Press Club

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with New Yorker staff writer, author, and executive producer Patrick Radden Keefe about his reporting process— "90% reporting and 10% writing— and FX's recent adaptation of his 2018 book, Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland. They also speak about his career path, his ability to tell large stories through deep dives on characters, and what's next for journalists under this next Trump administration. In the second half of the episode, Aidan speaks with founding Mediaite editor Colby Hall about the current state of the cable news industry.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with former Business Insider top editor Nicholas Carlson about his departure from the news outlet and his new venture: a video media start-up called Dynamo. They also discuss a troublesome challenge that has emerged for publishers in recent years, one that Carlson faced frequently at Business Insider: extraordinarily wealthy people using lawsuits to silence reporting they don’t like. One of those figures, the hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman, went on a frenzied crusade against a reporting accusing his wife of plagiarism — a crusade that put Carlson's job in jeopardy. Carlson speaks about why he really left Business Insider, what he plans to do with Dynamo, and the future of the digital media business.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with businessman and conservative podcaster Patrick Bet-David, who has amassed millions of subscribers on YouTube and other social platforms with his interviews of key figures in politics and culture— including Donald Trump who came on Bet-David's show this summer per a request from his son, Barron. They talk about the age of 'podcast elections', whether he sees any hope for the future of the traditional media, and what the next four years will look like as Trump prepares to move into the White House.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks to Mediaite founder and CEO Dan Abrams about his recent decision to end his NewsNation show, our increasingly polarized and fractured media industry, and what Kash Patel and ABC's $15 million settlement signal about Trump's upcoming second term. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks to Ruth Sherlock, an international correspondent for NPR on the ground now in Syria. They talk about what she's seen post-fall of Assad, her reporting inside Syria's notorious Sednaya Prison, what's next for HTS–the major rebel group– and the dangers she faces as a foreign reporter. Aidan also speaks with Mediaite founding editor Colby Hall about the top media stories this week. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks to Isaac Saul, founder of the independent, nonpartisan newsletter Tangle, about how he covers the news, and Tangle's goal of reducing media-initiated polarization. They also speak about what Isaac makes of traditional media versus the rise of independent outlets, and how to start a media business in 2024 while considering the partisanship of language in journalism. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks to Marc Caputo, a national politics reporter from The Bulwark and the most plugged-in national political reporter working out of Florida. They talk about Florida's outsized role in American politics since the beginning of the Trump era, the impact of Trump's constant presence at Mar a Lago, and Trump's trust in Floridians like Susie Wiles, Matt Gaetz, and now Pam Bondi. Aidan also speaks with Mediaite founding editor Colby Hall about the wild past week for Trump's cabinet nominees. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.

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.