Reliable Sources With Brian Stelter

Steven Hassan, a leading cult expert with firsthand experience escaping the Unification Church, says Trump's cultivation of his base is cult-like. Brian Stelter questions Hassan's claims and asks why he has decided to branch into politics through the new book "The Cult of Trump." They discuss how social media has accelerated the spread of influential ideologies and "destructive cults," and the pivotal roles played by media and religion. via Knit

Plus, ways to help rebuild local journalism... Dan Rather says McConnell is part of the Trump "cult..." The Atlantic wants to show "How to Stop a Civil War..." Dan Rather, Nicole Hemmer, Abigail Tracy, Craig Silverman, Jeffrey Goldberg and Jennifer Preston join Brian Stelter. via Knit

Charles Whitaker, dean of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, discusses the student newspaper's ill-considered decision to apologize for covering a campus protest. The Daily Northwestern is independent, but Whitaker spoke out when the students were "pilloried," he said, by pro journalists. Whitaker says this episode, and a recent controversy at Harvard, show that "The public is quite unaware of what journalism is, what our processes are," and "what it means to be balanced." via Knit

How transcripts highlight Sean Hannity's political power... Why there's a right-wing fixation with the whistleblower's identity... Plus more from Bill Moyers and Anthony Scaramucci. Brian Stelter also talks with Melanie Zanona, Addy Baird, Manu Raju, Max Boot, Tara Dowdell, and Jess McIntosh. via Knit

Since he launched the Washington Post's TikTok account in May, video producer Dave Jorgenson has created over 120 videos that show how the D.C. newsroom ticks with humor. Brian Stelter asks him about what the Post gains from TikTok; whether other news outlets should be using it; and how his videos have built trust and familiarity with the Post's reporters. They also discuss Jorgenson's daily production process, reactions from staffers, and attempts by presidential candidates to participate in meme-making. via Knit

Will right-wing media protect Trump from conviction? What are the dangers of political ads on the web? Why do the president's mispellings matter? Brian Stelter talks with Joe Walsh, Daniel Dale, Colby Hall, Aisha Moodie-Mills, Irin Carmon, Sarah Barnett, Bill Frischling, Bruce David Martin, Vincent Novak and Michael Barasch. via Knit

Brian Stelter sits down with CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker at the CITIZEN by CNN conference in New York City. They discuss the network's relationship with President Trump; decisions about whether to air Trump events; and a baseless lawsuit threat from one of Trump's lawyers. Zucker also defends the hiring of "Trump voices;" discusses the possibility of hiring Shep Smith; and addresses his interest in running for public office someday. via Knit

October 27, 2019: Catherine Rampell, Andrew Marantz, Sam Vinograd, Ezra Klein, Sarah Ellison, Joe Klein and Jeff Zucker join Brian Stelter. via Knit

Ezra Klein says people think about impeachment all wrong. It doesn't have to be a "traumatic" worst case scenario, he says: "We fire people for poor performance in most jobs. It seems that in the most important job, in arguably the entire world, we should be able to do the same thing." Klein, the editor-at-large of Vox Media, talks with Brian Stelter about his new podcast, "Impeachment, Explained," and the need to apply historical context to the daily drama. Klein also analyzes Trump's ability to "control coverage" based on his understanding that that "new plus outrageous equals newsworthy." He all calls out right-wing claims that the impeachment process is a coup, calling the claims "shameful." via Knit

October 20, 2019: Daniel Dale, Erik Wemple, Olivia Nuzzi, Elaina Plott, Matt Lewis, Katie Rogers, Krystal Ball, Ronan Farrow, Dipayan Ghosh and Mo Elleithee join Brian Stelter. via Knit

After BuzzFeed's DC bureau chief John Stanton was laid off in January, he co-founded the Save Journalism Project to "stand up" for journalists and "educate the public" about "the dangers facing us." Stanton talks with Brian Stelter about Facebook and Google's impacts on the news industry; Mark Zuckerberg's recent talk about Facebook's values and free speech; and what Facebook is doing about "toxic" content and disinformation. via Knit

October 13, 2019: Sam Donaldson, Douglas Brinkley, Julie Roginsky, Carl Cameron, Conor Powell, Peter Wehner, Irin Carmon, Amanda Marcotte, and David Zurawik join Brian Stelter. via Knit

New Yorker staff writer Andrew Marantz embedded with extremist "gate-crashers" teeming on social media platforms and the lax "gate-keepers" in Silicon Valley for his new book titled "Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation." In order to take the conversation back, Marantz tells Brian Stelter, "the only way forward is to really really look this stuff in the face." He also talks about the Overton Window, media manipulation, the "alt right," and the rise of white supremacist rhetoric on the internet. via Knit

October 6, 2019: Masha Gessen, Oliver Darcy, Juliet Huddy, Michael Shear, Barbara Res, Douglas Heye, Jess McIntosh and Robert Leonard join Brian Stelter. via Knit

Matt Taibbi's new book "Hate Inc.: Why Today's Media Makes Us Despise One Another" makes the case that news outlets have become "a twisted wing of the entertainment business," chasing clicks and views to survive. In a blunt conversation with Brian Stelter, Taibbi says he wants to encourage more "consumer awareness about the news." Stelter challenges some of Taibbi's arguments, including his portrayals of Fox News and MSNBC, and they discuss how Noam Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent" applies to the present day. via Knit

September 29, 2019: Robert De Niro, Suzanne Nossel, Amanda Carpenter, Susan Glasser, Susan Hennessey, Christine Pelosi, and Christopher Ruddy join Brian Stelter. via Knit

Renowned political analyst Jeff Greenfield talks with Brian Stelter about the start of a formal impeachment inquiry against President Trump. He says "the kind of reflexive, circle the wagons, 'remember this is our guy'" strategy among Republicans and pro-Trump media outfits "may not fully survive this latest story." He describes the many differences between the Nixon and Clinton impeachments and the current proceedings, including a much more chaotic news environment. His advice for journalists covering the story: "Take a breath." via Knit

September 22, 2019: Shane Harris, Carl Bernstein, Tara Dowdell, Philip Bump, Sam Vinograd, David Zurawik, Robin Pogrebin, Kate Kelly and Lenore Taylor join Brian Stelter. via Knit

The Washington Post has opened up an enormous DEA database that charts the course of every pain pill in the country through 2012. The Post's investigations editor Jeff Leen says more than 100 local news outlets have conducted reporting using the information. Brian Stelter talks with Leen about this cooperative approach; what the data reveals; and what stories still need to be told about the opioid epidemic. via Knit

September 15, 2019: Alexandra Rojas, Dahlia Lithwick, Susan Glasser, Jim Sciutto, Jodi Kantor, Megan Twohey, Krystal Ball and Barry Glassner join Brian Stelter. via Knit