The Fourth Watch Podcast

Brian Stelter, author of "Network of Lies," joins Steve Krakauer to talk about his new book about Fox News, Sean Hannity and Bret Baier, the lack of "good guys" and "bad guys" in the Fox text messages that emerged in the Dominion lawsuit, his relationship with Tucker Carlson over the past 20 years, why Tucker really got sidelined by Fox News, Stelter's kinship with Tucker after they were both ousted from their jobs, the last time he talked to Tucker, the role of the Murdochs at Fox News, using the term "The Big Lie," censorship cheerleading in the press and the Hunter Biden laptop story, whether Chris Licht had the right idea for CNN, CNN in the Trump Era, life after his CNN exit, fatherhood and losing his own father at the age of 15, and more. Read Brian's blog, "My Dad": https://medium.com/@brianstelter/my-dad-b75bcdb74c5e See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mark Halperin, founder of Wide World of News Concierge Coverage, joins Steve Krakauer to talk about what's ahead in politics in 2024, possibility of a "No Label" ticket, seeing the Trump phenomenon from the Acela Media and throughout the country, the impact of Trump and how he forever changed multiple industries, the disconnect of the mainstream press, 2008 as the beginning of celebrity politics, the success of "Game Change," where Nicolle Wallace and Steve Schmidt are now, his influential "The Note" and insider vs. outsider journalism, his exit from the spotlight in October 2017 and the randomness of cancelation and court of public opinion litigation and punishment, his "concierge coverage" focused on civil conversations and aimed at "real people," the new business model opportunities in the media, and more. To get news, insights, and analysis from Mark every day, become a member of his Concierge Coverage of politics and the Wide World of News: https://www.walkingduck.com/mark See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're returning to the "show" format again, with several guests on this episode of the Fourth Watch Podcast. Steve Krakauer begins with a monologue about the depressingly predictable corporate media coverage of gun violence, mass shootings, and more. Then Buck Sexton, co-host of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, joins to talk about gun violence coverage, the truth about crime in America, ignorance about guns through geographic bias, January 6 and the media, what it was like to work at CNN in 2015 and 2016, and more. Then Sharyl Attkisson, host of Full Measure News, joins to discuss the money behind the journalism, how narratives get shaped, her time working at CNN and CBS News, the Obama administration and journalism, what's behind sameness of coverage, and more. Then JT from Dallas joins me for another edition of "Temperature Check" to talk about classy members of Congress, naked reality shows, and more - plus, what it was like to grow up around guns in Texas. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Curt Menefee, lead studio host of the NFL on FOX, joins Steve Krakauer to discuss his lengthy career at FOX and longevity in the media world, the megamerger of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift as a cultural moment, NFL's linear ratings dominance, Tom Brady's giant broadcasting deal, market value of announcers, how streaming affects viewership, sports as the great connector in America, some sports media leaning into the divisiveness of politics, his unique perspective that leads to being respectful of the people in this country, the mainstreaming of sports gambling, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bridget Phetasy, writer and podcast host, joins Steve Krakauer to talk about the state of politics and culture in 2024, being politically homeless (and "politically useless"), why "real America" is like the "middle seat," how the Trump phenomenon still going, the first GOP debate, being a writer, how getting married and motherhood has changed her, her move to Texas, and more. Bridget's Substack: https://substack.com/@bridgetphetasy Bridget's epic "middle seat" "real America" rant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1i74X_H2hI See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Steve Krakauer begins with an explanation for what the corporate media's Hunter Biden original sin is, and how it relates to press coverage today. Then Glenn Greenwald, host of Rumble's System Update, joins to talk about his exit from The Intercept related to Hunter Biden's laptop, the revolving door between political and media elite, how the incuriosity about Hunter Biden in October 2020 has continued to the news coming out today, the incentives to cover or not cover certain stories, Chris Hayes and Rachel Maddow's evolution away from journalistic principles, and more. Then Semafor's Shelby Talcott and Tara Palmeri, of Puck News and host of "Somebody's Gotta Win," join to talk about why campaign trail reporting allows reporters to get out the Acela Media bubble, whether regular voters care about Hunter Biden corruption stories and January 6, if the conservative media are trying to make Ron DeSantis a thing, if the Trump indictments will sway voters or are more of a media story, if the increase in Biden reporting means he may be pushed out as the nominee, and more. And we close it out with "Temperature Check," featuring JT Williams, my friend here in Dallas, to talk about Grandpa Joe Biden's 7th grandchild, Hunter Biden's shame, Trump's indictments, Lizzo's supposed fat shaming, the crazy plane lady cursing about the "not real" person speaking out, and more. Glenn's original Hunter Biden report: https://greenwald.substack.com/p/article-on-joe-and-hunter-biden-censored Give your feedback on this episode at FourthWatchMedia@gmail.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Emily Jashinsky, culture editor and host at The Federalist and co-host of Counter Points, joins Steve Krakauer to discuss limitations and conformity of corporate media, getting her start in journalism in D.C., culture and geography vs. politics, Trump vs. DeSantis and the state of conservative media, the very online right and "influencer on influencer violence," the dangers of social media, disrupting the left-right model, media abandoning journalistic principles, what the Jonah Hill scandal says about our culture, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wesley Lowery, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of "American Whitelash," joins Steve Krakauer to discuss problems with cable news, "riot porn" and the Acela Media's coverage of protests and riots, what really happened in Ferguson and how many have no idea about the reality and lessons, why "partisan politics is the enemy of nuanced truth," coverage of gun violence and adherence to narratives, the media's destructive need for speed, the book's dedication to one of Lowery's best friends who passed away from cancer - and how important it is to have conversations and especially uncomfortable ones, how social media makes our cultural discourse harder and worse, the need to allow for people to make mistakes while having discussions, evolution of the corporate media and dire state of the national press today, importance of introspection for journalists, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gavin Purcell, former executive producer of "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" and co-host of the "AI For Humans" podcast, joins Steve Krakauer to discuss how he helped Jimmy Fallon's late night shows become successful on TV and online, how traditional media uses digital, the future of late night TV, how the pandemic changed the TV industry, politics infecting late night comedy, how Trump changed the cultural conversation, Purcell and Sarah Silverman's optimistic show "I Love You, America," how AI will disrupt the entertainment and media world, whether consumers should be nervous or excited about AI, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Eric Bolling, host of "Eric Bolling The Balance" on Newsmax, joins Steve Krakauer to talk about Tucker Carlson and his move to Twitter, the power of linear TV vs. new media, the state of Fox News and the direction of the network, how Bolling saw Trump coming in 2016, Trump vs. DeSantis in the media world, what CNN does next, how the business changes cable news, his life after massive personal upheaval in 2017, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ben Smith, author of "Traffic" and editor of Semafor, joins Steve Krakauer to talk about the end of an era in the digital media with the shuttering of BuzzFeed News and MTV News and bankruptcy of Vice, BuzzFeed's Disney deal sliding doors moment, the Obama era of the digital media vs. how the Trump era changed it, when Huffington Post put Trump news in its "entertainment" section, Smith's 2015 decision to say it's ok to call Trump a "mendacious liar," his decision to publish the Steele dossier in full, whether BuzzFeed should have framed it differently, reaction from Jake Tapper behind-the-scenes, how Trump made smart media members crazy, Gawker's legacy and whether countercultural rebels have become the establishment orthodoxy, how Twitter has changed the media landscape, the process of writing the book, and more. Plus Steve's thoughts on the CNN Trump town hall last week. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jacob Siegel, senior editor at Tablet Magazine and author of the brilliant "Guide to Understanding the Hoax of the Century" article about "disinformation" efforts joins Steve Krakauer to talk about getting into journalism and his time in the military, why it was so important to focus on the topic of "disinformation" and the counter-"disinformation" efforts by the media and intel agencies, how 9/11 was a key factor in all of this, class interest above all else, COVID and "disinformation," the usefulness of the January 6 riot in these efforts, the backstory of Graphika and how intel agencies work with the media to spin the public, Tucker Carlson's place in the media environment amid critiques of the "ruling class" and Jacob's connection to Tucker's firing, and more. Here's Jacob's must-read piece: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/guide-understanding-hoax-century-thirteen-ways-looking-disinformation See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mary Katharine Ham, co-host of the Getting Hammered podcast and former contributor to CNN and Fox News, joins Steve Krakauer to discuss Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon getting fired this week, the future of media, Jeffrey Toobin, Jeff Zucker and the old CNN regime, leaving CNN and getting "quiet suspended," the value of talking with people who disagree with us, the screwy incentives and penalties in the media, her prescient book on the left's censorship instincts, fighting "cancel culture" with "cancel culture," how social media broke our brains, the importance of raising children in keeping perspective, how kids are animating our politics today, her news consumption diet, college football and NIL and availability of sports gambling, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Balfe, co-founder of Red Seat Ventures, joins Steve Krakauer to talk CNN Plus' demise one year later, the state of streaming, how TheBlaze launched, the future of conservative media, whether a media behemoth could scoop up a right-leaning entity, perception vs. reality in the ad market, media bias, the future of podcasts, traits that all top talent share, how he got his start in the business as a high schooler, how the media industry is different from others, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cyd Zeigler, founder and editor of Outsports, joins Steve Krakauer to discuss the media coverage of Lia Thomas and trans athletes, fear and activism around the issue, how much the cultural conversation around gay athletes has evolved, why the corporate press remains behind the reality of where gay acceptance in sports is today, Twitter discourse and the state of conversations, Fox News vs. CNN media consumption, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's a special edition of the Fourth Watch Podcast today, featuring Brian Stelter, longtime media correspondent and former CNN host, joining Steve Krakauer for a long-form interview, discussion, debate, centered around the state of the media, and Krakauer's new book "Uncovered: How the Media Got Cozy with Power, Abandoned Its Principles, and Lost the People," which is available at http://ReadUncovered.com. Topics include: the biggest media mistakes of the Trump Era, covering the Trump phenomenon, media coverage of John Fetterman, who has real power in D.C., January 6 media coverage and focus on certain elements and not others, Twitter's impact on the media, Hunter Biden laptop story suppression, Stelter's CNN show and what he will do next, Fox News' place in the media ecosystem, Russiagate and the Mueller investigation, comparing how Trump and Obama treated the media, the need to bring new voices into the corporate press, the process of writing and promoting a book, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Clay Travis, founder of Outkick and co-host of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, joins Steve Krakauer to talk about Super Bowl storylines, starting Outkick and bringing it to Fox, legacy media like talk radio, new media entrepreneurialism, Nashville as a media city, dealing with haters on Twitter and beyond, the growth of gambling, straddling the divide between sports and politics, the Steven Crowder vs. Daily Wire fiasco, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joe Flint, Wall Street Journal media reporter, joins Steve Krakauer to discuss the state of the media industry in 2023, Amazon, Netflix, Disney, News Corp, "flyover bias," the craft of media reporting, "vibes journalism," subscription-based media start-ups, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ari Fleischer, former press secretary and author of the new book "Suppression, Deception, Snobbery, and Bias," joins Steve Krakauer to discuss the bias and activism in journalism, suppression as form of bias, Fox News' place in the media landscape, how to fix the problems of ideological sameness in the press, elitism in the press and politics, Gavin Newsom and Bernie Sanders, how the country isn't as divided as the media makes it seem, how the media divides us, why the press took Biden to task for the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, the future (and past) of CNN, what will happen if (and when) Trump runs for president in 2024, what really happened with the media mistake on Wikileaks and Donald Trump Jr., and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's a different sort of episode for this Fourth Watch, as John Greenewald, the founder of The Black Vault joins Steve Krakauer to talk about the important issue of UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) and the term that is used now, UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) - and the media coverage of the topic. On the importance of transparency, the stigmatized and incurious coverage, government and intel agency coziness with the media, the bombshell December 2017 New York Times and Politico reporting on the topic, the thaw in UAP coverage, was was missing from the early reporting in 2017, the counterintelligence value of the UAP discussion, what the DNI's preliminary assessment on UAPs last year actually tells us, the first public Congressional hearing on the topic in more than 50 years last month, the need to decouple the UAP conversation from one involving "aliens" and "extraterrestrial life," the importance of FOIA, and more. And then at the end we get down to it - John's (and Steve's) theories on what the UAPs might actually be. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.