Eoin Higgins, a journalist and author of "Owned: How Tech Billionaires on the Right Bought the Loudest Voices on the Left," delves into the ideological shifts of Glenn Greenwald and Matt Taibbi. He examines how their once leftist viewpoints have morphed into right-leaning perspectives, influenced by tech billionaires. The conversation reveals fascinating insights into the complexities of modern journalism, the impact of media ownership on public discourse, and the challenge of maintaining integrity in politically charged environments.
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Journalistic Fame
Edward Snowden's fame largely stems from Glenn Greenwald's Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting in The Guardian.
Matt Taibbi, once hailed as Hunter S. Thompson's successor, gained recognition for his coverage of the 2008 financial crisis.
insights INSIGHT
Kennedy's Confirmation
Bill Cassidy, after speaking with J.D. Vance, expressed confidence in Bobby Kennedy's potential.
This raises concerns, given Kennedy's history and positions.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Sharath Jois's Death
Sharath Jois, grandson of Ashtanga Yoga founder Pattabhi Jois, died unexpectedly at 53.
Sharath led a stressful life managing a global yoga business while upholding a demanding practice.
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Edward Snowden is largely only a public name thanks to Glenn Greenwald’s reporting, for which he was one of the contributors to a Pulitzer Prize-winning series for The Guardian in 2014. For a while, Matt Taibbi was considered the heir to Hunter Thompson when his gonzo journalism tore open the 2008 financial crisis and gave the public the term “vampire squids.”
Yet in more recent years, both men have swerved right: Glenn became a darling on Fox News and Taibbi was recruited by Elon Musk as one of the Twitter Files “journalists.” How did that happen? We’re joined by journalist Eoin Higgins, whose new book, Owned: How Tech Billionaires on the Right Bought the Loudest Voices on the Left, dives into the career arcs of both Greenwald and Taibbi, and how they confuse and distort right-left alignments.