fortune and Created The Illusion of Success". They discuss their in-depth reporting on Trump's finances, breaking the story of his financial losses and tax evasion methods in 2016, and the former president's attachment to his identity as "self-made". Aidan also speaks with Dominic Ponsford, editor in chief at the Press Gazette, about the scandal plaguing the largest Jewish newspaper in the world. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Ari Melber, host of "The Beat" on MSNBC and the network's chief legal correspondent. They discuss this week's presidential debate on ABC, between Vice President Harris and former President Trump, Trump's bogus election fraud claims, and the future of cable news.

McLaughlin also speaks with Andrew Tobias, chief political correspondent for cleveland.com and the Plain Dealer, about the Trump-promoted conspiracy theories roiling Ohio.

This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.