Press Club - podcast cover

Press Club

Mediaitewww.mediaite.com
Mediaite presents Press Club, a podcast featuring conversations with the top figures in media and politics. Mediaite editor-in-chief Aidan McLaughlin sits down with the broadcasters, reporters, editors, and executives making the headlines. Press Club takes listeners inside the news industry, reveals its secrets, and breaks down the forces shaping its trajectory. Read more coverage on Mediaite.com.
Last refreshed:
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Marc Lamont Hill

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Marc Lamont Hill, professor, political commentator, and host of Upfront on Al Jazeera, about the war between Israel and Hamas and the media’s coverage of it. They also discuss his long history of covering the conflict between Israel and Palestine, whether the media censors pro-Palestinian voices, his own firing from CNN, criticism of Al Jazeera, and Biden's sinking poll numbers.

Dec 04, 202330 min

Jonathan Greenblatt

Mediaite's Aidan McLaughlin and Diana Falzone speak with Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt about the Jewish civil rights group's work and the alarming rise in anti-Semitism in America. Greenblatt also discussed the media’s coverage of the Hamas terror attack on October 7 and Israel’s war, the ADL’s feud with Elon Musk, President Joe Biden's polling slump, and Greenblatt's controversial statement that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism.

Nov 21, 202339 min

Brian Stelter

Mediaite's Aidan McLaughlin and Diana Falzone speak with Brian Stelter, the veteran media reporter and former CNN host out with a new book about Fox News: Network of Lies The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for American Democracy. He discusses the trove of evidence he drew on for his book from the Dominion defamation suit, what Fox News hosts know but don't say about Trump, the state of the media industry, his own ouster from CNN, and what's next for his career. This episode ...

Nov 17, 202350 min

McKay Coppins

Mediaite's Aidan McLaughlin speaks with author and staff writer for The Atlantic McKay Coppins about his bestselling new book "Romney: A Reckoning." They discuss Mitt Romney's life and career — and his shift from being the standard-bearer of the Republican Party when he won its nomination for president in 2012 to a pariah when he was elected to the Senate as one of the few Republicans in Washington who publicly opposed then-president Donald Trump. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke....

Nov 14, 202339 min

Laura Coates

Mediaite's Aidan McLaughlin and Diana Falzone speak with CNN anchor and chief legal analyst Laura Coates about her new show, walking in Larry King's footsteps, the last two years at CNN, and how she covers difficult stories. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke.

Nov 03, 202343 min

Sherif Mansour

Mediaite’s Diana Falzone speaks with Sherif Mansour, the Middle East and North Africa Program Director for The Committee to Protect Journalists. Sherif and Diana discuss the work of the CPJ, a non-profit organization that defends press freedom, the toll of the Israel-Hamas war, and its devastating impact on journalists trying to cover it. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke.

Oct 26, 202317 min

Jake Tapper

Mediaite's Aidan McLaughlin and Diana Falzone speak with CNN anchor Jake Tapper about the Israel-Hamas war, media coverage of conflict, his reporting on John Kelly's bombshell comments about former President Trump, big changes at CNN, and the 2024 election. In addition to anchoring The Lead on CNN, Tapper is the network's chief Washington correspondent and the best-selling author of six books. His latest, “All The Demons Are Here,” is a 1970s fiction thriller that earned rave reviews. This episo...

Oct 12, 202330 min

Major Garrett

Mediaite's Aidan McLaughlin and Diana Falzone speak with Major Garrett, the chief Washington correspondent for CBS News and creator and host of The TakeOut podcast, about a wild week on Capitol Hill. Major breaks down the chaotic — and potentially dangerous — ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and what's next for Congress. Major discusses his new podcast, a fascinating series called “Agent of Betrayal”, which tells the story of an FBI double agent, Robert Hanssen, who was considered one of t...

Oct 06, 202334 min

Molly Jong-Fast

Mediaite's Diana Falzone chats with Molly Jong-Fast, special correspondent at Vanity Fair and host of the Fast Politics podcast, who has amassed a huge audience online thanks to her sharp commentary — from a liberal perspective — on the increasingly deranged political environment we find ourselves in. Diana and Molly discuss the second Republican debate, the 2024 election more broadly, and Donald Trump’s chaotic campaign marching forth despite his many indictments. This episode was produced by K...

Oct 02, 202329 min

Michael Wolff

Mediaite's Aidan McLaughlin and Diana Falzone speak with Michael Wolff, the bestselling author whose new book — "The Fall: The End of Fox News and the Murdoch Dynasty" — is making waves this week. They discuss the future of the Murdoch empire, which could involve a nasty succession fight and determine the fate of Fox News, and drama inside the biggest cable news network, including the ouster of Tucker Carlson and the Dominion settlement. Wolff also addressed questions about his reporting practic...

Sep 26, 202331 min

Tomi Lahren

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Tomi Lahren, the host of "Tomi Lahren is Fearless" on Outkick, a politics and sports website owned by Fox. They discuss her career, the 2024 election, Trump's election conspiracy theories, the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, her Covid commentary and more. This episode was produced by Kory Hilpmann.

Sep 22, 202321 min

Eric Bolling

Mediaite's Aidan McLaughlin and Diana Falzone chat with Eric Bolling, host of “The Balance” on Newsmax, airing weeknights at 8 p.m. Bolling, a cable news veteran who worked at Fox News for years before joining its rival, spoke about the growth of Newsmax, the Republican debate, and the looming trials of former President Donald Trump. This episode was produced by Payton Selby and Brad Maybe.

Aug 31, 202335 min

Christoffer Guldbrandsen

Mediaite senior reporter Diana Falzone speaks with ‘A Storm Foretold’ filmmaker Christoffer Guldbrandsen about his documentary following pro-Trump operative Roger Stone — the self-proclaimed "dirty trickster" and a key figure in the plot to overturn the 2020 election. Falzone and Guldbrandsen discuss the plot that erupted in the Jan. 6 riot, the Georgia indictment against Trump and his team, and Guldbrandsen's view that Americans should “brace themselves for a very turbulent time” ahead of the 2...

Aug 24, 202325 min

Elie Honig

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig about the indictments of former President Donald Trump. Honig, a former assistant U.S. attorney and author of "Untouchable: How Powerful People Get Away with It," breaks down the indictments, the strength of the latest charges in Georgia, what it all means for the 2024 race, and whether Trump could actually serve time in prison for his alleged crimes.

Aug 19, 202340 min

Geraldo Rivera

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin and his new co-host, Mediaite senior reporter Diana Falzone, speak with award-winning journalist and veteran foreign correspondent Geraldo Rivera about his departure from Fox News after 21 years at the network. Geraldo opens up about the conflicts that led to his departure, his clashes with Greg Gutfeld and Tucker Carlson, the defamation lawsuits plaguing Fox over its coverage of the 2020 election, and his relationship with former President Donald Trump. This epi...

Aug 15, 202336 min

Buck Sexton

Mediaite's senior media reporter Diana Falzone speaks with Buck Sexton, a former CIA officer turned conservative political commentator and author who now co-hosts “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show” — which occupies the coveted timeslot once held by Rush Limbaugh. Travis and Falzone discuss his start with the CIA and career in media, the 2024 presidential race, and the indictments of former President Donald Trump. This episode was produced by Payton Selby and Kory Hilpmann.

Aug 10, 202343 min

Michael Teter

Mediaite's "The Interview" is back with an exciting new episode: Diana Falzone, who joined Mediaite as a senior reporter, is also joining Aidan McLaughlin as a host on the podcast. For her debut episode, she interviews Michael Teter, a lawyer for Ray Epps, the Jan. 6 protestor who was cast as a federal agent by Tucker Carlson on his erstwhile Fox News show as part of the conspiracy theory that the Capitol riot was a false flag attack. Epps, who says he lost his business and home amid death threa...

Aug 03, 202316 min

Wesley Lowery

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Wesley Lowery about his new book "American Whitelash: A Changing Nation and the Cost of Progress." It's a deeply reported book examining how racial progress, like the election of the first black president Barack Obama in 2008, has been met throughout history with a backlash, which can manifest in extreme violence. Lowery discusses his book, how the backlash has been fueled by the media, and whether the press ...

Jun 30, 202340 min

Ben Terris

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Washington Post writer Ben Terris about his new book, "The Big Break: The Gamblers, Party Animals, and True Believers Trying to Win in Washington While America Loses Its Mind." They discuss how D.C. never returned to normal in the wake of Trump's presidency, and how characters on both sides of the political aisle — from Matt Schlapp to Sean McElwee — are keeping the town weird. They also discuss Terris's writing style, how he gets into the homes and m...

Jun 26, 202336 min

John Berman

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with CNN anchor John Berman, who was recently named one of the anchors on "CNN News Central" — a new three hour program on the network — alongside Sara Sidner and Kate Bolduan. McLaughlin and Berman discuss the new show, changes at CNN, the network’s town hall with Trump, how to cover the former president, reporting on war zones in Iraq and Ukraine, and much more.

May 18, 202335 min

Sara Fischer

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Axios senior media reporter Sara Fischer about a bombshell month on the media beat. Fischer, who is also a media analyst for CNN, discusses Fox's $787 million settlement with Dominion over election lies, the shocking ousters of Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon, what's next for those cable news heavyweights, and the future of the digital media business amid the collapse of BuzzFeed News and struggles of Vice. This episode is hosted by Aidan McLaug...

May 05, 202335 min

Floyd Abrams

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with legendary First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams about the bombshell $787.5 million settlement in Dominion's defamation suit against Fox News. Abrams, who among other triumphs represented the New York Times in the Pentagon Papers case, discusses what went down in the courtroom this week in Wilmington, Delaware, even more trouble on the horizon for Fox News, and what this case means more broadly for the First Amendment and the future of the media...

Apr 21, 202318 min

David French

David French returns to "The Interview" for a wide-ranging discussion with Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin. French, who now writes an opinion column for The New York Times, discusses the serious legal peril facing Donald Trump, the dangers of the former president's movement, the 2024 presidential race, the Fox News-Dominion trial, a new controversy involving Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the claims that his billionaire friend is a Nazi sympathizer, the scourge of mass shooting...

Apr 14, 202341 min

Stephen A. Smith

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Stephen A. Smith, host of ESPN's First Take, host of the Know Mercy Podcast, and author of the new book "Straight Shooter", a memoir of his life and career. Smith dishes on everything: his incredible career, how to make it in the media industry, being friends with Fox News hosts, the Dominion lawsuit, Tucker Carlson's Jan. 6 coverage, Don Lemon's "prime" comments, his personal style, and whether he sees a future in late night comedy or politi...

Mar 21, 202342 min

Clay Travis

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Outkick founder Clay Travis about the success of his sports and politics site, selling to Fox Corporation, hosting Rush Limbaugh’s old timeslot, wading into politics, running afoul of Covid fact-checkers, the legacy of Trump after the Jan. 6 riot, and what he makes of the 2024 presidential race. This episode is hosted by Aidan McLaughlin with production assistance from Alyona Uvarova.

Mar 01, 202346 min

James B. Stewart and Rachel Abrams

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with New York Times reporters James B. Stewart and Rachel Abrams about their new book "Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy." The book pulls back the curtain on the shocking — and lurid — tale of media titan Sumner Redstone. They discuss how Paramount Global, a vast media empire including Paramount, CBS, Showtime, MTV, and Nickelodeon, nearly fell apart thanks to the lurid personal life of its owner and inf...

Feb 21, 202327 min

Ari Melber

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with MSNBC host and chief legal analyst Ari Melber about the success of his show "The Beat" — the most watched program on MSNBC in January — how to make it in cable news, Donald Trump's legal peril, and the major defamation lawsuits plaguing Fox News.

Feb 14, 202337 min

Shimon Prokupecz

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with CNN senior crime and justice correspondent Shimon Prokupecz. Over the last 8 months Prokupecz has been covering one story more than any other: the horrific mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. There remain unanswered questions about the shooting and the police response to it, questions Prokupecz has been working tirelessly to answer. They discuss the fight for truth in Uvalde, covering mass shootings across America, and P...

Jan 25, 202331 min

Scott MacFarlane

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with CBS News congressional correspondent Scott MacFarlane about Kevin McCarthy's dramatic battle to become the next Speaker of the House of Representatives. McLaughlin and MacFarlane discuss the five long days of McCarthy's nightmare-turned-triumph, what it was like covering the drama on the House floor, what's next for the new Congress, and the anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot.

Jan 10, 202331 min

Steve Kornacki

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Steve Kornacki, MSNBC's data guru, who will be manning the "Big Board" once again for the 2022 midterm elections. They discuss what to expect from the most consequential election since the last one and how Kornacki prepares for his marathon coverage. They also talk his podcast, "The Revolution With Steve Kornacki," which examines how the 1994 midterms paved the way for our current political climate.

Nov 08, 202232 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android