Ever wonder who really decides what becomes “news”? In this episode of Laid Off and Looking, we go inside the assignment desk, the nerve center of every newsroom with Professor Benjamin Davis, award-winning journalist and Chair of Multimedia Journalism at Morgan State University. Davis has worked at ABC News, MSNBC.com, and NPR, and he’s here to break down the uncomfortable truth: 👉 The stories you see (and the ones you don’t) are shaped by business pressures, predictability, executive preferences, trending topics, and now… AI. 🔍 In This Episode, We Explore: 00:00 - Start 00:37 - Intro 01:46 - “Yellow Journalism” History Lesson 05:56 - Interview Begins 08:14 - Stacking the Rundown 11:12 - Selling a Story 14:02 - How to Know When You’re Show is Bad 16:30 - How to Do Local News 18:04 - Harsh Truths 20:23 - Citizen Journalists 32:51 - Follow the Technology 36:40 - What We’re Missing 40:00 - Oh Lord These People 42:56 - The Risks of Freelancing 46:01 - AI in the Newsroom 51:58 - Why Did You Become a Journalist? 🎧 Professor Benjamin Davis Professor Davis is a veteran journalist, educator, newsroom leader, and soon-to-be founder of a citizen-journalism app designed to empower the public ethically to tell stories newsrooms can’t or won’t. 💬 Why this episode matters The public often believes “the media refuses to cover certain stories.” This conversation explains why newsrooms make the decisions they make, what’s missing, and how journalism must evolve if it wants to survive the era of distrust and digital chaos.

Ever wonder why the news, especially TV news is the way it is? This week on Laid Off and Looking, veteran TV news director and journalism educator turned media critic, Jennifer Schulze shares some frank words on how broadcast journalism went off track. From shrinking newsrooms and corporate pressure to the obsession with “going viral,” Schulze explains how decades of cutbacks and bad incentives turned a public service into a ratings race. She also reflects on what it takes to rebuild trust and why the next generation of journalists might still be our best hope. 🎙️ In this episode: 00:00 - Start 01:00 - Intro 02:10 - No More Breaking News @Brodmop on TikTok 06:38 - Ratings Or Information? 09:24 - The Billionaire Influence 10:30 - What Really Broke TV News 17:44 - What It Takes to Stay Employed 19:39 - Fake News Catastrophe 23:08 - Trusting Local News 25:57 - The Op-Ed Albatross 35:58 - Information Curation is Still Needed 46:08 - Paywalls Were A Mistake 47:46 - Is This Still A Safe Career? 52:33 - Credits If you’ve ever worked in a newsroom, watched one fall apart, or wondered who still believes in journalism, this conversation is for you.

Most people think journalists are trained to stay detached, to report the story, and not feel it. But what happens when the story breaks you? In this episode we talk with journalist and researcher Louisa Ortiz Pérez, founder of the Media Resilience Network, who launched a groundbreaking survey exploring the emotional toll of journalism during the era of layoffs, audience distrust, and constant crisis coverage. Louisa reveals what her data shows about: 🧠 Burnout, anxiety, and “moral injury” in the newsroom 💔 How layoffs and social media toxicity are reshaping reporters’ sense of purpose 🎙️ Why many journalists feel silenced, even in organizations built to tell the truth 🌍 And what needs to change to make journalism sustainable again This conversation is candid, compassionate, and deeply human: a look at what it really means to do the work of journalism when the industry itself is falling apart. How do we rebuild trust, without breaking the journalists who keep us informed? 00:00 - Start 02:11 - Jenna Remembers the Trauma of Sandy Hook 08:05 - Technology Changed the Game 11:08 - When You Are the Story 14:31 - You Shouldn’t Have to Shrug It Off 17:04 - Journalism Can Make You Sick 18:26 - Put Your Foot Down 22:37 - A Human Condition: A Play About Journalism 25:06 - Take the Veneer Off 27:28 - We Can’t Be Unseen 35:35 - Journalists Need 2 Things to Heal 44:49 - The Algorithm IS NOT Your Friend 48:08 - Only People Not Bots Can Do Journalism 52:29 - PTSD Should Be Recognized 55:15 - Why Did You Become a Journalist? Media Resilience Network https://mdrnet.org/ Take the Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdAXBQMP8wgy_ecx2dh4WeqAb3fSUyIh8fndSkZrYBGR22yNg/viewform

Ever wonder why your local NPR station or PBS News sounds so different from your local TV news? It’s not just tone, it’s money, mission, and mindset. In this episode of Laid Off and Looking, Domenic and Jenna talk with Stan Jastrzebski, longtime public radio news director for KBIA in Columbia Missouri. He's also a journalism researcher and breaks down why there is a divide between public media and commercial newsrooms. He covers how funding models can shape coverage, who journalists are actually serving, and why both systems are struggling to survive the digital age. Stan also explains how public media’s civic mission of serving communities and uplifting marginalized voices often clashes with shrinking budgets and burnout, while in commercial newsrooms journalists find themselves chasing clicks, ratings, and advertisers just to stay alive. He also dives into the “snowcap effect” inside news organizations, the diversity gap between leadership and staff, and what happens when communities stop trusting the people who tell their stories. 🎙️ In this episode, we get into: 00:00 - Start 04:08 - Public Media Shortcomings 05:33 - Stan Jastrzebski Interview 07:50 - What Makes Public Media Different 11:54 - Why Be In Public Media? 15:39 - But You Can’t Eat Awards 16:30 - Diversity In Public Media 22:03 - We Need More Stories from Member Stations 23:39 - Can Public Media Grow Your Career? 27:47 - What About the Fundraising Model 34:07 - Be In the Community 39:42 - Is The Most Trusted News Enough? 44:01 - State House Reporting 47:55 - The Public Media Sound 50:01 - Why Did You Become a Journalist? If you care about who controls the story and what happens when the people disappear but the algorithms stay, this episode is for you. 👇 Tell us in the comments: Do you trust public media more than commercial news? Why or why not? 🎧 Subscribe to Laid Off and Looking for more honest conversations about the future of journalism, AI, and the people keeping truth alive.

Think “data journalism” sounds dry? Think again. In this smart (and surprisingly funny) episode of Laid Off and Looking, we talk with Jess Awtry, Vice President of Digital Strategy and Communications at the Pew Research Center, about how numbers, charts, and audience analytics are shaping the future of news. Jess breaks down why data is more than spreadsheets, it’s storytelling, accountability, and the best defense we’ve got against misinformation and AI slop. From newsroom gut instincts to “clicks vs. credibility,” she explains how journalists can use data without losing their humanity (or their sense of humor). 🎙️ In this episode: 00:00 - Start 05:15 - Jess Awtry Interview 06:36 - What is Data Journalism 14:36 - Time Decay Attribution Model 36:41 - Will AI Impact Data Journalism? 41:33 - Polling Manipulation 45:28 - Longreads v TLDR 50:10 - Creator Model Journalism 54:39 - Why Did You Become a Journalist 💡 Whether you’re a data skeptic, a newsroom veteran, or just curious about how information really works, this one’s for you. 📈 Subscribe to Laid Off and Looking, where we talk about how journalism is changing, and the people trying to make sure the truth keeps up.

What happens when a journalist interviews a comedian who might secretly understand the media better than most journalists? In this episode, Paul Saylor, musician, comedian, and runner-up in the New York Queer Comedy Festival, joins Jenna Flanagan and Domenic Camia on Laid Off and Looking to unpack: Why news and comedy are basically dating each other now: How AI, algorithms, and outrage are reshaping both industries What it means to “punch up” when everyone’s already fighting online Why the “War on Christmas” might be the world’s longest inside joke And yes how ChatGPT became the most emotionally available man on the internet This is smart, funny, painfully honest and way too real for anyone who’s ever doomscrolled their way through the news. 00:00 Start 06:29 - How Ya Doing is a Hard Question 07:16 - What I Respect About Journalism 12:35 - Using Emotion to Sell the News 15:12 - What’s at the Heart of Funny 19:38 - Comedians Say What Everyone Is Thinking 24:12 - Punching Up vs Punching Down 33:29 - Cancel Culture 44:51 - If Everything Is Funny, What Is Serious? 49:20 - What About AI 1:08:36 - Why Did You Become a Comedian 🎙️ Subscribe to Laid Off and Looking for more conversations where journalism meets real life

Culture reporting isn’t fluff. It covers music, film, reality TV, the arts, and so much more, showing why these things matter and what they reveal about us. Jenna and Dom talk with writer and scholar Kovie Biakolo about why cultural reporting is essential, what’s lost when newsrooms cut it, and how it’s different from influencer commentary. Kovie points to “Love Island USA” to show how desirability politics and identity play out on screen, connects reality TV to modern politics, and explains why AI can’t replace cultural analysis. 00:00 Start 09:53 - What is a Culture Desk? 13:18 - Pop culture is how Americans understand their identities 17:34 - The Importance of Love Island 28:08 - The Hierarchy of Relationships 31:04 - Cultural Reporters Help Us Understand Beauty 35:11 - Why We Are Where We Are Politically 39:40 - Why Culture Reporting Has to Matter 41:21 - Journalists Give More Than Hot Takes 47:20 - Should Journalists Be the New Social Media Stars? 53:29 - Can AI Do Culture Reporting?

Welcome to Press Pass, our new bonus series where Jenna and Dom go on tangents, share gossip, and get into everything shaping the news. For our first episode, we watched all ten episodes of Peacock's hit series “The Paper” (“The Office” spinoff) and compared it to our own newsroom days. We talk about what the show gets right, what it plays for laughs, and why local news deserves better. Plus, we swap experiences from the field, from road trips to office pranks to the emotional cost of covering big stories. Want to watch “The Paper”? You can stream all 10 episodes now on Peacock! *Also, no Jenna is not sick, she has terrible allergies and a stuffy nose! 00:00 – Start 00:31 – The Paper Clip 01:54 – Laid Off and Looking Intro 03:02 – What Did You Think of The Paper 09:29 – All Politics Are Local 11:11 – Journalism Is My Kryptonite 11:39 – Local News: Are We Working or Volunteering? 14:43 – It’s a Comedy Series 15:51 – Meet the Toledo Truth Teller Newsroom 36:54 – The Courage in Journalism 40:30 – I’m a Journalist NOT a Salesman 44:06 – News Influencers v Reporters 46:52 – Journalism is Expensive 54:04 – Awards Season 1:10:15 – It’s Not Glamorous Work 1:17:20 – What Did You Think of the Show?

Can artificial intelligence replace editors and producers in newsrooms? And how does journalism build a future rooted in equity and accountability? In this in-depth interview, Sisi Wei, Editor-in-Chief of The Markup, shares her insights on: ✅ The risks of over-reliance on AI in journalism ✅ Why diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential for credible reporting ✅ How newsrooms can rebuild trust with their audiences ✅ What leadership in media must look like in 2025 and beyond If you care about the future of journalism, newsroom culture, or the impact of artificial intelligence on media, this conversation is for you. 📌 Chapters: 00:00 - Start 02:47 - NewsCorp Australia 04:40 - Sisi Wei Interview 07:26 - Can Newsrooms Responsibly Use AI? 13:46 - Misinformation Farm 18:09 - The Environmental Cost of AI 22:53 - AI Cannot Do Quality Journalism 28:03 - Is Journalism Just More Content? 30:55 - Reporting v Opinion 36:08 - CalMatters 38:16 - Data Regulation 41:51 - Does AI Want Your Data? 42:59 - Is Political Violence Profitable? 46:24 - What Is Not Allowed on Social Media? 47:04 - The Digital Democracy Project 🔔 Subscribe to Laid Off and Looking for more conversations with leaders and innovators in journalism. #Journalism #AI #DiversityInMedia #SisiWei #FutureOfNews

The news isn’t just in the hands of reporters anymore. Commentators and influencers cover the news too, and the lines between them get blurrier every day. So who even counts as a journalist today? For answers, Dom and Jenna sat down with Kelly McBride, senior vice president and chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership at the Poynter Institute. Kelly helps newsrooms navigate issues of trust, bias, and how to use generative AI responsibly. Kelly talks about how to spot real reporting, why it matters to know when something is opinion, and why newsrooms need to make that clear. She also gets into AI and the idea of a “human in the loop,” where a person checks and approves anything AI writes before it goes out. https://www.poynter.org/the-craig-newmark-center-for-ethics-and-leadership-at-poynter/ https://www.poynter.org/ai-ethics-journalism/ https://www.poynter.org/mediawise/ 00:00 - Show Intro 01:41 - Paul Saylor 04:47 - Kelly McBride Interview 16:49 - What Does Accountability Look Like? 20:29 - Story Choices 23:18 - Reporting v Opinion 31:10 - AI Code of Ethics 39:52 - Viral News v Quality News 51:11 - Why Did You Become a Journalist?

We’re back! 🎙️ Welcome to Season 3 of Laid Off and Looking with award-winning journalists Jenna Flanagan and Domenic Camia. In our season 3 opener, Jenna and Dom share how we spent our summer, the challenges of building an independent media business, and why this season is all about asking even harder questions: 📰 Journalists vs. Influencers – What happens when reporters are forced to compete for attention with content creators and digital personalities? 🤖 The Rise of AI in Newsrooms – Can artificial intelligence actually replace reporters, editors, or even TV broadcasters? And what do we lose when machines take over the human judgment and nuance at the heart of journalism? 💼 The Hustle of Independent Media – From freelancing to networking to the harsh realities of monetization, we explore what it really takes to keep journalism alive outside of traditional newsrooms. 🎬 Pop Culture Meets the News – Plus, a sneak peek at our new segment reviewing The Paper, Peacock’s newsroom sitcom from the creator of The Office. This season, we’ll be talking with industry veterans, media critics, and creators about how the future of journalism is being shaped in real time—by economics, technology, and the people brave enough to still call themselves reporters. 👉 New episodes every Friday. Subscribe on YouTube, SoundCloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us: @LaidOffAndLookingPod 📧 Contact: LaidOffAndLookingPod@gmail.com

Jenna and Dom break down the backlash over Jake Tapper’s new book Original Sin, co-written with Axios’ Alex Thompson. It examines former President Joe Biden’s decline and if the press looked the other way. It’s pushed questions about trust in legacy media right back into the spotlight. Then they sit down with Shelby D. Smith, a journalist and digital creator making the news easier to follow on TikTok and Instagram. They get into where people are actually getting their news now and what that shift means for the future of journalism. This is Jenna and Dom’s last full episode of the season. They’ll be checking in now and then over the summer, but the new season kicks off after Memorial Day. Timecodes: Timecodes: Start - 00:00 Jake Tapper faces backlash over new book - 01:52 Jake Tapper’s 2020 CNN interview with Lara Trump - 10:57 The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart on Jake Tapper’s new book “Original Sin” - 17:52 Interview with Shelby D. Smith - 22:52 Shelby D Smith TikTok - 23:47 Shelby D Smith Interview - 24:52 Dom and Jenna Summer Break Announcement - 46:24 Links for this episode: Jake Tapper’s 2020 CNN interview with Lara Trump https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qD0WtSpfAc Jake Tapper Reveals Regret-Filled Call To Lara Trump After 2020 Clash https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jake-tapper-lara-trump-call_n_682d8398e4b0627160e7b38a The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart on Jake Tapper’s new book “Original Sin” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFeUo-nOxQU Shelby D Smith LinkTree https://linktr.ee/shelbydenise?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=7c2aa396-3466-4894-ba98-9ec970b55cba

The Knicks stunned the Celtics and Jenna’s still recovering, but the show must go on! This week, Jenna and Dom look at two viral interviews gone sideways- one with former NFL coach Bill Belichick, the other with White Lotus actor Walton Goggins and ask: where’s the line between fair game and off-limits? Then, they catch up with Ben Max, an expert on New York City politics and former executive editor of Gotham Gazette. After the outlet paused operations due to financial issues, Ben pivoted to New York Law School, where he now leads the Center for New York City and State Law. He shares insights on the decline of local journalism, the rise of social media influencers, and why accountability reporting still matters. They also talk about New York politics, civic engagement, and how Ben balances public programming with hosting his podcast, Max Politics. Timecodes: Start - 00:00 Knicks-Celtics recap and Jenna’s recovery - 02:05 Knicks Shoes throwback with Michael Rapaport - 06:24 Where’s the line between fair game and off-limits (Bill Belichick and Walton Goggins)? - 09:27 Interview: Ben Max on NYC politics and local news - 20:23 Challenges in Local Journalism - 26:37 The Role of Social Media in News - 30:22 Transition to New York Law School - 34:20 Balancing Journalism and Academia - 38:06 The Importance of Local Accountability - 41:47 Ben's Passion for Basketball and Journalism - 55:47 Links for this episode: CBS News Refutes Bill Belichick’s Claims About Awkward Interview Alongside Girlfriend Jordon Hudson https://people.com/cbs-news-refutes-bill-belichick-claims-awkward-interview-alongside-girlfriend-jordon-hudson-11725394 Walton Goggins: Aimee Lou Wood? I’m not gonna have that conversation https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/walton-goggins-white-lotus-interview-the-uninvited-m3dtdvjb7 Max Politics Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/gotham-gazette-max-murphy Ben Max Twitter (X): @TweetBenMax

The white smoke rose and suddenly... history. In this week’s episode, Jenna and Dom react in real time to the surprise announcement of the first American Pope, Leo XIV. They take you behind the scenes to show what it’s like when a breaking news story hits, from the control room to the anchor desk. Then in Part 2 of their chat with executive producer Patrick King, whose credits include The Daily Show, Last Week Tonight, and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, they discuss what really goes into making satirical news shows. From fact-checking jokes to pushing creative boundaries, Patrick shares how late-night shows balance humor with journalistic rigor, and what makes a joke too far to air. Timecodes: Start - 00:00 Inside a breaking story - 02:40 Behind the scenes of a live newsroom - 04:25 Managing Breaking News as a Host - 13:05 Patrick King Part 2: Comedy’s Guardrails - 28:58 Who Gets the Final Say - 28:25 What Comes First: The News or the Joke - 33:17 Hiring Writers with Range - 34:53 Punching Up vs. Punching Down - 38:32 Why Right Wing Comedy Often Misses - 41:06 When Comedy Becomes the Most Trusted Source - 45:01 TikTok and the Future of News - 50:09

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner skipped the comedian this year, and the whole thing felt... weird. Jenna and Dom talk about what that choice says about the state of the press, whether the decision was more about playing it safe than celebrating free speech, and how a night meant to celebrate journalism ended up spotlighting its insecurities. Then in part one of our chat with executive producer Patrick King, whose credits include The Daily Show, Last Week Tonight, and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Jenna and Dom get into why comedy news shows might feel more trustworthy than traditional journalism. Timecodes: Start – 00:00 WHCD: Why no jokes? – 02:02 Patrick King on comedy vs. journalism – 14:14 How to Make a Comedy Show - 22:50 How Trump Changed the Late Night Game - 27:19 Components of a Late Night Show - 34:03 What is Snapstream - 41:24 FOX and Comedy - 49:00 Links for this episode: Will We Ever Hear The Jokes Amber Ruffin Would Have Told At The White House Correspondents’ Dinner? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EtsANainxk WHCA President on Journalists: "What we are not is the enemy of the state." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SiCTsw00VQ&list=RDNS6SiCTsw00VQ&start_radio=1 Alex Thompson: "We bear some responsibility for faith in the media being at such lows." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmM7wo6lOHk

President Trump’s coming for NPR and PBS! Jenna and Dom get into what’s behind the push to pull their funding, and why it’s part of a bigger culture war play. Why does “60 Minutes” always seem to get under Trump’s skin, and is there anything he can actually do about it? Then, in part two of Jenna and Dom’s conversation with journalist and author Rick Perlstein, he lays out how President Ronald Reagan helped rewrite the media rulebook by repealing the Fairness Doctrine and changing how presidents control the media narrative. And Jenna chats with Kayla Gertie from Media Matters about who’s really dominating online media right now, and why so much political content is hiding in plain sight. Timecodes: Start of show – 00:00 NPR and PBS funding fight – 01:42 Trump vs 60 Minutes (again!) – 07:28 Rick Perlstein interview: Reagan and the Media – 12:00 Kayla Gertie from Media Matters – 36:24 You can find Rick Perlstein’s books “Nixonland” and “Reaganland” at bookstore.com. Links for this episode: Trump plans order to cut funding for NPR and PBS https://www.npr.org/2025/04/15/nx-s1-5352827/npr-pbs-public-media-trump-rescission-funding Trump says CBS should lose license after ‘60 Minutes’ segments on Ukraine, Greenland https://thehill.com/media/5247488-trump-says-cbs-should-lose-license-after-60-minutes-segments-on-ukraine-greenland/ The right dominates the online media ecosystem, seeping into sports, comedy, and other supposedly nonpolitical spaces https://www.mediamatters.org/google/right-dominates-online-media-ecosystem-seeping-sports-comedy-and-other-supposedly

Bill Maher reports back on his dinner with President Donald Trump, saying “everything I’ve ever not liked about him was… absent.” Jenna and Dom are left scratching their heads wondering, wait, what? The Associated Press–Trump saga isn't over! After refusing to call the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” the AP got blocked from some White House press events. Now a federal judge has weighed in, so what does the ruling actually say? In part one of our conversation with Rick Perlstein — historian, journalist, and author — we trace how presidents have fought with the press, from Richard Nixon’s enemies list to Trump’s war on coverage he doesn’t like. The tactics may change, but the playbook sounds familiar. Timecodes: Start of show - 00:00 Bill Maher’s dinner date with Trump - 02:10 AP-Trump saga continues - 05:13 Rick Perlstein interview Nixon: The Press Is the Enemy - 09:51 Nixon: Silent Majority - 17:57 Spiro Agnew: Speech on the Media - 23:42 Nixon: No Washington Post In the White House - 45:26 More Next Week - 55:49 You can find Rick Perlstein’s books “Nixonland” and “Reaganland” at bookstore.com. Links for this episode: Judge orders White House to lift restrictions on Associated Press over use of Gulf of Mexico https://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-associated-press-dispute-gulf-of-america/ Audio Credits: “The press is the enemy.” - The Richard Nixon Library https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/823/conversation-823-001 The Great Silent Majority (full version) - Courtesy: Richard Nixon Foundation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpCWHQ30Do8&t=1552s US Vice President Spiro Agnew speech on the media - Courtesy: Wikicommons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spiro_Agnew_speech_on_media_excerpt.ogg Richard Nixon and Ronald Ziegler conversation about the Washington Post - Courtesy: Richard Nixon Library and Museum https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/34/conversation-034-050

Are we watching journalism evolve or just unravel? Jenna and Dom are taking a closer look. Megyn Kelly’s launching a podcast network and calling out the “old rules” of journalism. So what exactly are the ‘new rules’? Then, a Media Matters report uncovers how the right is dominating online media and slipping into sports, comedy, and pop culture. And journalist Laura Jedeed joins the pod to unpack the tech elite’s quiet power grab and why clinging to “objectivity” might be holding journalism back. Show Starts - 00:00 Megyn Kelly and the new rules of journalism - 02:07 Media Matters report on right-wing media - 09:11 Interview with Laura Jedeed - 19:19 To read more from Laura Jedeed, go to her Substack: https://www.bannedinyourstate.com/ Links for this episode: The Interview: Megyn Kelly Is Embracing Her Bias and Rejecting the ‘Old Rules’ https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/magazine/megyn-kelly-interview.html The right dominates the online media ecosystem, seeping into sports, comedy, and other supposedly nonpolitical spaces https://www.mediamatters.org/google/right-dominates-online-media-ecosystem-seeping-sports-comedy-and-other-supposedly Podcasts as a Source of News and Information https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2023/04/18/podcasts-as-a-source-of-news-and-information/ The Shadowy Millions Behind San Francisco’s “Moderate” Politics https://newrepublic.com/article/189303/san-francisco-moderate-politics-millionaire-tech-donors How Democrats Can Win Back the White Working Class https://newlinesmag.com/argument/how-democrats-can-win-back-the-white-working-class/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabO1MKFCyNZhd11mgykWUALyMy__ME60MF1U7phaGfXbQz7MTDp3-hDJeI_aem_49SDpPG7ZuF2kYhE6i5ckg Laura Jedeed https://laurajedeed.com/

Jenna and Dom are back from a brief break and boy did a lot happen! They unpack the leaked Signal chat between Trump-era officials that’s raising questions about national security, and who gets prosecuted when lines are crossed. And they also break down the Capitol Hill grilling of NPR and PBS, as House Republicans threaten to pull public media funding over claims of bias. Topic Timestamps: Signal Drama: 1:54 NPR, PBS Go to Washington: 13:00 Links for this episode: Bondi Suggests Signal Chat Episode Is Unlikely to Be Criminally Investigated https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/27/us/politics/signal-leak-prosecution-bondi.html Congressional Republicans target PBS and NPR funding in contentious hearing https://apnews.com/article/doge-pbs-npr-elon-trump-musk-99a40be6cbbe8932047afe371f91fdc5

The scary world of vanishing information! First up, Jenna and Dom talk about what's with USAID telling employees to destroy classified documents? Next, they discuss MTV News pulling their entire website offline last year. In the spotlight, guest Michael Alex, who pioneered MTV's digital presence in the 90s, joins the pod and shares fascinating stories about launching MTV's first website and fighting to preserve cultural archives. Why do media companies treat digital history as disposable? Michael makes a compelling case that we need "stewards, not owners" of our collective online memory. It's a must-listen conversation about digital preservation, journalistic ethics, and the startling reality that the internet isn't as permanent as we once believed. Topic Timestamps: Headlines - 2:13 Michael Alex on digital archiving - 7:57 To listen to Part 1 of Michael Alex’s interview, check out our episode: “Local News’s Role in Aftermath of Helene, Chappell Roan’s Meltdown, and How MTV Changed the News” (10/1/24) https://soundcloud.com/laidoffandlooking-podcast/how-mtv-changed-the-news?si=8dfb20d0be2146b7a477bd161aa99035&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing Links for this episode: USAID employees told to burn or shred classified documents https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/usaid-employees-told-burn-shred-classified-documents-rcna195853 How to disappear completely https://www.theverge.com/24321569/internet-decay-link-rot-web-archive-deleted-culture New episodes resume starting on Friday, March 28!