Sofia Quaglia is an award-winning science journalist whose work has been published in The National Geographic, The New York Times, The Guardian, New Scientist, and other outlets. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Sofia chats about how she started reporting on biodiversity and the nuances of translating complex scientific concepts for a mass audience.  More info about the class Sofia is teaching with Study Hall on January 16th 10 AM PT/ 1 PM ET: https://courses.outvoice.com/products/courses/howtobreakintosciencejournalism (Study Hall subscribers check last newsletter for discount code)   More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz    Music by KT The Terrible

Marianne Dhenin is an award-winning journalist whose work has been published in Truthout, Yes! Magazine, The New Republic, and Teen Vogue. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Marianne chats about their Noema Mag report on the history of air conditioning in the Gulf States. Marianne discusses how they use their journalism to illuminate the class implications of climate change issues.   Read the article here: https://www.noemamag.com/the-gulf-world-that-air-conditioning-wrought/   Subscribe to their newsletter: https://newsletter.mariannedhenin.com/   More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz   Music by KT The Terrible

Max Tani is the media editor at Semafor and co-host of the Mixed Signals podcast. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Max discusses the biggest media stories of 2025 and how legacy media can regain its footing in 2026. Max chats about how legacy media outlets are experimenting with AI tools and leveraging the creator journalism model. In addition, Max shares what it’s like covering some of the biggest media stories like the corporate battle over Warner Bros Discovery.    Listen to Mixed Signals: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-signals-from-semafor-media/id1746776326   More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz    Music by KT The Terrible  

  Brian Reed is the host and producer of KCRW’s “Question Everything,” a podcast and newsletter from KCRW and Placement Theory, that is exploring the media industry. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Reed chats about why he’s advocating to reform Section 230, a law that protects big tech platforms from defamation lawsuits. Reed chats about why he believes this law gives platforms too much impunity and how he came to the conclusion that it needs to be changed to protect users from disinformation. In addition, Reed discusses what it’s like being a journalist advocating for a cause.    More info about Question Everything: https://www.kcrw.com/shows/question-everything/latest   More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz   Music by KT The Terrible

Katherine Reynolds Lewis is an award-winning journalist and founder of founder of the Institute for Independent Journalists.  In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Lewis shares tips on negotiating a fair rate, getting a better contract, and managing your finances as a freelancer.    On December 12th at 11 AM PST/ 2 PM ET, Lewis will be teaching an online course about treating your freelance career as a business: https://courses.outvoice.com/products/courses/thrivingasafreelancer   (Study Hall Subscribers check your latest newsletter for 50% discount code).    Music by KT The Terrible  

Kevin Nguyen is the features editor at The Verge. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Nguyen chats about his novel "My Documents." The dystopian satire is set in a near-future United States where following a terrorist attack, Vietnamese Americans are imprisoned in interment camps. The novel explores how journalism can both shed light on trauma and crucial stories, while also being a tool of exploitation. In addition, "My Documents" lampoons the clickbait digital media boom and sensationalist misinformation.    More info about "My Documents": https://bookshop.org/p/books/my-documents-a-novel-kevin-nguyen/3caae9bd30ea2b93   More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz   Music by KT The Terrible 

  Ellen Huet is a reporter at Bloomberg News and Bloomberg Businessweek. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Huet discusses her new book Empire of Orgasm: Sex, Power, and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult. The book chronicles the story of OneTaste, a wellness company that’s been accused of manipulation and abuse. Huet exposed the true story of the company for Bloomberg.  Empire of Orgasm builds off that reporting. In this conversation, Huet chats about her reporting process, the evolving definition of a cult, and the ominous parallels between cults and startups. She also shares tips on how to navigate personal boundaries while reporting on an intense topic.    More info about Empire of Orgasm: https://bookshop.org/p/books/empire-of-orgasm-sex-power-and-the-downfall-of-a-wellness-cult-ellen-huet/d314d91af397b2e4?ean=9780374604196   More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz    Music by KT The Terrible 

On this special bonus episode, Daniel Spielberger chats with Lauren Harris, an editor at The New Yorker and a co-chair of The New Yorker Union. The New Yorker Union and Condé United are both part of the NewsGuild of New York. Harris discusses recent events at Condé Nast. On Wednesday, in response to Condé management’s decision to fold Teen Vogue into Vogue and lay off employees at Teen Vogue, a group of unionized Condé employees confronted Condé’s head of HR, Stan Duncan, to question him about these decisions. Subsequently, Condé management fired four of these employees, one of whom worked at The New Yorker. Though Condé management argues that these four employees were engaging in “extreme misconduct,” the Guild disputes this claim. In this conversation, Harris discusses why the unions are alleging that these terminations were illegal and retaliatory. Additionally, she contextualizes these terminations with a broader hostility towards organized labor during the second Trump era.    Here’s the petition to reinstate The Fired Four: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/tell-conde-bosses-to-reinstate-the-fired-four-reverse-the-suspensions-and-end-the-union-busting A GoFundMe to support The Fired Four: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-fired-four-alma-ben-jake-jasper More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz Music by KT The Terrible 

P.E. Moskowitz’s writing has been published in New York Magazine, The Nation, and numerous other outlets. They write the newsletter “Mental Hellth.” In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Moskowitz chats about their new book “Breaking Awake: A Reporter's Search for a New Life, and a New World, Through Drugs.” Moskowitz discusses their reporting on the mental health crisis, pharmaceutical drugs, raves, isolation, and social media.    More info about Breaking Awake: https://bookshop.org/p/books/breaking-awake-a-reporter-s-search-for-a-new-life-and-a-new-world-through-drugs-p-e-moskowitz/f376145199400c4a?ean=9781668007778&next=t   More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz   Music by KT The Terrible

Zito Madu’s writing has appeared in The Nation, Flaming Hydra, GQ, and other outlets. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Zito chats about his personal approach to sports writing, the influence of the gambling industry on sports journalism, and his criticism of Stephen A.'s decisive coverage.   Follow Zito on Twitter/X:  https://x.com/_Zeets Read Zito's Flaming Hydra essay: https://flaminghydra.com/football-in-palestine/   More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz  Music by KT The Terrible

Jourdain Searles is a film critic whose work has appeared in Bustle, Los Angeles Review of Books, Indiewire, and other outlets. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Searles chats about her approach to film criticism, the significance of film reviews in the age of aggregation sites like Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes, and how she handled people upset over her negative reviews.    Follow Jourdain on X: https://x.com/judysquirrels   More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz    Music by KT The Terrible

Peter Rubin is head of publishing at Automattic and an editor at Longreads, a website that curates longform stories and publishes original writing. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Peter chats about the art of the longread, internet curation during the post-Twitter age, the IP potential of longreads, and the attention economy.    More info about Longreads’ member drive: https://longreads.com/join/   More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz   Music by KT The Terrible

Erin Somers is a reporter at Publishers Lunch. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Bustle, Esquire, and numerous other outlets. In this episode, she chats about her new novel, The Ten Year Affair. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Erin discusses how authors cultivate a sense of mystique and recounts her experience reporting from a Philip Roth festival.    For more information about The Ten Year Affair: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Ten-Year-Affair/Erin-Somers/9781668081440   For more information about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz   Music by KT The Terrible

  Jacob Silverman is a reporter and author of “Gilded Rage: Elon Musk and the Radicalization of Silicon Valley,”  In this conversation with Daniel Spielberger, Jacob discusses his reporting on cryptocurrency, Silicon Valley’s connection to the weapons industry, and Twitter/X’s involvement with the Saudi Royal family. Jacob also offers insight into how tech billionaires became right-wing and what this foretells for American politics. The author offers tips on how to pursue difficult journalism and hold the powerful accountable.    More info about “Gilded Rage”: https://bookshop.org/p/books/gilded-rage-elon-musk-and-the-radicalization-of-silicon-valley-jacob-silverman/90640a782bd09515?ean=9781399419987&next=t More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz. Music by KT The Terrible  

Charlie Porter is a fashion critic whose work has been published in The Financial Times and The Guardian. In this conversation, Charlie chats about his debut novel “Nova Scotia House.” The novel follows Johnny, a middle-aged gay man who is trying to make sense of his past relationship with Jerry, a former lover who died of AIDS-related complications in 1995. The novel explores the legacy of queer counterculture and the AIDS crisis. Charlie discusses his pivot to fiction and shares insight into how writers and artists can expand their horizons and pick up a new interest. In addition, Charlie chats about the state of fashion journalism.   More info about “Nova Scotia House”: https://bookshop.org/p/books/nova-scotia-house-charlie-porter/261a846e401d0852   More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz    Music by KT The Terrible   

Delia Cai writes the newsletter Deez Links. In this conversation, Delia chats about the newsletter boom, Bari Weiss’s possible LUCRATIVE CBS News deal, and the creator/journalist dynamic. Delia previously was a staff writer at Vanity Fair. She’s the author of the novel “Central Places.”  Keep up with Delia’s work: https://www.deezlinks.com/ More info about Study Hall: Studyhall.xyz  Music by KT The Terrible.

Derek Beres is a co-host of The Conspirituality Podcast.  His work examining health disinformation has appeared in The Guardian, Mother Jones, and The New York Times. In this conversation, Derek discusses the origins of the MAHA movement and how journalists can counter health disinformation.    Listen to Conspirituality: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/conspirituality/id1515827446   Derek’s recent opinion piece for The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/09/opinion/maha-health-wellness-influencers.html   More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz    Music by KT The Terrible

Sarah Miller is a writer whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Popula. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Sarah chats about her recent N+1 essay chronicling her ayahuasca journey in Peru. She also discusses her essay for The New Yorker on botox. Sarah shares her approach to essays, explaining why she tackles difficult topics like climate change and mental health with humor.    Sarah’s essay on ayahuasca: https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-50/essays/pirates-of-the-ayahuasca/   Sarah’s essay on botox: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/desperate-for-botox   Her newsletter: https://therealsarahmiller.substack.com/   More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz    Music by KT The Terrible 

Osita Nwanevu, a columnist at The Guardian and contributing editor at The New Republic, discusses his new book “The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding.” In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Osita outlines his proposal to transform the American government and shares how media institutions can become more democratic.    More information about “The Right of the People”:  https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/704686/the-right-of-the-people-by-osita-nwanevu/   More info about Study Hall: Studyhall.xyz    Music by KT The Terrible

Kylie Cheung is a reporter at Abortion Everyday. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Kylie chats about her new book “Coercion Surviving and Resisting Abortion Bans.” Kylie discusses the various manipulative tactics conservative politicians utilize to criminalize abortion and what’s missing from mainstream media coverage of reproductive justice.    For more information about “Coercion”: https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745350615/coercion/   More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz    Music by KT The Terrible