This weekend I had the great pleasure of interviewing my friend Matt Taibbi.
Taibbi is the head of Racket News and his reputation as a fearless investigative journalist precedes him. From his groundbreaking coverage of the 2008 financial crisis to his more recent explorations of censorship with the Twitter Files, politics, systemic inequality and the inner workings of Congress, Taibbi's body of work reflects a deep commitment to uncovering truths and challenging conventional narratives.
In our interview this weekend, we discussed:
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The shift in media landscape toward independent journalism.
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The results of the 2024 Presidential Election
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The evolving and extreme rhetoric in political media coverage.
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Legal and ethical challenges mainstream media faces with libel and reporting accuracy.
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Trust erosion in mainstream media and its implications.
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Misrepresentation and consequences of media bias in election reporting.
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The impact of identity politics on voter demographics and electoral outcomes.
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Concerns over institutional accountability in censorship and government actions.
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The missing $1 trillion at the Pentagon every year
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Escalation in the Russia/Ukraine war before President Biden leaves office
The Rise of Independent Media
Taibbi began by reflecting on his fondness for platforms like Substack, which have provided a haven for writers marginalized by corporate media. “We need a space for independent writers,” he said. “This company has been good about protecting free speech, and it’s shown that it can work financially for certain kinds of figures.”
