The Political Power of Podcasting

Since Donald J. Trump won the election, journalists have been retreading his path to victory, and discussing how the press should cover his next presidency. On this week’s On the Media, hear how a group of powerful podcasters helped boost Trump to his second term. Plus, an exiled Russian journalist shares rules for surviving an autocracy.

[01:00] Hosts Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger and Executive Producer Katya Rogers discuss the day after the election. We also hear from OTM listeners about how they’re feeling post-election, and what they want to see covered in the next Trump presidency.

[14:13] Host Micah Loewinger muses on the influence of Joe Rogan in this election, and looks at how Rogan, who previously said he held progressive views, ended up endorsing Trump.

[28:13] Host Brooke Gladstone interviews M. Gessen, opinion columnist at The New York Times, about their rules for surviving autocracy. They discuss the fallacy of Americans “voting against their interests”; what the path of Viktor Orbán suggests about Trump’s next steps; and how to keep the dream of democracy alive.

Further reading / listening:

• “Where Does This Leave Democrats?” by Ezra Klein
• “Joe Rogan’s Galaxy Brain,” by Justin Peters
• “Is the Gen Z bro media diet to blame?” by Rebecca Jennings
• “Autocracy: Rules for Survival,” by M. Gessen
• Surviving Autocracy, by M. Gessen

On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.