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"You want to be able to nab the details, but then you also want to be able to tell the story of why this matters and who's harmed by this, and finding the harm is oftentimes the hardest part of investigative reporting," Miranda Green, an investigative reporter.Her latest piece is for The Atavist Magazine titled "All That Glitters" about the seedy underbelly of diamond sales, crypto, and sports ticketing and the man at the center of it all.In this conversation, we talk about: How she earns trust How she navigates background The structure of the piece Finding the harm in an investigative story And her routine (or lack of one)Podcast Specific Substack at creativenonfictionpodcast.substrack.com.Pre-order The Front RunnerNewsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.com
Nick Davidson, @nickgdavidson on IG, says, "We usually think of hunting stories and looking for ideas, but I feel like it's the other way around: stories hunt the storyteller, and I'm just prey."Nick's latest piece is for The Atavist Magazine titled "The Balloon That Fell From the Sky." His work has appeared in Outside, VICE Sports, Garden & Gun, and a million other places of note. Podcast Specific Substack at creativenonfictionpodcast.substrack.com.Pre-order The Front RunnerNewsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.com
“I could suddenly see — and this is how I know when I'm supposed to start writing — is that words start putting themselves together in my head, and I just have to get them out, right? Which doesn't happen all the time, but it did for this," says Cassidy Randall, author of Thirty Below: The Harrowing and Heroic Story of the First All Women's Ascent of Denali (Abrams Books).Cassidy's work has appeared in National Geographic, the New York Times, Outside Magazine, The Atavist, and many, many others.In this episode we talk about: The beginning and ending Sticky notes The post-book funk Interviewing And so much morePodcast Specific SubstackPre-order The Front RunnerPromotional Sponsor: The Power of Narrative Conference. Use CNF15 at checkout for a 15% discount.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod
Allegra Rosenberg became obsessed with polar exploration narratives during the pandemic. She soon came across the journals of Harry Pennell and learned of his love for Edward Atkinson. Set amongst the backdrop of the South Pole and the looming possibility of WWI, Allegra weaves a brilliant and tragic story.Pre-order The Front RunnerPromotional Sponsor: The Power of Narrative Conference. Use CNF15 at checkout for a 15% discount.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod
Drew Philp went to Ethiopia to report on the front lines of what was likely a genocide that largely went ignored. His story, "There Will Be No Mercy," is for The Atavist Magazine.Pre-order The Front RunnerSponsor: The Power of Narrative Conference. Use CNF15 at checkout for a 15% discount.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod
Kate McQueen is the editorial director for the Pollen Initiative and a literary journalist whose work is featured this month for The Atavist Magazine.The story chronicles the story of Carl von Ossietzky, a German journalist imprisoned for his dissent at the start of Hitler's rise to power. A cohort of fellow journalists sought a means to break him out. How did they do it?Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod
Mira Ptacin (@miraptacin) is a writer and journalist who story, The Crash of the Hammer, ran in The Atavist Magazine. She's also the author of Poor Your Soul and The In-Betweens. Visit magazine.atavist.com to read her story about how a small town in Maine drove out a Neo-Nazi.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod
Betsy Golden Kellem (@bgkellem on IG) is a lawyer and historian whose "City on Fire" appears in The Atavist Magazine and chronicles a conspiracy in 1864 by northern Confederate sympathizers to burn Manhattan to the ground.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod
With Lindsay Jones, a reporter based in Halifax for The Globe and Mail. Earlier this year, she won the prestigious Landsberg Award, presented by the Canadian Women's Foundation and the Canadian Journalism Foundation. She won for a body of work that investigated stories of a sexual assault and abuse of power of police officers, sex worker rights, and online bullying and identity theft. She has written for Wired, The Walrus, Chatelaine, The Atavist and Maclean's. Her 2023 story Who's Going to Believe Me published in The Walrus won a National Magazine Award in investigative reporting, and that same year, her in-depth feature that revealed a switched at birth case in Manitoba was a National Newspaper Award finalist. A note about content: this episode addresses gender-based violence. Episode Transcripts Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at canadianwomen.org and consider becoming a monthly donor. Facebook: Canadian Women's Foundation LinkedIn: The Canadian Women's Foundation Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn X: @cdnwomenfdn
Kelsey Rexroat is a freelance journalist and copy editor who recently reported and wrote a brilliant love story for The Atavist Magazine. Visit magazine.atavist.com to read it.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod
Busy and frazzled people often say, “I wish I could clone myself!” Journalist Evan Ratliff did just that. Using easily available technology and artificial intelligence, he created a voice clone that could answer calls, carry on conversations, and literally do his job. The brave new world he created spawned all sorts of weird and unsettling moments, like when his voice clones began talking to each other and making up a whole new life for him. Ratliff explores the experience in his new podcast, “Shell Game.” We talk to Ratliff…and his voice clone. Guests: Evan Ratliff, investigative journalist and host, "Shell Game" podcast; author, "The Mastermind: A True Story of Murder, Empire, and a New Kind of Crime Lord"; cofounder and editor in chief, Atavist magazine; former podcast host, "Longform"
Rhana Natour (@rnatourious) and Eman Mohammed (@emanit) collaborated for their Atavist story "Coming to America" about a teenage girl from Gaza who lost her legs in an Israeli airstrike and the journey she's on to walk again.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod
Maggie Gigandet is a freelance writer whose piece "The Extra Mile" appears in the Atavist Magazine.In this episode we also hear from editor-in-chief Seyward Darby.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod
Distance, lineup changes, a global pandemic... Northeastern doom quintet Cowardice have persevered through it all to bring you their latest offering, Atavist. An album several years in the making, this is the band's most daring and expansive work to date. This week Austin is joined by Mark and Julian to discuss the new album and what lies ahead for Cowardice! Atavist is OUT NOW via Riff Merchant Records (US) & Burning World Records (EU) Follow Cowardice on Facebook & Instagram Recommendations: Doldrum - The Knocking, Or The Story of the Sound that Preceded Their Disappearance Sunrise Patriot Motion - My Father Took Me Hunting in the Snow DIIV - Frog In Boiling Water The Smiths - Rank Asunder Hell Thou - Umbilical For all updates on the show, follow us here: @RiffWorshipPod on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, & X Watch Riff Worship on YouTube Watch Review's from the Dylbozer's Din on YouTube Tune in LIVE to Vocal Distortion, Mondays at 6PM CST on FM89, WONC.org, & the iHeart Radio app Check out our weekly playlists: Riffs On Repeat (Spotify) Hits From The Crypt (Apple Music)
John Rosengren is a journalist based out of Minnesota whose "Anatomy of a Murder" marks Issue 151 for The Atavist Magazine.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod
Is it time to start worrying about the Germans again? Perhaps, at least according to Jacob Kushner, the author of LOOK AWAY: A True Story of Murders, Bombings, and a Far-Right Campaign to Rid Germany of Immigrants, a book about an eleven year terror campaign by the National Socialist Underground (NSU). Kushner is ambivalent about the broad appeal in Germany of the NSU's murderous violence against immgrants, but he does suggest that this recent chapter in German history suggests that the country isn't quite the peaceful haven of toleration that some previous KEEN ON guests, like Peter Gumbel, believe it to be.Jacob Kushner is an international correspondent who writes magazine and other longform stories from Africa, Germany, and the Caribbean. He reports on migration and human rights, foreign aid and investment, terrorism and violent extremism, science and global health, climate change and wildlife, and press freedom. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Harper's, The Economist, National Geographic, The Nation, VQR, The Atavist, WIRED, Foreign Policy, and VICE. He has photographed for National Geographic and field-produced for VICE on HBO, and PBS NewsHour. He is the author of China's Congo Plan, which was favorably reviewed in The New York Review of Books.His new book, Look Away: A True Story of Murders, Bombings, and a Far-Right Campaign to Rid Germany of Immigrants, is published in May 2024. He teaches International Reporting and Migration at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe
Brian Fairbanks is an author and journalist whose piece for the 150th issue of the Atavist Magazine, The Last Shall be First, chronicles the actions of a corrupt New Orleans cop and his trail of victims still crying for justice.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSocial: @creativenonfiction podcast on IG and ThreadsSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod
Hallie Lieberman (@hallielieberman) is a journalist, writer, and historian. She's the author of Buzz: A Stimulating History of the Sex Toy. Her latest piece for The Atavist is "The Handcuff Man." Visit magazine.atavist.com to read it.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSocial: @creativenonfiction podcast on IG and ThreadsSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod
This interview is with Jessica Weisberg. Jessica Weisberg is an award-winning writer and producer. Her writing has appeared in the New Yorker, New York Times, Harper's, and Atavist, among other publications, and been nominated for a National Magazine Award. She ran the features unit at Vice News Tonight on HBO, for which she was nominated for an Emmy, and is a senior producer at Serial Podcast. Her first book, Asking for a Friend, came out in 2018. Katherine read it last year and LOVED it. The book is about advice givers – people who have offered up advice to others throughout time. Some examples of prominent advice givers featured are: Dale Carnegie who wrote, How to Win Friends and Influence People Cheryl Strayed, author of Dear Sugar Dear Abby, a popular newspaper column in 1950's Life coach Martha Back The books is super interesting, as is Jessica. We talk about a bunch of stuff including the fact that her intention for the book was to take advice givers seriously. Check out show notes for this episode, subscribe for regular updates or get in touch via katherinecollette.com or Instagram @katherinecollettewriter.
Jessica Camille Aguirre (@jessicaaguirre) is a freelance journalist and wrote "Watch it Burn" for The Atavist Magazine.In this episode we talk about racking up rejections, voice, and what makes climate stories drag.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSocial: @creativenonfiction podcast on IG and ThreadsSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod
Written into the DNA of American immigration policy, which we tend to regard as a kind of domestic policy - and which in many ways it is - has to do with US foreign policy.Jonathan BlitzerThis episode was made in partnership with the Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy.Proudly sponsored by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Learn more at https://kellogg.nd.eduAccess Episodes Ad-Free on PatreonMake a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.Read Justin Kempf's essay "The Revolution Will Be Podcasted."A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Jonathan Blitzer is a staff writer at The New Yorker. He won a 2017 National Award for Education Reporting for “American Studies,” a story about an underground school for undocumented immigrants. His writing and reporting have also appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, The Atavist, Oxford American, and The Nation. He is an Emerson Fellow at New America. His most recent book is Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:20Personal Experiences - 3:12Immigration and Foreign Policy - 12:25Migration as a Crisis - 31:20Bukele and El Salvador Today - 46:26Key LinksEveryone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis by Jonathan Blitzer“Do I Have to Come Here Injured or Dead?” by Jonathan Blitzer in The New YorkerFollow Jonathan Blitzer on X @JonathanBlitzerDemocracy Paradox PodcastRachel Schwartz on How Guatemala Rose Up Against Democratic BackslidingJoseph Wright and Abel Escribà-Folch on Migration's Potential to Topple DictatorshipsMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracySupport the show
In episode 111 of The Gradient Podcast, Daniel Bashir speaks to Nicholas Thompson.Nicholas is the CEO of The Atlantic. Previously, he served as editor-in-chief of Wired and editor of Newyorker.com. Nick also cofounded Atavist, which sold to Automattic in 2018. Publications under Nick's leadership have won numerous National Magazine Awards and Pulitzer Prizes, and one WIRED story he edited was the basis for the movie Argo. Nick is also the co-founder of Speakeasy AI, a software platform designed to foster constructive online conversations about the world's most pressing problems.Have suggestions for future podcast guests (or other feedback)? Let us know here or reach us at editor@thegradient.pubSubscribe to The Gradient Podcast: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pocket Casts | RSSFollow The Gradient on TwitterOutline:* (00:00) Intro* (02:12) Nick's path into journalism* (03:25) The Washington Monthly — a turning point* (05:09) Perspectives from different positions in the journalism industry* (08:16) What is great journalism?* (09:42) Example from The Atlantic* (11:00) Other examples/pieces of good journalism* (12:20) Pieces on aging* (12:56) Mortality and life-force associated with running — Nick's piece in WIRED* (15:30) On urgency* (18:20) The job of an editor* (22:23) AI in journalism — benefits and limitations* (26:45) How AI can help writers, experimentation* (28:40) Examples of AI in journalism and issues: CNET, Sports Illustrated, Nick's thoughts on how AI should be used in journalism* (32:20) Speakeasy AI and creating healthy conversation spaces* (34:00) Details about Speakeasy* (35:12) Business pivots and business model trouble* (35:37) Remaining gaps in fixing conversational spaces* (38:27) Lessons learned* (40:00) Nick's optimism about Speakeasy-like projects* (43:14) Social simulacra, a “Troll WestWorld,” algorithmic adjustments in social media* (46:11) Lessons and wisdom from journalism about engagement, more on engagement in social media* (50:27) Successful and unsuccessful futures for AI in journalism* (54:17) Previous warnings about synthetic media, Nick's perspective on risks from synthetic media in journalism* (57:00) Stop trying to build AGI(59:13) OutroLinks:* Nicholas's Twitter and website* Speakeasy AI* Writing* “To Run My Best Marathon at Age 44, I Had to Outrun My Past” in WIRED* “The year AI actually changes the media business” in NiemanLab's Predictions for Journalism 2023 Get full access to The Gradient at thegradientpub.substack.com/subscribe
William Ralston is a freelance journalist based out of the UK. In this episode, we talk about his Atavist piece "Mayday."Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSocial: @creativenonfiction podcast on IG and ThreadsSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod
Guest Info/Bio:This week's guest is Sarah Stankorb! Sarah is the author of the book Disobedient Women, which is a culmination of years reporting on women who used the internet to call out abuse within their evangelical communities. It is a book for and about people of faith and those who have walked away. The deeply researched work gives long-overdue recognition to the women who upturned their lives to speak out boldly, even as they were expected to submit and remain silent. Sarah's articles and essays have appeared in publications including The Washington Post Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vogue, Marie Claire, Glamour, O Magazine, Longreads, Catapult, Slate, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The Atavist, CNNMoney, GOOD Magazine, Salon, KIWI, Babble, Geez, The Morning News, DAME Magazine, The Christian Science Monitor, Brain, Child Magazine, Proto, Skirt, Bethesda Magazine, and Cincinnati Magazine. Her beat spans politics, the environment, health, technology, religion and cultural commentary. Guest (select) publications: Disobedient Women: How a Small Group of Faithful Women Exposed Abuse, Brought Down Powerful Pastors, and Ignited an Evangelical Reckoning. Guest Website/Social Media: www.sarahstankorb.com Twitter: @sarahstankorb Instagram: @sarahstankorb TikTok: @sarahstankorb Special Theme Music by: Forrest ClayInstagram: @forrestclaymusic Twitter: @clay_kYouTube: www.youtube.com/claykmusic Songs featured on this episode were from the Recover EPYou can find Clay's music on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, or anywhere good music is found!This episode of the Deconstructionists Podcast was edited, mixed, and produced by John Williamson Stay on top of all of the latest at www.thedeconstructionists.com Go there to check out our blog, snag a t-shirt, or follow us on social media. We have a brand new webstore with faster shipping, new products, new designs, and international shipping! Join our Patreon family here: www.patreon.com/deconstructionists Website by Ryan BattlesAll photos by Jared HevronLogos designed by Joseph Ernst & Stephen PfluigT-shirt designs by Joseph Ernst, Chad Flannigan, Colin Rigsby, and Jason Turner. Our Sponsors:* Check out Factor 75 and use my code deconstruct50 for a great deal: https://www.factor75.com/* Check out HelloFresh and use my code deconstructfree for a great deal: https://www.hellofresh.com/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-deconstructionists/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Guest Info/Bio:This week's guest is Sarah Stankorb! Sarah is the author of the book Disobedient Women, which is a culmination of years reporting on women who used the internet to call out abuse within their evangelical communities. It is a book for and about people of faith and those who have walked away. The deeply researched work gives long-overdue recognition to the women who upturned their lives to speak out boldly, even as they were expected to submit and remain silent. Sarah's articles and essays have appeared in publications including The Washington Post Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vogue, Marie Claire, Glamour, O Magazine, Longreads, Catapult, Slate, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The Atavist, CNNMoney, GOOD Magazine, Salon, KIWI, Babble, Geez, The Morning News, DAME Magazine, The Christian Science Monitor, Brain, Child Magazine, Proto, Skirt, Bethesda Magazine, and Cincinnati Magazine. Her beat spans politics, the environment, health, technology, religion and cultural commentary. Guest (select) publications: Disobedient Women: How a Small Group of Faithful Women Exposed Abuse, Brought Down Powerful Pastors, and Ignited an Evangelical Reckoning. Guest Website/Social Media: www.sarahstankorb.com Twitter: @sarahstankorb Instagram: @sarahstankorb TikTok: @sarahstankorb Special Theme Music by: Forrest ClayInstagram: @forrestclaymusic Twitter: @clay_kYouTube: www.youtube.com/claykmusic Songs featured on this episode were from the Recover EPYou can find Clay's music on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, or anywhere good music is found!This episode of the Deconstructionists Podcast was edited, mixed, and produced by John Williamson Stay on top of all of the latest at www.thedeconstructionists.com Go there to check out our blog, snag a t-shirt, or follow us on social media. We have a brand new webstore with faster shipping, new products, new designs, and international shipping! Join our Patreon family here: www.patreon.com/deconstructionists Website by Ryan BattlesAll photos by Jared HevronLogos designed by Joseph Ernst & Stephen PfluigT-shirt designs by Joseph Ernst, Chad Flannigan, Colin Rigsby, and Jason Turner. Our Sponsors:* Check out Factor 75 and use my code deconstruct50 for a great deal: https://www.factor75.com/* Check out HelloFresh and use my code deconstructfree for a great deal: https://www.hellofresh.com/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-deconstructionists/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
By Jared Samuelson Journalist and author Robert Kolker joins the program to discuss his deep dive for The Atavist into the disaster at Honda Point, the U.S. Navy’s largest peacetime loss of ships. Robert is the author of the New York Times best-selling Lost Girls and Hidden Valley Road. He is a National Magazine Award … Continue reading Sea Control 488 – Disaster at Honda Point with Robert Kolker →
Rae Nudson is a journalist and author and she's on the show to talk about her piece for The Atavist Magazine.We also hear from Atavist editor-in-chief Seyward Darby as we close out 2023.Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSocial: @creativenonfiction podcast on IG and ThreadsSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod
Katya Cengel (@kcengel) is a journalist and author who wrote "The Truth is Out There" for The Atavist Magazine. In this episode we also here from editor Jonah Ogles on: What sets pitches over the top Pitching multiple timesAnd trustKatya takes over and talks about: Untidy endings Earning trust with sources And finding enough 'there' thereNewsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSocial: @creativenonfiction podcast on IG and ThreadsSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod
Recorded 11/3/23. More discussion of Israel/Palestine, this time with a specific article from NBC about "growing concern" within the White House regarding Israel's atrocities against Palestinians Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/trillbillyworkersparty
In "Two Thousand Miles from Home," journalist Lily Hyde chronicles the unbelievable true story of three pregnant women torn apart by war.Lily talks about how she hates every thing she writes, struggling with the invasiveness of journalism, and how she earned the truest of her central figures.Support: Patreon.com/cnfpodShow notes: brendanomeara.comNewsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmSocial: @creativenonfictionpodcast on IG and Threads
Maddy Crowell is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist. Her work has appeared in The Atavist, The Guardian, and Virginia Quarterly Review, among other places. In this episode, we talk about her Columbia Journalism Review piece published earlier this year, "The Hacker." Check out her website for more information on Maddy and her work.
EPISODE 1799: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to M.R. O'Connor, author of IGNITION: LIGHTING FIRES IN A BURNING WORLD, about the life-giving force of fire to regenerate natureM.R. O'Connor is a journalist who writes about the politics and ethics of science, technology, and conservation. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atavist, Slate, Foreign Policy, Nautilus, UnDark and Harper's. Her first book, Resurrection Science: Conservation, De-Extinction and the Precarious Future of Wild Things (St. Martin's Press, 2015), was one of Library Journal and Amazon's Best Books of The Year. Her second book, Wayfinding: The Science and Mystery of How Humans Navigate the World (St. Martin's Press, 2019), is an exploration of navigation traditions, neuroscience, and the diversity of human relationships to space, time and memory. She is a graduate of Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism and was a 2017 Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her partner and their two sons.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.
Nicholas Thompson is the CEO at The Atlantic. Nick brings editorial expertise from Wired and Newyorker.com. He boosted digital subscriptions at Wired by 300% after implementing paywalls. Thompson co-founded Atavist, authored "The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War," and covers topics like Facebook scandals and marathon running. On The Menu: 1. Strategies for ensuring The Atlantic's relevance and growth in the digital age 2. The transition to consumer revenue: The Atlantic's path to sustainability 3. Targeting new subscribers: Geographic expansion strategies. 4. Addressing bias in AI algorithms 5. The use of AI in The Atlantic's operations: Current and future applications 6. Digitizing and monetizing historical content: The Atlantic's archive project 7. OpenAI's rise over Google in attracting top AI talent and implications for the future
Tom Donaghy explored the murder of the "Fudge King" of Ocean City for The Atavist Magazine.Support: Patreon.com/cnfpodShow notes: brendanomeara.comNewsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmSponsor: Liquid IV, promo code cnf
Robert Kolker is the best selling author of Hidden Valley Road and Lost Girls. He's on the show to talk about his Atavist piece "Dead Reckoning."Newsletter: ragegainstthealgorithm.beehiiv.com/subscribeShow notes: brendanomeara.comSocial: @CNFPod and @creativenonfictionpodcastSponsor: Liquid IV, promo code cnfSuds: Athletic Brewing, promo BRENDANO20
On the eve of the storm, Scott, Alissa, and Rachel discuss the region's preparations for Hurricane Hilary, the first tropical storm to make landfall in LA since 1939. Plus, more union workers join LA's summer of solidarity, and the oh-so-swift response to a rash of smash grabs-slash-flash robs at local malls. But first, Rachel gets personal, and content warning, a conversation about child sexual abuse, rape, and grooming in an LAUSD school takes place from 12 minutes to 33 minutes if you want to skip that part."Fault Lines," Seyward Darby's story for The Atavist on systemic abuse at Cleveland High SchoolSeyward Darby discussing her story on 818s and HeartbreakResources from RAINN, the U.S.'s largest anti-sexual violence organizationThe law firm representing all Jane Does from Cleveland High School"Why 1 in 5 jobs in LA City government are vacant," from CD 13's newsletterGustavo Arellano on the solidarity between unions during LA's hot labor summerTuesday, August 22 is a national day of labor solidarity, find a picket near you
Lucy Sexton and Joe Sexton, father and daughter, team up for this braided piece for The Atavist titled "Held Together."Newsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpodSuds: Athletic Brewing.com, promo code BRENDANO20
Carlos Barragan is a journalist and MFA student at the Columbia School of Journalism and his piece for The Atavist is "The Romance Scammer on My Sofa."Substack: Rage Against the AlgorithmSponsor: Liquid IV, promo code cnfShow notes: brendanomeara.comSuds: Athletic Brewing, promo code BRENDANO20
In 1910 America, residents of the southeastern states were facing down two major problems: a shortage of meat, and an invasive plant that was threatening fishing, shipping, and recreation. Luckily, a Louisiana official and two 'experts' had just the solution: hippo ranching. On this episode, we're talking water hyacinths and hippopotamuses, as well as cocaine, meatpacking, lake-cow bacon, and some of the most colorful characters we've ever discussed. Help keep this show ad-free AND get access to our magnificent monthly bonus episodes on our Patreon! Sources for this episode include: "American Hippopotamus" by J. Mooallam for The Atavist, 2013 “How the U.S. Almost Became a Nation of Hippo Ranchers” S. Parks for Smithsonian, 2023 "The true story of when Congress almost released wild hippos into the Louisiana bayou", M. Rosza for Salon, 2022 "The Crazy, Ingenious Plan to Bring Hippopotamus Ranching to America", G. Miller for Wired, 2013 “A Dangerous Beauty” Army Corps of Engineers
Anna Altman is a freelance journalist. This is her second time writing for The Atavist. Substack: Rage Against the AlgorithmSocial: @CNFPodShow notes: brendanomeara.comSupport: patreon.com/cnfpodSuds: Athletic Brewing, use BRENDANO20 at checkout
Eric Pape (@ericpape) is a freelance journalist and journalism instructor. In this conversation, Eric talks about his piece for The Atavist Magazine. We also hear from editor-in-chief of The Atavist Seyward Darby.Social: @CNFPodSubstack: rageagainstthealgorithm.substack.comSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpodShow notes: brendanomeara.com
Shannon McCaffrey (@shannonajc1) is the author and reporter behind "Sanctuary," a love story of sorts, for this month's issue of The Atavist. We also hear from Atavist editor-in-chief Seyward Darby (@seywarddarby). Social: @CNFPod Support: Patreon.com/cnfpod Show notes: brendanomeara.com Substack: rageagainstthealgorithm.substack.com Beer discount: athleticbrewing.com, enter code BRENDANO20 at checkout.
Nile Cappello (@liketheriver_) returns to talk about her Atavist piece for Feb. 2023. Social: @CNFPod Show notes/Newsletter: brendanomeara.com Support: Patreon.com/cnfpod
Madeline Bodin is the writer behind "The Curious Case of Nebraska Man" for the Atavist Magazine. Social: @CNFPod Support: Patreon.com/cnfpod Show notes/Newsletter: brendanomeara.com N/A Beer Discount: Visit athleticbrewing.com, enter BRENDANO20 at checkout
Sarah Souli is a freelance journalist whose piece "A Matter of Honor" was this month's Atavist Magazine feature. Social: @CNFPod Support: Patreon.com/cnfpod Show notes/newsletter: brendanomeara.com
Nicholas Thompson is the CEO of The Atlantic and the former editor-in-chief of WIRED. Under his leadership, WIRED won numerous awards for design and reporting and launched a highly successful paywall. Thompson also wrote many features for the publication, including two cover stories on Facebook that have been cited multiple times in Congress. Thompson is a former contributor to CBS News, where he regularly appeared on CBS This Morning and CBS Sunday Morning. He is a cofounder of The Atavist, a National Magazine Award–winning digital publication and multimedia content management system that was sold to WordPress in 2018. Thompson previously served as editor of NewYorker.com. Before The New Yorker, Thompson was a senior editor at WIRED, where he assigned and edited the story that was the basis for the Oscar-winning film Argo. In 2009, his book “The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War” was published to critical acclaim. Thompson has long been a competitive runner; in 2021, he set the American record for men 45+ in the 50K race and is currently ranked as one of the top 10 masters marathoners in the world. Nick had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include: “I try to do my best within all the limitations of how darn hard it is to be a good parent” (10:30). “In some ways, [being a CEO and being a parent] are the opposite” (10:50). “My job as a CEO is to try to drive the organization in the best direction based on our most important values” (10:50). “I'm driving things more as a CEO, and as a father I'm supporting more and trying to help them find their way” (11:30). “My job is to make the business as successful as possible, as innovative as possible, as future-proofed as possible, so that we can sustain that mission of the magazine that's existed since 1857” (13:35). “We are open to a much broader range of opinions than our peer publications” (15:40). “I'm trying to develop a new platform for conversations that will allow people… to increase empathy” (18:20). “You start with the assumption you're going to do the absolute best content. You're going to do the best content you're capable of, and then you build the business model around that. You don't do that the other way around” (31:35). “Journalism is not a profession for people who are economically motivated” (32:15). “I got into journalism kind of by accident… I fell into it” (33:40). “You can come to something thinking about the right things, and then propose a solution that doesn't actually make things better” (37:55). “I look at every piece of data on every story” (43:15). “There's a period in the process of the creation of a story that is sacred and should not be touched by the people who care about the analytics, and that is the process from when the story is assigned to when the words in the story are finished” (43:40). “Being a good editor requires being able to juggle a whole bunch of things at the same time” (45:30). “The adrenaline flow of being a CEO is very different than the adrenaline flow of being a writer or being an editor” (47:00). “I've always been hyper-curious, which is something that's good for a writer. I meet someone new and I'm curious about who they are and what they do” (48:40). “[As a CEO], you have to be curious about how everything in your business works because you have to master it” (49:20). “I'm learning a lot, but am I getting smarter?” (50:15). “Running gives me a connection to the outside world, to the natural world” (54:20). “The discipline it takes to be a good runner rubs off on the discipline it takes to do well at work” (55:00). “You learn lessons while you're running” (55:05). “[Running and playing the guitar] are the two things I do in my life that are the most meditative” (57:00). “Making sure you're balancing the needs of the moment with the needs of the future is one of the great challenges of being a CEO” (1:01:10). Additionally, you can find Nick's website here, and you can also follow him on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. I'd also encourage you to check out Nick's book, The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War, which you can purchase anywhere books are sold. Thank you so much to Nick for coming on the podcast! I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening.
J.B. MacKinnon is a freelance writer based out of Vancouver, BC. His piece, "True Grit," appears in the November issue of the Atavist Magazine. Social: @CNFPod Support: Patreon.com/cnfpod Show notes/newsletter: brendanomeara.com
Cassidy Randall (@cassidyjrandall) is a freelance writer based out of Montana and she is October's featured Atavist writer. Social: @CNFPod Support: Patreon.com/cnfpod Show notes/newsletter: brendanomeara.com Beer Discount!: athleticbrewing.com, promo code BRENDANO20
This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were reunited to hash through the week's national security news, including: “A Thousand and One Arabian Flights.” President Biden is conducting his first official visit to the Middle East this week with the stated goal of building ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, beginning with more direct airline routes. Why this sudden high-profile engagement and what does Biden hope it will yield?“Loose Bannon.” Trump ally Steve Bannon has signaled that he may be willing to speak to the Jan. 6th committee after all, just as his contempt trial for refusing to do so gets under way and a disagreement between the former president's lawyers and his own regarding whether he can invoke executive privilege goes public. What does this all mean for his legal future?“Crossing the International Hate Line.” FBI Director Chris Wray and his U.K. counterpart recently made a joint statement on the growing international ties between violent right-wing nationalist movements in various Western countries. What could this mean for counterterrorism strategy moving forward? For object lessons, Alan recommended his latest favorite show about an old spy, "The Old Man." Quinta brought a blast from the past with a tech review by Mark Twain, who gave The Atlantic an account of his first telephonic conversation. And Scott recommended a recent piece in The Atavist on young Vladimir Putin's ties to neo-Nazi groups while handling spies for the USSR. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Rainer Sonntag was just your run-of-the-mill, anti-state East German petty criminal—until a black ops team headed by then-KGB agent Vladimir Putin helped turn him into one of Europe's leading neo-Nazi leaders. When the Berlin Wall fell, Putin fled to Saint Petersburg and Sonntag returned to his hometown of Dresden. There he led a gang of skinhead thugs to shake down and beat up foreigners. But when he targeted a downtown brothel, things got bloody real quick. Then he and Putin's legacies really began. Read more about Putin, Sonntag and their violent rises to power in Sean's story for The Atavist, "Follow the Leader" - https://magazine.atavist.com/follow-the-leader-nazi-putin-sonntag-cold-war/