Ari Melber

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Stephen A. Smith, host of ESPN's First Take, host of the Know Mercy Podcast, and author of the new book "Straight Shooter", a memoir of his life and career. Smith dishes on everything: his incredible career, how to make it in the media industry, being friends with Fox News hosts, the Dominion lawsuit, Tucker Carlson's Jan. 6 coverage, Don Lemon's "prime" comments, his personal style, and whether he sees a future in late night comedy or political office. This episode is hosted by Aidan McLaughlin with production assistance from Alyona Uvarova.

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Outkick founder Clay Travis about the success of his sports and politics site, selling to Fox Corporation, hosting Rush Limbaugh's old timeslot, wading into politics, running afoul of Covid fact-checkers, the legacy of Trump after the Jan. 6 riot, and what he makes of the 2024 presidential race. This episode is hosted by Aidan McLaughlin with production assistance from Alyona Uvarova.

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with New York Times reporters James B. Stewart and Rachel Abrams about their new book "Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy." The book pulls back the curtain on the shocking - and lurid - tale of media titan Sumner Redstone. They discuss how Paramount Global, a vast media empire including Paramount, CBS, Showtime, MTV, and Nickelodeon, nearly fell apart thanks to the lurid personal life of its owner and infighting between those vying to be his heir - including Shari Redstone, his daughter.

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with CNN senior crime and justice correspondent Shimon Prokupecz. Over the last 8 months Prokupecz has been covering one story more than any other: the horrific mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. There remain unanswered questions about the shooting and the police response to it, questions Prokupecz has been working tirelessly to answer. They discuss the fight for truth in Uvalde, covering mass shootings across America, and Prokupecz's career at CNN.

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with CBS News congressional correspondent Scott MacFarlane about Kevin McCarthy's dramatic battle to become the next Speaker of the House of Representatives. McLaughlin and MacFarlane discuss the five long days of McCarthy's nightmare-turned-triumph, what it was like covering the drama on the House floor, what's next for the new Congress, and the anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Steve Kornacki, MSNBC's data guru, who will be manning the "Big Board" once again for the 2022 midterm elections. They discuss what to expect from the most consequential election since the last one and how Kornacki prepares for his marathon coverage. They also talk his podcast, "The Revolution With Steve Kornacki," which examines how the 1994 midterms paved the way for our current political climate.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Stephen Gutowski, founder of The Reload, about the state of gun violence and gun control in the country. They discuss his new gig at CNN, what's going on at the NRA, and what the media gets wrong when it covers firearms.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with New York Times writer-at-large Jim Rutenberg about the vast media empire of Rupert Murdoch. Rutenberg is the co-author of an extensive Times investigation into the Murdoch family that was published in 2019. That report was turned into a documentary - "The Murdochs: Empire of Influence" - for which Rutenberg served as consulting producer and is now airing Sundays at 9 p.m. on CNN. McLaughlin and Rutenberg discuss the future of the Murdoch empire, how the family handles the profit and controversy machine that is Fox News, and how the documentary came to life.

Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Margaret Sullivan, the veteran journalist who, until August, served as media columnist for the Washington Post. Before joining The Post, she was the public editor of the New York Times and before that the top editor of the Buffalo News. McLaughlin and Sullivan discuss how media covers threats to democracy, the power of Fox News, CNN's new path, and drama plaguing major outlets like the Post and the Times. Sullivan is out with a new book in October, "Newsroom Confidential: Lessons (and Worries) from an Ink-Stained Life", chronicling her 42 years in the newspaper business.

Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Cody Keenan, chief speechwriter to President Barack Obama during his second term in office, about his new book. "Grace: President Obama And Ten Days In The Battle For America" recounts 10 days in 2015, a shocking period of tragedy and progress that started with the horrific mass shooting at a Black church in Charleston, South Carolina and ended with the Supreme Court upholding marriage equality and much of the Affordable Care Act. McLaughlin and Keenan discuss writing for Obama, how the former president reacted to the rise of Trump, and what he thinks of Biden's approach to the opposition.