Press Club

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with legendary First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams about the bombshell $787.5 million settlement in Dominion's defamation suit against Fox News. Abrams, who among other triumphs represented the New York Times in the Pentagon Papers case, discusses what went down in the courtroom this week in Wilmington, Delaware, even more trouble on the horizon for Fox News, and what this case means more broadly for the First Amendment and the future of the media.

David French returns to "The Interview" for a wide-ranging discussion with Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin. French, who now writes an opinion column for The New York Times, discusses the serious legal peril facing Donald Trump, the dangers of the former president's movement, the 2024 presidential race, the Fox News-Dominion trial, a new controversy involving Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the claims that his billionaire friend is a Nazi sympathizer, the scourge of mass shootings in America, a horrific shooting in French's own backyard, and the push for gun control.

This episode is hosted by Aidan McLaughlin with production assistance from Alyona Uvarova.

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Stephen A. Smith, host of ESPN's First Take, host of the Know Mercy Podcast, and author of the new book "Straight Shooter", a memoir of his life and career. Smith dishes on everything: his incredible career, how to make it in the media industry, being friends with Fox News hosts, the Dominion lawsuit, Tucker Carlson's Jan. 6 coverage, Don Lemon's "prime" comments, his personal style, and whether he sees a future in late night comedy or political office.

This episode is hosted by Aidan McLaughlin with production assistance from Alyona Uvarova.

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Outkick founder Clay Travis about the success of his sports and politics site, selling to Fox Corporation, hosting Rush Limbaugh’s old timeslot, wading into politics, running afoul of Covid fact-checkers, the legacy of Trump after the Jan. 6 riot, and what he makes of the 2024 presidential race.

This episode is hosted by Aidan McLaughlin with production assistance from Alyona Uvarova.

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with New York Times reporters James B. Stewart and Rachel Abrams about their new book "Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy." The book pulls back the curtain on the shocking — and lurid — tale of media titan Sumner Redstone. They discuss how Paramount Global, a vast media empire including Paramount, CBS, Showtime, MTV, and Nickelodeon, nearly fell apart thanks to the lurid personal life of its owner and infighting between those vying to be his heir — including Shari Redstone, his daughter.

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with MSNBC host and chief legal analyst Ari Melber about the success of his show "The Beat" — the most watched program on MSNBC in January — how to make it in cable news, Donald Trump's legal peril, and the major defamation lawsuits plaguing Fox News.

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with CNN senior crime and justice correspondent Shimon Prokupecz. Over the last 8 months Prokupecz has been covering one story more than any other: the horrific mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. There remain unanswered questions about the shooting and the police response to it, questions Prokupecz has been working tirelessly to answer. They discuss the fight for truth in Uvalde, covering mass shootings across America, and Prokupecz's career at CNN.

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with CBS News congressional correspondent Scott MacFarlane about Kevin McCarthy's dramatic battle to become the next Speaker of the House of Representatives. McLaughlin and MacFarlane discuss the five long days of McCarthy's nightmare-turned-triumph, what it was like covering the drama on the House floor, what's next for the new Congress, and the anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Steve Kornacki, MSNBC's data guru, who will be manning the "Big Board" once again for the 2022 midterm elections. They discuss what to expect from the most consequential election since the last one and how Kornacki prepares for his marathon coverage. They also talk his podcast, "The Revolution With Steve Kornacki," which examines how the 1994 midterms paved the way for our current political climate.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Stephen Gutowski, founder of The Reload, about the state of gun violence and gun control in the country. They discuss his new gig at CNN, what’s going on at the NRA, and what the media gets wrong when it covers firearms.