2/3/23 Weekly Roundup: Paul Pelosi Video Released, Bill Maher to CNN, Buzzfeed ChatGPT, Bernie Vs Pharma, Bill Gates on Epstein Ties, How George Santos Emerged
This week's podcast covers Paul Pelosi's home invasion footage, Bill Maher's move to CNN, Buzzfeed's CHATGPT, Bernie's campaign against Pharma, Bill Gates' ties to Epstein, and controversial aspects of George Santos's campaign.
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Quick takeaways
The broken political vetting system allows fraudsters like George Santos to win elections due to a lack of thorough investigation and media coverage.
The decline in coverage density and resources in the journalism industry enables fraudulent politicians to enter positions of power.
Deep dives
Lack of effective political vetting system allows a fraud to slip through the cracks
Despite multiple warnings and suspicions from politicians, donors, and campaign staff, George Santos, a fraudster running for office, was able to win the election due to a broken political vetting system. The lack of thorough investigation and media coverage allowed him to rise to power without being exposed.
For-profit news fails to prioritize in-depth coverage of second-tier races
The focus on captivating and entertaining news items, driven by the need for ad revenue, has led to a lack of resources and personnel allocated to second-tier races. This results in the inability to thoroughly investigate and expose fraudulent candidates like Santos, as news outlets prioritize more popular and profitable stories.
Local papers play a crucial role in exposing political fraud
Small local papers, like the North Shore Leader, were able to uncover Santos's fraudulent activities earlier due to their deep connections in the community and political scene. However, these papers often operate with limited resources, making it difficult to fully investigate and expose fraudsters like Santos.
The consequences of a weakened journalism industry
The decline in coverage density, the ratio of reporters to people in a given area, has resulted in fewer journalists available to scrutinize and expose fraudulent politicians. The decline in advertising revenue, ownership by hedge funds, and diminishing resources have all contributed to a weakened journalism industry, allowing fraudsters to slip through the cracks and enter positions of power.
In this Weekly Roundup we cover the new footage released from Paul Pelosi's home invasion, Bill Maher's Overtime moving to CNN, Buzzfeed laying off 12% of its workforce and replacing them with CHATGPT, Bernie bringing the hammer down on Pharma, Bill Gates squirming under questions about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, and our new partner Spencer Snyder explores the making of George Santos.