
News Not Noise
I’m Jessica Yellin, the founder of News Not Noise. For years, I worked in network news at ABC, MSNBC, and CNN, where I was the Chief White House Correspondent. I’ve reported from around the world and won awards.The more years I got under my belt as a reporter, the more I became convinced that the news doesn't speak to a large part of the audience.In the summer of 2018, I did something different. The midterm elections were approaching and friends asked me to explain what the heck was happening in the political cycle.So, I picked up my phone and began posting short, daily explainer videos on Instagram. What started with me and a ring light is now a small team, dedicated to giving you news in a different voice. We aim to provide facts, not panic attacks. We interview real experts — not pundits. My goal is to provide the understanding you need to engage in the conversation and take action in the world.
Latest episodes

Apr 28, 2022 • 35min
Digital Community with Friends with Benefit’s Alex Zhang
In this week’s News Not Noise Podcast, we glimpse the future of the world wide web. Our guide is Alex Zhang, the mayor of Friends With Benefits, a popular Web3 community. We talk tokens, NFTs, cryptocurrency, blockchain, decentralization and we define the tech jargon as we go. Zhang explains how the integration of cryptocurrency builds ownership and democracy into the group’s core values from day one. I hope this offers you a way to understand where online community and commerce are headed. Consider it a beginner’s guide.If you want to read definitions for the terms we use here check out the News Not Noise Letter published on April 27, 2022:➤Newsletter: newsnotnoise.bulletin.comFriends With Benefits ($FWB)➤Twitter: twitter.com/FWBtweets➤Web: www.fwb.helpYou can follow Jessica Yellin here:➤Instagram: instagram.com/jessicayellin➤Twitter: twitter.com/jessicayellin➤Facebook: facebook.com/newsnotnoise➤YouTube: youtube.com/newsnotnoise➤Website: NewsNotNoise.comSupport this work:➤patreon.com/NewsNotNoiseJessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a channel dedicated to giving you news with real experts and providing facts, not panic attacks.Jessica is a veteran of network news, traveling the globe, covering conflict and crisis. A former Chief White House Correspondent for CNN, she reported from around the world and won awards. Now, Yellin uses her voice to break down the news, calmly and clearly for you -- free of punditry, provocation, and yelling.

Apr 19, 2022 • 35min
Beyond the podium
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has a front row to all things Washington. Psaki is a veteran of public service, and as the face of the overnight change demonstrated by President Biden’s first day in office, she embodies cool, calm, and collected in her daily press briefings. But Psaki gets personal with News Not Noise, sharing how she really feels about the Republican attack on LGBTQ+ rights and giving us a glimpse of what it’s like being a mother of two young children while working in the White House. Plus, she addresses student loan debt and rising gas prices and explains why the Department of Justice has been so slow rolling in their charges against Capitol Rioters for their roles on January 6. She was previously the communications director during the Obama Administration, and prior to that, Psaki worked as a traveling press secretary during Senator Obama’s campaign for the presidency. Jen Psaki:➤Twitter: twitter.com/jrpsaki➤Twitter: twitter.com/PressSecYou can follow Jessica Yellin here:➤Instagram: instagram.com/jessicayellin➤Twitter: twitter.com/jessicayellin➤Facebook: facebook.com/newsnotnoise➤YouTube: youtube.com/newsnotnoise➤Website: NewsNotNoise.com➤Newsletter: newsnotnoise.bulletin.com/Support this work:➤patreon.com/NewsNotNoiseJessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a channel dedicated to giving you news with real experts and providing facts, not panic attacks. Jessica is a veteran of network news, traveling the globe, covering conflict and crisis. A former Chief White House Correspondent for CNN, she reported from around the world and won awards. Now, Yellin uses her voice to break down the news, calmly and clearly for you -- free of punditry, provocation, and yelling.

Apr 13, 2022 • 25min
Sanctioning Russia’s banks, oil and superyachts
Daniel Glaser is an expert in all things sanctions. As the former Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes in the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office under the Obama Administration, Glaser led the office that designed sanctions against North Korea and Iran, among other countries.He explains to News Not Noise the strategy behind the U.S.’ sanctions against Russia, including sanctions against the country’s oligarchs, banking systems, and energy sector. Plus, Glaser explains what’s really going on with the superyachts that have been frozen under sanction. You can follow Jessica Yellin here:➤Instagram: instagram.com/jessicayellin➤Twitter: twitter.com/jessicayellin➤Facebook: facebook.com/newsnotnoise➤YouTube: youtube.com/newsnotnoise➤Website: NewsNotNoise.com➤Newsletter: newsnotnoise.bulletin.com/Support this work:➤patreon.com/NewsNotNoiseJessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a channel dedicated to giving you news with real experts and providing facts, not panic attacks. Jessica is a veteran of network news, traveling the globe, covering conflict and crisis. A former Chief White House Correspondent for CNN, she reported from around the world and won awards. Now, Yellin uses her voice to break down the news, calmly and clearly for you -- free of punditry, provocation, and yelling.

Apr 5, 2022 • 23min
Preparing for a financial storm
As Americans face rising gas prices, inflation, and a tough housing market, millennial money expert Tonya Rapley explains how to manage our personal finances, covering everything from building credit to tackling student loan debt, making investments, crypto, and everything in between. Talking about personal finance can feel overwhelming — so where do you start? What are some good money habits to start building today? And how do you save money when interest rates are so high?We speak with Tonya Rapley, founder of "My Fab Finance," a leading financial education and lifestyle blog for all of the best tips and practices. Rapley's financial advice can be seen in a variety of publications including Reuters, Buzzfeed, Credit.com, and more. She's also the bestselling author of "The Money Manual: A Practical Money Guide to Help You Succeed on Your Financial Journey." Rapley is also the co-founder and CFO of FOAM, an app that helps college students pay for tuition and living expenses. Tonya Rapley:➤Twitter: twitter.com/MyFabFinance➤Instagram: instagram.com/myfabfinance➤Instagram: instagram.com/tonya.rapley➤Web: myfabfinance.comYou can follow Jessica Yellin here:➤Instagram: instagram.com/jessicayellin➤Twitter: twitter.com/jessicayellin➤Facebook: facebook.com/newsnotnoise➤YouTube: youtube.com/newsnotnoise➤Website: NewsNotNoise.com➤Newsletter: newsnotnoise.bulletin.com/Support this work:➤patreon.com/NewsNotNoiseJessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a channel dedicated to giving you news with real experts and providing facts, not panic attacks. Jessica is a veteran of network news, traveling the globe, covering conflict and crisis. A former Chief White House Correspondent for CNN, she reported from around the world and won awards. Now, Yellin uses her voice to break down the news, calmly and clearly for you -- free of punditry, provocation, and yelling.

Mar 29, 2022 • 36min
How to help Ukraine
In this episode, Jessica speaks to three women who are making a difference.You’ve asked what you can do to help the people of Ukraine. We found three women running remarkable non-profit efforts delivering direct aid to Ukrainians under fire in the country and refugees who have fled. Here they explain the work they’re doing and the needs that remain.Collectively they are evacuating orphans and the elderly; delivering vital first aid to the front lines of the war; and providing daily essentials – including food, clothing, even money – to Ukrainians under siege and those who have fled.If you have the means and would like to support their work we are including links to the organizations below. Please mark your gift with “found you through News Not Noise” if you have the chance.Katya MalakhovaFounder of Sunflower of PeaceDonation link:sunflowerofpeace.comBethenny FrankelFounder of BstrongDonation link:globalempowermentmission.kindful.com/?campaign=1037953Dora ChomiakRazomDonation link:razomforukraine.org/donateYou can follow Jessica Yellin here:➤Instagram: instagram.com/jessicayellin➤Twitter: twitter.com/jessicayellin➤Facebook: facebook.com/newsnotnoise➤YouTube: youtube.com/newsnotnoise➤Website: NewsNotNoise.com➤Newsletter: newsnotnoise.bulletin.com/Support this work:➤patreon.com/NewsNotNoiseJessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a channel dedicated to giving you news with real experts and providing facts, not panic attacks. Jessica is a veteran of network news, traveling the globe, covering conflict and crisis. A former Chief White House Correspondent for CNN, she reported from around the world and won awards. Now, Yellin uses her voice to break down the news, calmly and clearly for you -- free of punditry, provocation, and yelling.

Mar 22, 2022 • 26min
Why Putin didn’t invade under Trump with Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch
Marie Yovanovitch was the US Ambassador to Ukraine from 2016 until 2019. She held many senior government positions during her thirty-three-year diplomatic career including serving as Ambassador to two other former Soviet countries, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. However, her career was derailed after she became the target of a disinformation and smear campaign led by then President Donald Trump’s private attorney, Rudy Giuliani. Her abrupt recall from her post in Ukraine led to her astounding testimony in the first impeachment trial of President Trump.Yovanovitch quietly retired from the State Department in 2020 and is now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace as well as a fellow at Georgetown University. Her new book is a timely and inspiring new memoir, 'Lessons From the Edge'. You can follow Jessica Yellin here:➤Instagram: instagram.com/jessicayellin➤Twitter: twitter.com/jessicayellin➤Facebook: facebook.com/newsnotnoise➤YouTube: youtube.com/newsnotnoise➤Website: NewsNotNoise.com➤Newsletter: newsnotnoise.bulletin.com/Support this work:➤patreon.com/NewsNotNoiseJessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a channel dedicated to giving you news with real experts and providing facts, not panic attacks. Jessica is a veteran of network news, traveling the globe, covering conflict and crisis. A former Chief White House Correspondent for CNN, she reported from around the world and won awards. Now, Yellin uses her voice to break down the news, calmly and clearly for you -- free of punditry, provocation, and yelling.

Mar 16, 2022 • 24min
How to talk to kids about war (and other difficult topics) with Dr. Aliza Pressman
How do you talk to your kids about what’s happening in Ukraine? Have you broached the subject yet? Dr. Aliza Pressman says it is time to have that discussion.Pressman is a developmental psychologist, an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Mount Sinai Hospital, and the host of the Raising Good Humans Podcast.She tells us that children know when something's wrong and nobody's talking about it. Pressman says tackling difficult issues, in a developmentally appropriate way, is crucial to raising kids with empathy.Dr. Aliza Pressman➤Twitter: twitter.com/rghpodcastYou can follow Jessica Yellin here:➤Instagram: instagram.com/jessicayellin➤Twitter: twitter.com/jessicayellin➤Facebook: facebook.com/newsnotnoise➤YouTube: youtube.com/newsnotnoise➤Website: NewsNotNoise.com➤Newsletter: newsnotnoise.bulletin.com/Support this work:➤patreon.com/NewsNotNoiseJessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a channel dedicated to giving you news with real experts and providing facts, not panic attacks. Jessica is a veteran of network news, traveling the globe, covering conflict and crisis. A former Chief White House Correspondent for CNN, she reported from around the world and won awards. Now, Yellin uses her voice to break down the news, calmly and clearly for you -- free of punditry, provocation, and yelling.

Mar 8, 2022 • 25min
Putin under pressure with Fiona Hill
How far will Putin go? The Russian destruction of Ukraine continues to shock the world and is forcing millions out of their homes and into neighboring countries, destabilizing the world as we knew it just weeks ago. What does Putin really want and how can the West stop him?We speak to Fiona Hill, who served on the National Security Council specializing in Russian and European affairs and is a Russia expert who has spent decades studying Vladimir Putin.You can follow Jessica Yellin here:➤Instagram: instagram.com/jessicayellin➤Twitter: twitter.com/jessicayellin➤Facebook: facebook.com/newsnotnoise➤Website: NewsNotNoise.com➤Newsletter: newsnotnoise.bulletin.com/Support this work:➤patreon.com/NewsNotNoiseJessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a channel dedicated to giving you news with real experts and providing facts, not panic attacks. Jessica is a veteran of network news, traveling the globe, covering conflict and crisis. A former Chief White House Correspondent for CNN, she reported from around the world and won awards. Now, Yellin uses her voice to break down the news, calmly and clearly for you -- free of punditry, provocation, and yelling.

Mar 1, 2022 • 23min
The Russia Ukraine endgame with Evelyn Farkas
As the Russian military prepares to intensify its attacks on Ukraine, we discuss the latest developments in the war with the Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, Eurasia under President Obama.Evelyn Farkas is deeply knowledgeable about this part of the world.Farkas was a senior fellow at the American Security Project and Executive Director of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and TerrorismCurrently, she is the President of Farkas Global Strategies.Evelyn FarkasTwitter: twitter.com/EvelynNFarkasYou can follow Jessica Yellin here:➤Instagram: instagram.com/jessicayellin➤Twitter: twitter.com/jessicayellin➤Facebook: facebook.com/newsnotnoise➤YouTube: youtube.com/newsnotnoise➤Website: NewsNotNoise.com➤Newsletter: newsnotnoise.bulletin.com/Support this work:patreon.com/NewsNotNoiseJessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a channel dedicated to giving you news with real experts and providing information, not a panic attack. Jessica is a veteran of network news, traveling the globe, covering conflict and crisis. A former Chief White House Correspondent for CNN, she reported from around the world and won awards. Now, Yellin uses her voice to break down the news, calmly and clearly for you -- free of punditry, provocation, and yelling.

Feb 23, 2022 • 19min
Is privacy possible? Washington Post tech reporter, Heather Kelly
If you use a computer or a smartphone, this one is worth a listen. Downloading an app is easy but behind every download is a difficult question: is the convenience this provides worth whatever personal data you agree to exchange? We live in a world where increasingly, everything from your phone to your neighborhood coffee shop to your tv is harvesting your personal data and privacy seems dead. Heather Kelly is a Washington Post reporter covering technology and the ways in which it affects our lives. She publishes widely read and super-useful pieces instructing us how to set our devices and apps in order to enjoy a tech enabled life while minimizing our exposure to intrusive tracking.Heather KellyTwitter: twitter.com/heatherkellyYou can follow Jessica Yellin here:Instagram: instagram.com/jessicayellinTwitter: twitter.com/jessicayellinFacebook: facebook.com/newsnotnoiseWebsite: NewsNotNoise.comNewsletter: newsnotnoise.bulletin.comSupport this work:patreon.com/NewsNotNoiseJessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a channel dedicated to giving you news with real experts and providing information, not a panic attack. Jessica is a veteran of network news, traveling the globe, covering conflict and crisis. A former Chief White House Correspondent for CNN, she reported from around the world and won awards. Now, Yellin uses her voice to break down the news, calmly and clearly for you -- free of punditry, provocation, and yelling.