The Study Hall Podcast

Karen Hao is an award-winning journalist whose work has been published in MIT Technology Review, The Atlantic, and The Wall Street Journal. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Hao discusses her new book,“Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI,” which traces how the company went from idealism to relentless expansion. Hao discusses the environmental and ethical implications of OpenAI’s empire. In addition, drawing from her role as the head of the Pulitzer Center’s The AI Spotlight series, she shares insight into how journalists should approach this technology as both a tool and a subject of reporting. 

For more information about The AI Spotlight Series: https://pulitzercenter.org/focus-areas/information-and-artificial-intelligence/ai-spotlight-series

More information about “Empire of AI”: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743569/empire-of-ai-by-karen-hao/

Find out more about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz

Music by KT The Terrible

CONTENT WARNING: VIOLENCE

Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, an award-winning journalist, discusses her article for The Guardian about the murder of Fiona Holm. In her article, Brinkhurst-Cuff explores why Fiona’s murder didn’t gain that much attention in the British media and contextualizes it within the phenomenon of “missing white woman syndrome.”  For the Reuters Institute, Brinkhurst-Cuff researched how the media often fails to accurately cover missing people. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, she shares the findings of her research, discusses reporting The Guardian article, and offers tips for journalists who want to report on missing people while avoiding true crime tropes and sensationalism. 

Charlie’s article: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/16/the-killing-of-fiona-holm-why-was-the-life-and-death-of-this-much-loved-mother-so-overlooked

Learn more about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz

Music by KT The Terrible 

Ej Dickson, a senior writer at The Cut, chats about the necessity of bringing empathy to reporting.  In a conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, she discusses her profile of Candace Owens, what’s behind RFK Jr.’s rise, and how mom content became so divisive.  

Keep up with her work: https://www.thecut.com/author/e.j.-dickson/

Find out more about Study Hall: https://studyhall.xyz/

Music by KT The Terrible

Harron Walker chats about her book “Aggregated Discontent: Confessions of the Last Normal Woman.”  In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Harron discusses what it was like to work in digital media during the late 2010s, her “Devil Wears Prada” fan fiction, the figure of the girlboss, and her reporting on trans people trying to access family planning care. In addition, Harron shares tips on cultivating a writing community during the siloed era of Substack. 

More info about Aggregated Discontent: https://bookshop.org/p/books/aggregated-discontent-confessions-of-the-last-normal-woman-harron-walker/21762120

More info about Study Hall: https://studyhall.xyz/

Music by KT The Terrible 

Francis Zierer is the host and editor of Creator Spotlight, a podcast and newsletter that showcases how various writers, YouTubers, and podcasters monetize their online content. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Francis shares tips on how writers can market themselves in the creator economy. He also discusses the dynamic of running an independent project in a crowded field and how writers can embrace the creator economy. 

For more information about Creator Spotlight: https://www.creatorspotlight.com/

For more information about Study Hall: https://studyhall.xyz/

Music by KT The Terrible

In a conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Johanna Fatemen and John Vincler, the co-chief art critics at Cultured Magazine’s The Critics’ Table, reflected on their experience starting a new space for art criticism. Fateman and Vincler discussed the state of art writing, negative reviews, and inclusivity in the art world. 

Find out more about The Critics’ Table: https://www.culturedmag.com/the-critics-table

Find out more about Study Hall: https://studyhall.xyz/

Music by KT The Terrible

In a chat with host Daniel Spielberger, Sarah Schulman discussed her new book “The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity.” Drawing from culture industry case studies and Schulman’s experience as an activist, the book explores how artists and writers can show solidarity with marginalized groups. Schulman is an award-winning writer, novelist, and activist. 

For more information about “The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity”: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/771411/the-fantasy-and-necessity-of-solidarity-by-sarah-schulman/

For more information about Study Hall: www.studyhall.xyz

Music by KT The Terrible

Sarah Aziza discusses her memoir "The Hollow Half: A Memoir of Bodies and Borders." Aziza’s writing has been published in The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Baffler, and Jewish Currents. In her memoir, Aziza traces her family’s history of being displaced from Palestine and explores the dynamic of historic erasure. In this conversation with Daniel Spielberger, Aziza discusses the process of writing and researching her memoir. She also reflects on her experience as a Palestinian American writer using her platform to raise awareness of Israel’s war on Gaza. 

More information on The Hollow Half: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-hollow-half-sarah-aziza/21691339?ean=9781646222438&next=t&affiliate=39

For more information about Study Hall: https://studyhall.xyz/

Music by KT The Terrible 

Adam Popescu discussed his recent Bloomberg feature about the Cordyceps fungi trade in Nepal. In this discussion with host Daniel Spielberger, Popescu shares his approach to narrative journalism and offers advice on how to find and pitch a compelling story. Popescu also chats about his recent Scientific American report on the implications of Colossal Biosciences creating a woolly mouse. 

Popescu’s reporting has appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Washington Post, and numerous other outlets. 

Read here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/company-seeking-to-resurrect-the-woolly-mammoth-creates-a-woolly-mouse/

https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2025-cordyceps-sex-mushroom-hunters-nepal/?srnd=undefined

For more information about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz 

Music by KT The Terrible

We were joined by Evette Dionne, the co-founder of The Flytrap and Executive Editor of Yes!. She chatted about the importance of feminist blogging, The Flytrap’s editorial philosophy, and Yes! Media’s approach to covering activism.

Support Yes! : https://www.yesmagazine.org/?form=PowerOf30

Subscribe to The Flytrap: https://theflytrap.beehiiv.com/

Find out more about Study Hall: https://studyhall.xyz/

Music by KT The Terrible