Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin sits down with Adam Friedland, comedian and host of The Adam Friedland Show, for a tell-all interview. They discuss the new season of his show -- his interviews with Sarah Jessica Parker, Steiny, and Anthony Weiner, how he learned the art of the interview, and what he makes of America's love for comedians who talk politics. They also discuss Trump, the NYC mayoral race, and getting accused of anti-Semitism.
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin sits down with Substack co-founder and chief writing officer Hamish McKenzie for a wide-ranging chat about the platform’s explosive growth, why he believes the traditional media model is broken, and the future of the industry. They also discuss Trump-era attacks on the press, Elon Musk's efforts to buy Substack -- and his subsequent crackdown on the platform -- and what the rise of independent media means for journalism. This episode was produced by Kathryn Wilke...
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with veteran foreign correspondent and author Alan Friedman about his new book, The End of America? A Guide to a New World Disorder, why he believes America’s global leadership is crumbling, how Trump is accelerating the fall, and what a looming ‘new world disorder’ means for democracy, the economy, and our daily lives.
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with the founder of Mediaite, Sirius XM host, and ABC's Chief Legal Analyst, Dan Abrams, about Elon Musk's bombshell claim that Trump hasn't released the Epstein Files because he's implicated in them, why he's been saying for months that Trump's ties with Epstein should be getting more attention, and where Trump and Musk's feud will go from here. In the second half of the episode, Aidan speaks with the author of the new book On Air: The Triumph and Tumult ...
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with The Washington Post's media critic Erik Wemple about what's going on behind the scenes at the paper, what's behind its latest pivot, and what the future looks like for The Post. They also cover President Trump's relationship with Fox News and the recent appointment of Jeanine Pirro as D.C.'s interim U.S. attorney. In the second half of the episode, Aidan talks with Mediaite founding editor Colby Hall about a series of controversial pardons issued this...
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson about their new book, Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again. They discuss media coverage of the former president's diminishing capabilities, the lengths to which his staff went to preserve Biden's public image, and the promotion of their book despite networks like Fox News refusing to have them on-air. Aidan also talks with Mediaite founding editor Colby...
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with The Economist's Middle East correspondent Gregg Carlstrom about the war in Gaza and why Trump should push Israel to end it. They also cover Trump's recent Gulf tour, his lifting of sanctions in Syria, and his $142 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia. In the second half of the episode, Aidan talks with Mediaite founding editor Colby Hall about the heated debate surrounding a new book on Joe Biden from Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson.
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Jonathan Lemire, a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a co-host of MSNBC's Morning Joe, about Trump's media crackdown, how to effectively cover him, and his first 100 days in office. In the second half of the episode, Aidan talks with Mediaite founding editor Colby Hall about this week's biggest media and politics stories.
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Trey Yingst, the chief foreign correspondent at Fox News, about covering the war in Gaza, the biggest misconceptions about the Israel/Palestine conflict, and why he feels it's essential to both protect and provide media access to Palestinian journalists. He also talks about taking heat for covering the killings of civilians in Gaza, how he reports the death toll numbers, and being in Tel Aviv on October 7th.
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with CNN's Harry Enten about Trump's recent polling loss with independents, the crisis facing the Democratic party, and his predictions for the 2026 midterms. They also discuss Elon Musk's sinking support in the polls and what it's like being a data-driven journalist. In the second half of the episode, Aidan speaks with Mediaite's founding editor Colby Hall about how the media has been covering the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man the Trump administra...
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with former Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd about Trump's tariffs and the resulting cracks in the MAGA ecosystem, his departure from NBC, and his outlook on the future of cable news. They also speak about his newest media venture and how Fox News has changed over the years.
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with veteran reporter Noah Shachtman about the Trump Justice Department's weaponizing dropping of the charges against New York mayor Eric Adams, why he believes it's never been easier to steal secrets from the U.S. government, and the FBI's massive use of resources to comb through Jeffrey Epstein case files. They also speak about his career as the former editor-in-chief of Rolling Stone and The Daily Beast, and now a contributor to many large publications.
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with CNN Pentagon correspondent Natasha Bertrand about 'Signal-gate,' where National Security Advisor Michael Waltz added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal chat where Pete Hegseth and others discussed classified military plans. She discusses the chaos Hegseth has unleashed on the Pentagon and the Trump administration's subsequent denials. In the second half of the episode, Aidan speaks with Mediaite founding editor Colby Hall about how the media has ...
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Alex Isenstadt, the author of the new book Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump's Return to Power about his reporting process, his recent move from Politico to Axios, and his behind-the-scenes insights into Trump's 2024 campaign. He also speaks with Frank Pine, executive editor of major newspapers including the New York Daily News and the Boston Globe, about their lawsuit against OpenAI.
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Jesse Weber, a host at the Law & Crime Network, NewsNation, and Sirius XM. They talk about a new show he is hosting for Mediaite, Spin Room, where he will break down some of the biggest clips in media and politics— without an ideological spin. Jesse also talks about Law & Crime's YouTube success, the explosion of true crime as a genre, and his journey from acting school to law school to journalism.
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Politico White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns. She talks of her recent reporting on tensions between Trump's Cabinet and Elon Musk over his DOGE cuts, threats to the press under Trump's second term, and how the president is weighing his personal legacy versus the midterm electability of Republican senators and house members.
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Marty Baron, the legendary editor who ran the Washington Post until his retirement in 2021. Baron speaks out about recent interventions at the paper by its owner, Jeff Bezos, touching on Bezos's signaled dependence on Trump and his fear of financial retribution. He also speaks on Trump's first month in office and the immense threats he's wielded against the press thus far. In the second half of the episode, Mediaite senior editor Alex Griffing intervi...
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks to Fox News host and long-time conservative talk radio presence Sean Hannity in a rare interview. They talk about Trump's election and first weeks in office, Hannity's history as one of the most famous supporters of the president in the media, and his recent interviews with both Trump and Elon Musk. They also speak about the future of Fox News, his opinions on Kamala Harris's presidential campaign, the impressive numbers he pulls on radio with The Sean Han...
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with senior WIRED reporter Makena Kelly on Elon Musk's DOGE, its extremely young and controversial team, and this concerning intersection of tech and politics in Washington. She also touches on the 'contentification' of the Trump White House and why she thinks Democrats need to lean further into new media. In the second half of the episode, Aidan talks with MSNBC producer Dan Wolfman about a new film he co-wrote that is currently working its way through th...
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times, about Trump's 'fast and furious' first weeks in office, the differences between Trump 1.0 and 2.0, and his 'volatile and provocative' proposal to take over Gaza and relocate two million Palestinians. They also speak about the pros and cons of today's information ecosystem and how it lends itself to Trump's "flood the zone" effect. In the second half of the episode, Aidan speaks w...
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with the CEO and co-founder of Axios, Jim VandeHei, about Trump's wild first week, his optimistic take on the future of journalism amidst a fragmenting media industry, and disabusing ourselves of the idea that legacy media is the gatekeeper, without falling victim to Elon Musk's smear-campaign against it. In the second half of the episode, Aidan speaks with Mediaite founding editor Colby Hall about the first White House press briefing.
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Ryan J. Reilly, who covers the Justice Department and federal law enforcement for NBC News— he's been as tuned into the fallout of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol as anyone. His conversation on Press Club comes just after President Trump, on his first day in office, issued sweeping pardons to more than 1,500 individuals arrested in the Jan. 6 riots— people Reilly has been closely watching since 2021. He speaks on the astounding manipulation of p...
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with New Yorker staff writer, author, and executive producer Patrick Radden Keefe about his reporting process— "90% reporting and 10% writing— and FX's recent adaptation of his 2018 book, Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland. They also speak about his career path, his ability to tell large stories through deep dives on characters, and what's next for journalists under this next Trump administration. In the second half of the e...
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with former Business Insider top editor Nicholas Carlson about his departure from the news outlet and his new venture: a video media start-up called Dynamo. They also discuss a troublesome challenge that has emerged for publishers in recent years, one that Carlson faced frequently at Business Insider: extraordinarily wealthy people using lawsuits to silence reporting they don’t like. One of those figures, the hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman, went on a f...
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with businessman and conservative podcaster Patrick Bet-David, who has amassed millions of subscribers on YouTube and other social platforms with his interviews of key figures in politics and culture— including Donald Trump who came on Bet-David's show this summer per a request from his son, Barron. They talk about the age of 'podcast elections', whether he sees any hope for the future of the traditional media, and what the next four years will look like a...
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks to Mediaite founder and CEO Dan Abrams about his recent decision to end his NewsNation show, our increasingly polarized and fractured media industry, and what Kash Patel and ABC's $15 million settlement signal about Trump's upcoming second term. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks to Ruth Sherlock, an international correspondent for NPR on the ground now in Syria. They talk about what she's seen post-fall of Assad, her reporting inside Syria's notorious Sednaya Prison, what's next for HTS–the major rebel group– and the dangers she faces as a foreign reporter. Aidan also speaks with Mediaite founding editor Colby Hall about the top media stories this week. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks to Isaac Saul, founder of the independent, nonpartisan newsletter Tangle, about how he covers the news, and Tangle's goal of reducing media-initiated polarization. They also speak about what Isaac makes of traditional media versus the rise of independent outlets, and how to start a media business in 2024 while considering the partisanship of language in journalism. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks to Marc Caputo, a national politics reporter from The Bulwark and the most plugged-in national political reporter working out of Florida. They talk about Florida's outsized role in American politics since the beginning of the Trump era, the impact of Trump's constant presence at Mar a Lago, and Trump's trust in Floridians like Susie Wiles, Matt Gaetz, and now Pam Bondi. Aidan also speaks with Mediaite founding editor Colby Hall about the wild past week for...
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks to Michael Smerconish, host of Smerconish on CNN and The Michael Smerconish Program on SiriusXM, about his opinion that left-leaning media went too far in their critiques of Trump, potentially explaining his winning of the popular vote. They also speak about the effect of young men in this increasingly divided media landscape, or podcast age, on the election. In the second half of the episode, Aidan talks with Mediaite's founding editor, Colby Hall, about ...
