Shane Smith Has Questions How America Lost Faith in Everything ft. Chuck Todd | Shane Smith Has Questions
Oct 9, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Chuck Todd, a veteran political journalist and former host of Meet the Press, shares insights after leaving legacy media. He discusses the misreading of Obama's 2012 victory and how identity politics overshadowed class issues. Chuck also highlights the collapse of local journalism and its role in diminishing trust in democracy. He argues for rebuilding that trust through grassroots community storytelling and warns about the dangers of polarization in today's political landscape.
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Legacy TV Became An Aircraft Carrier
- Chuck Todd says legacy Sunday TV became formulaic and resistant to change, like an aircraft carrier that's hard to turn.
- He moved to podcasting to restore long-form, in-person interviews that reveal fuller answers and accountability.
Commit To Longer In-Person Interviews
- Do long, in-person interviews of at least 30 minutes to expose substance and prevent rehearsed soundbites.
- Use the longer format to make guests give sustained answers and reduce short-term viral posturing.
Why Bannon Worked On The Podcast
- Todd recounts that he couldn't have had his Steve Bannon conversation on Meet the Press due to network constraints and formality.
- The podcast humanized Bannon and let voters' questions shine without legacy-media gatekeeping.
