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Citations Needed Podcast: all episodes' AI transcripts and summaries

· 65 min read

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Podcast: Citations Needed

Citations Needed

Description: Citations Needed is a podcast about the intersection of media, PR, and power, hosted by Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson.

Category: Society & Culture News

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Ep 214: Fake Ceasefire Talks and Feigned 'Concern': How US Media Helped Distance Biden From the Gaza Genocide AI transcript and summary - episode of podcast Citations Needed

· 69 min read

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Episode: Ep 214: Fake Ceasefire Talks and Feigned 'Concern': How US Media Helped Distance Biden From the Gaza Genocide

Ep 214: Fake Ceasefire Talks and Feigned 'Concern': How US Media Helped Distance Biden From the Gaza Genocide

Author: Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson
Duration: 01:13:20

Episode Shownotes

"White House frustrated by Israel's onslaught but sees few options," reports the Washington Post. "White House cancels meeting, scolds Netanyahu in protest over video," announces Axios. "Biden Works Against the Clock as Violence Escalates in the Middle East," asserts The New York Times. Since Oct. 7, 2023, we've heard seemingly

endlessly that the Biden White House disagrees with the violence in Gaza, but can't do anything to stop it. A number of hindrances frustrate the administration, we're told. There are limits to the United States’ influence and power. President Biden is furious and anguished at Israeli leadership. The administration is working around the clock toward a ceasefire, which — we are repeatedly told — will come any day now. But, as everyone from the Brookings Institution to the Financial Times to Israeli officials and generals themselves make clear: Biden has been able to, and still can, end Israel's genocidal onslaught whenever he wants. The US has dispositive leverage over Israel, leverage Biden has repeatedly––and openly––ruled out using. The stark reality is that Biden simply doesn't want to stop Israel and, while he may have complaints about the excesses and PR around the margins, he largely agrees with the outlines of Israel’s destruction of Gaza. To obscure this central fact, US media has now spent over a year pushing out three White House and Israeli-curated media genres of hand-wringing deflection: (1) Helpless Biden, (2) Fuming/Deeply Concerned Biden, and (3) Third Partying. On this episode, as Biden is set to step down next month, we will go over the media's legacy of covering for the President for 15 months, examine these fictitious reporting genres designed to distance him from the carnage in Gaza, and look at how they worked tirelessly to minimize responsibility and absolve US officials from their involvement in a genocide being live-streamed for over a year. Our guest is journalist Dalia Hatuqa.

Full Transcript

00:00:03 Speaker_02
This is Citations Needed with Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson.

Episode 213: The Shallow, Power-Flattering Appeal of High Status #Resistance Historians AI transcript and summary - episode of podcast Citations Needed

· 72 min read

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Episode: Episode 213: The Shallow, Power-Flattering Appeal of High Status #Resistance Historians

Episode 213: The Shallow, Power-Flattering Appeal of High Status #Resistance Historians

Author: Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson
Duration: 01:19:41

Episode Shownotes

"The Bad Guys Are Winning," wrote Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic in 2021. "The War on History Is a War on Democracy," warned Timothy Snyder in The New York Times, also in 2021. "The GOP has found a Putin-lite to fawn over. That's bad news for democracy," argued Ruth Ben-Ghiat

on MSNBC the following year, 2022. Within the last 10 years or so, and especially since the 2016 election of Trump, these authors — Anne Applebaum, Timothy Snyder, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, in addition to several others — have become liberal-friendly experts on authoritarianism. On a regular basis, they make appearances on cable news and in the pages of legacy newspapers and magazines–in some cases, as staff members–in order to warn of how individual, one-off “strongmen” like Trump, Putin, Orban, and Xi, made up a vague “authoritarian” axis hellbent on destroying Democracy for its own sake. But what good does this framing do and who does it absolve? Instead of meaningfully contending with US's sprawling imperial power and internal systems of oppression — namely being the largest carceral state in the world — these MSNBC historians reheat decades-old Axis of Evil or Cold War good vs evil rhetoric, pinning the horrors of centuries of political violence on individual "mad men." Meanwhile, they selectively invoke the "authoritarian" label, fretting about the need to save some abstract notion of democracy from geopolitical Bad Guys while remaining silent as the US funds, arms and backs the most authoritarian process imaginable — the immiseration and destruction of an entire people — specifically in Gaza. On this episode, we look at the advent and influence of MSNBC-approved historians, dissecting their selective anti-authoritarian posture and discussing how their work does little more than polish their careers and provide cover for US and US-allied militarism. Our guest is historian and author Greg Grandin.

Full Transcript

00:00:03 Speaker_03
This is Citations Needed with Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson.

Episode 212: Gaza and the Political Utility of Selective Empathy AI transcript and summary - episode of podcast Citations Needed

· 71 min read

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Episode: Episode 212: Gaza and the Political Utility of Selective Empathy

Episode 212: Gaza and the Political Utility of Selective Empathy

Author: Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson
Duration: 01:15:50

Episode Shownotes

"Salvadoran Ties Bloodshed To a 'Culture of Violence'", reported The New York Times in 1981. "The violence in Lebanon is casual, random, and probably addicting," stated the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in 1985. "Muslim life is cheap, most notably to Muslims," wrote long-time New Republic publisher and editor-in-chief Marty Peretz in 2010.

There’s a recurring theme within media coverage of subjugated people in the US and around the world: they’re mindlessly, inherently savage. Whether the subject is immigrants from Central and South America, Black populations in major American cities, or people in Lebanon or Palestine, we’re repeatedly told that any violence they may be subjected to or carry out themselves is inevitable, purposeless, and baked into their "culture." The pathologizing of violence in certain racialized communities is one side of the coin. The other side of the coin, which reinforces this notion, is the equally sinister concept of selective empathy. It’s a conditional sense of compassion, reserved for victims who media deem deserving—say, Ukrainian victims of Russia’s invasion—and not for those who media deem undeserving, like Palestinians under siege by Israel in Gaza. What motivates this asymmetry, and how does it shape public understandings of suffering throughout the world? How is empathy as a form of media currency central to getting the public to care about victims of certain violence, while a lack of empathy––and even worse, pathologizing violence in certain communities––conditions the public to not care about those whose deaths those in power would rather not talk about, much less humanize. In this episode, we look at the concept of selective empathy in media coverage, examining how it continues centuries-old campaigns of dehumanization – particularly against Arab, Black, and Latino people – bifurcates victims of global violence into the deserving and the undeserving, and influences contemporary opinion on everything from pain tolerance to criminal-legal policy. Our guest is Dr. Muhannad Ayyash.

Summary

In Episode 212 of 'Citations Needed,' Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson explore the theme of selective empathy in media narratives surrounding violence against marginalized communities such as Palestinians, Black individuals, and immigrants. The episode critiques the disparity in coverage, revealing how victims from certain racialized groups are often dehumanized while others receive compassion. Insights from Dr. Muhannad Ayyash highlight how this selective empathy reinforces systemic biases, presenting violence as inherent to specific communities and ignoring crucial historical and structural contexts. Ultimately, the episode calls for a reevaluation of narrative control in media to foster a more equitable understanding of victimhood and suffering.

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00:00:03 Speaker_02
This is Citations Needed with Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson.

News Brief: Elite Media, Dems Blame 'Woke', 'Headwinds'––Everyone But Themselves––for Trump Win, AI transcript and summary - episode of podcast Citations Needed

· 34 min read

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Episode: News Brief: Elite Media, Dems Blame 'Woke', 'Headwinds'––Everyone But Themselves––for Trump Win,"

News Brief: Elite Media, Dems Blame 'Woke', 'Headwinds'––Everyone But Themselves––for Trump Win,"

Author: Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson
Duration: 00:32:51

Episode Shownotes

In this pubic News Brief, we detail the usual scapegoats for party, pundit, and press failure to stem the tide of ascendant fascism.

Summary

In this episode, hosts Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson analyze the tendency of elite media, pundits, and the Democratic Party to scapegoat external factors like 'wokeness' and economic 'headwinds' for electoral failures, specifically following Kamala Harris's campaign. They critique this blame deflection, urging a need for self-reflection and accountability regarding the party's own shortcomings, such as a lack of progressive policies and real engagement with voter concerns. This recurring dynamic in political discourse highlights the dangers of ignoring deeper systemic issues while reinforcing a corporate-driven strategy that neglects the working class.

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Full Transcript

00:00:04 Speaker_01
Welcome to a Citations Needed News Brief. I am Nima Shirazi. I'm Adam Johnson. You can follow the show on Twitter at Citations Pod, Facebook, Citations Needed, and become a supporter of the show through patreon.com slash citations needed podcast.

Episode 211: Bari Weiss, The 'University' of Austin, and the Silicon Valley-Funded Faux-Iconoclast Media Industry AI transcript and summary - episode of podcast Citations Needed

· 63 min read

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Episode: Episode 211: Bari Weiss, The 'University' of Austin, and the Silicon Valley-Funded Faux-Iconoclast Media Industry

Episode 211: Bari Weiss, The 'University' of Austin, and the Silicon Valley-Funded Faux-Iconoclast Media Industry

Author: Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson
Duration: 01:04:50

Episode Shownotes

The PC Police Outlaw Make-Believe." "Meet the Renegades of the Intellectual Dark Web." "The Roots of Campus Hatred." "End DEI." These articles all have something in common: they were written by Bari Weiss. Weiss, the New York Times opinion editor and columnist turned horseshoe theorist media proprietor, has made a

name for herself as a victim, and enemy, of that perennial right-wing bogeyman: so-called wokeness. For over a decade now, Weiss has taken to the pages of major news media to complain, vilified — and sometimes target — college kids and protesters who won’t let her and the fascistic company she keeps, Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, and the like, speak their minds as loudly and publicly as possible. There is, of course, a comical level of irony here. Amid her claims of being silenced and repressed by a hostile left, Weiss has been paid to voice her opinions in legacy paper after legacy paper and been given millions by venture capital firms to start her own media company, The Free Press, and her so-called "university," the University of Austin. And despite her insistence that mainstream institutions are too intolerant of heterodox views like hers, she's warmly embraced on CNN broadcasts, in the pages of her former employer, The New York Times, and has been given glowing profiles in Vanity Fair, Los Angeles Magazine, Ha'aretz, The Information, and the Financial Times. On this episode, we discuss the rise of Bari Weiss Silicon Valley-funded media empire, the trope of the Iconoclast rebel, truth-telling media lightening rod with banal conservative political positions, and the broader, seemingly uniquely American psychological need, and branding convention, for people with 95% boilerplate rightwing positions to see themselves as persecuted outsiders who don’t fit into any labels. Our guest is Discourse Blog's Katherine Krueger.

Full Transcript

00:00:03 Speaker_01
This is Citations Needed with Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson. Welcome to Citations Needed, a podcast on the media, power, PR, and the history of bullshit. I am Nima Shirazi. I'm Adam Johnson.

Episode 210: Seller's Inflation and the Super Serious Economists Mocking Greedflation Conspiracies AI transcript and summary - episode of podcast Citations Needed

· 67 min read

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Episode: Episode 210: Seller's Inflation and the Super Serious Economists Mocking "Greedflation" "Conspiracies"

Episode 210: Seller's Inflation and the Super Serious Economists Mocking "Greedflation" "Conspiracies"

Author: Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson
Duration: 01:18:13

Episode Shownotes

"An inflation conspiracy theory is infecting the Democratic Party," The Washington Post frets. "'Greedflation' is a nonsense idea," The Economist insists. "Harris' plan to stop price gouging could create more problems than it solves," CNN warns. Over the last few years, as the prices of groceries, cars, and other necessities

have risen, often dramatically, leading news outlets and influential pundits have claimed that these rising prices are simply a matter of supply and demand. Corporations aren't taking advantage of inflation, we’re told; they're simply responding to it. If materials are in short supply, or if there’s a surge in demand, retailers have no choice but to raise prices to control production flows and costs. Likewise, if prices of goods are significantly higher, then the people who want those goods enough to pay higher prices can still have them. But these pat arguments don't hold up to scrutiny. Since the most recent round of inflation began, multiple studies have shown that corporations are indeed taking advantage of inflation, using tactics like price gouging to boost profits while creating barriers to quality food, medication, and other essentials. So what explains this discrepancy? On this episode, we examine the tendency of media to defend corporate price-gouging and other inflationary maneuvers, how high status pundits and Serious Economists critique the White House from the right on this issue and condescend to anyone who might be even slightly suspicious that corporations are animated by something other than just the Invisible Hand, painting them as wacko conspiracy theorist who simply need to take the vaulted "Econ 101." Our guest is the Revolving Door Project's Dylan Gyauch-Lewis.

Summary

In Episode 210 of 'Citations Needed', hosts Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson tackle the inflation narrative, critiquing how corporate price gouging is often overlooked in favor of blaming external factors like labor and government spending. They argue that mainstream economists dismiss 'greedflation' as a conspiracy theory, despite evidence that corporations have significantly raised prices to enhance profits during times of economic turmoil. The episode emphasizes the role of concentrated markets in driving up prices and critiques the portrayal of those questioning these practices as conspiracy theorists.

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Full Transcript

00:00:03 Speaker_00
This is Citations Needed with Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson. Welcome to Citations Needed, a podcast on the media, power, PR, and the history of bullshit. I'm Nima Shirazi. I'm Adam Johnson.

News Brief: Harris' Mid 2000s Neocon Re-Brand and Centrist Voters as Free Real Estate AI transcript and summary - episode of podcast Citations Needed

· 32 min read

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Episode: News Brief: Harris' Mid 2000s Neocon Re-Brand and Centrist Voters as Free Real Estate

News Brief: Harris' Mid 2000s Neocon Re-Brand and Centrist Voters as Free Real Estate

Author: Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson
Duration: 00:33:12

Episode Shownotes

In this News Brief, we discuss the Democratic nominee's overt embrace of conservative policy and politicians and the widespread, unchecked assumption that tracking right has zero electoral trade-offs.

Summary

In this episode, hosts Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson explore Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, highlighting her alignments with neoconservatism and endorsements from controversial Republican figures. They analyze the risks associated with courting conservative voters, drawing parallels to Hillary Clinton’s strategies. The discourse extends to U.S. foreign policy, particularly around Israel and Iran, noting the complexities of voter alienation among progressives and younger demographics. As the election approaches, potential negotiations with Republicans and the implications of this strategy for the Democratic identity are critically examined.

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Full Transcript

00:00:04 Speaker_01
Welcome to a Citations Needed News Brief. I'm Nima Shirazi. I'm Adam Johnson. You can follow the show on Twitter at Citations Pod, Facebook Citations Needed, and become a supporter of the show through patreon.com slash citations needed podcast.

Episode 209: Popularism and the Poll-Driven Democrat as Cover for Conservative Policy Preferences AI transcript and summary - episode of podcast Citations Needed

· 59 min read

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Episode: Episode 209: Popularism and the "Poll-Driven" Democrat as Cover for Conservative Policy Preferences

Episode 209: Popularism and the "Poll-Driven" Democrat as Cover for Conservative Policy Preferences

Author: Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson
Duration: 01:00:50

Episode Shownotes

"Calls for Transforming Police Run Into Realities of Governing in Minnesota," cautioned The New York Times in 2020. "Democrats Face Pressure on Crime From a New Front: Their Base," claimed the paper of record again, in 2022. "How Biden’s recent actions on immigration could address a major issue voters have

with him," announced PBS NewsHour, republishing the Associated Press, in 2024. There’s a common ethos in Democratic politics: Do what’s popular. In recent years, a certain class of political pundits and consultants have been championing so-called “popularism,” the principle that political candidates should emphasize the issues that poll well, in everything from healthcare to labor, policing to foreign policy––and deemphasize, or sometimes outright ignore, the ones that don’t. It seems reasonable and democratic for elected officials to pay close attention to the will of the public–and, in many cases, it is. But it’s not always this simple. Far too often, the leading proponents of popularism, chief among them Matt Yglesias and David Shor, only apply the concept when it suits a conservative agenda, ignoring, for example, that 74% of American voters suppor​t “increasing funding for child care,” 72% of Americans want to expand Social Security 71% of Americans support government funded universal pre-K. 69% of Americans support Medicare for All and so on and so on. More often than not, leftwing agenda items that poll very well are never mentioned meanwhile that which polls well AND aligns with the interests of Wall Street and other monied interests, we are told is of utmost urgent priority. It’s a phenomenon we’re calling on this show Selective Popularism, the selective use of polling and generic notions of popularity to push already existing rightwing and centrist agendas without needing to do the messy work of ideologically defending them. On this episode, we look at the development and implementation of Selective Popularism, exploring how this convenient political pseudo-analysis launders the advocacy and enactment of reactionary policy as a mere reflection of what the "people" demand. Our guest is journalist, writer and host of Jacobin's The Dig podcast, Daniel Denvir.

Summary

In Episode 209 of 'Citations Needed', hosts Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson discuss the concept of 'Selective Popularism', where polling data is strategically utilized to promote conservative policies while ignoring leftist issues that have public backing. Guest Daniel Denvir helps explore how political actors frame reactionary stances as responding to public sentiment. The episode critiques practices from political consultants that prioritize corporate interests over genuine voter needs, highlighting the manufactured nature of consent in political discourse.

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Full Transcript

00:00:03 Speaker_01
This is Citations Needed with Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson. Welcome to Citations Needed, a podcast on the media, power, PR, and the history of bullshit. I'm Nima Shirazi.

Episode 208: How US Media Repackages Pro-Police Policies as Reform AI transcript and summary - episode of podcast Citations Needed

· 76 min read

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Episode: Episode 208: How US Media Repackages Pro-Police Policies as "Reform"

Episode 208: How US Media Repackages Pro-Police Policies as "Reform"

Author: Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson
Duration: 01:20:32

Episode Shownotes

“Citizens to Aid Police in New Program,” reported the Los Angeles Times in 1975. “Community Policing: Law Enforcement Returns to Its Roots,” declared the Chicago Tribune in 1994. “Obama Calls for Changes in Policing After Task Force Report,” announced The New York Times in 2015. Periodically, US officials propose some

type of police “reform,” usually after a period of widespread protest against ongoing racist police violence. Police, we’re told, will improve their own performance and relationships with the public with a few tweaks: better training on use-of-force and equipment, upgraded technology like body cameras and shooting simulators, and deeper integration into the “community.” But, every time a new “reform” is introduced, it almost always serves as justification for bigger police-department budgets and fawning media coverage over police, painting the image of a scrappy force for public safety that just doesn’t have the right training and resources. Meanwhile, levels of police harassment and police violence remain the same, and, in many cases, even increase. Indeed, 2023 was the worst year for fatal police shootings in decades despite – or perhaps because of – all the post-Ferguson “reforms." On this episode, the Season 8 Premiere of Citations Needed, we’ll discuss the media-enabled phenomenon of how pro-police narratives, programs and budget bloating busy work are spun as “reform,” how they are used to stem public anger and placate squishy politicians and nonprofits, and look at the decades-old practice of turning public opposition to, and victimization from, US policing into an opportunity to expand and enrich the security state. Our guest is civil rights attorney Alec Karakatsanis. ** Alec Karakatsanis (@equalityAlec) is a civil rights attorney and the founder of Civil Rights Corps. He is the author of Alec’s Copaganda Newsletter, the book Usual Cruelty: The Complicity of Lawyers in the Criminal Injustice System (The New Press, 2019), the Yale Journal of Law & Liberation study “The Body Camera: The Language of our Dreams,” and the forthcoming book, Copaganda: How Police and the Media Manipulate Our News, which will be published early next year by The New Press.

Summary

In Episode 208 of 'Citations Needed,' hosts Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson examine how U.S. media frames pro-police initiatives as 'reform' following protests against police violence, often resulting in budget increases for police departments rather than substantive changes. Despite claims of reform, the episode highlights the rise in fatal police shootings in 2023, illustrating the failure of these initiatives. Featuring civil rights attorney Alec Karakatsanis, the discussion emphasizes the problematic narratives surrounding police accountability and the expansion of the security state under the guise of community engagement and reform efforts.

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Full Transcript

00:00:03 Speaker_08
This is Citations Needed with Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson. Welcome to Citations Needed, a podcast on the media, power, PR, and the history of bullshit. I am Nima Shirazi. I'm Adam Johnson.

News Brief: Media Incitement Against Haitian Migrants and JD Vance's Standpoint Theory for Bigoted Dopes AI transcript and summary - episode of podcast Citations Needed

· 21 min read

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Episode: News Brief: Media Incitement Against Haitian Migrants and JD Vance's Standpoint Theory for Bigoted Dopes

News Brief: Media Incitement Against Haitian Migrants and JD Vance's Standpoint Theory for Bigoted Dopes

Author: Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson
Duration: 00:18:57

Episode Shownotes

In this public News Brief, we examine rightwing media's shameful incitement campaign against Haitian migrants and J.D. Vance's smarmy, grating rhetorical tactic of blaming nameless "constituents" for his stoking of a hate mob.

Summary

In this episode of 'Citations Needed', Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson explore the alarming media incitement against Haitian migrants, particularly led by political figures like J.D. Vance. They examine how xenophobic and racist narratives are fabricated to demonize these immigrants, leading to real societal threats. The hosts highlight Vance's rhetorical tactics, which manipulate constituency concerns to justify bigoted rhetoric, emphasizing the dangers of selective media framing that associates crime with ethnic identity. The episode critiques Vance’s deceptive populism that perpetuates harmful stereotypes while undermining factual discourse, revealing the broader implications of this media-influenced bigotry.

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Full Transcript

00:00:04 Speaker_01
Welcome to a Citations Needed news brief. I'm Nima Shirazi. I'm Adam Johnson. You can follow Citations Needed on Twitter at Citations Pod, Facebook Citations Needed and become a supporter of the show through patreon.com slash citations needed podcast.

4 Talking Points Used to Smear DNC Gaza Protesters—And Why They’re Bogus AI transcript and summary - episode of podcast Citations Needed

· 33 min read

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Episode: 4 Talking Points Used to Smear DNC Gaza Protesters—And Why They’re Bogus

4 Talking Points Used to Smear DNC Gaza Protesters—And Why They’re Bogus

Author: Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson
Duration: 00:29:27

Episode Shownotes

In this public News Brief, we recap the ready-made talking points used to smear DNC Gaza protests, detail why they don't add up, and discuss how the best way to avoid the appearance of party infighting is for VP Harris to Simply Do The Right Thing. This News Brief is

based on an article published today in In These Times.

Summary

In this episode of 'Citations Needed,' Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson analyze the talking points used to discredit protesters at the DNC Gaza protests, stressing the misleading nature of Vice President Harris's position on Gaza amidst her alignment with party policies. They discuss the shift in activists’ demands from a ceasefire to an arms embargo, arguing that the latter provides a more credible approach to enforcing peace. The hosts emphasize the need for political accountability, particularly from leaders like Harris, to address alarming humanitarian issues rather than deflecting with whataboutism. Overall, the episode critiques the Democratic Party's inaction regarding Gaza and underlines the significance of young voices in the protests.

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Full Transcript

00:00:04 Speaker_03
Welcome to a Citations Needed news brief. I'm Nima Shirazi. I'm Adam Johnson. You can follow Citations Needed on Twitter at CitationsPod, Facebook, Citations Needed, and become a supporter of the show, if you are so inclined.

Ep 207: US-Backed Killing of Journalists in Gaza and the Limits of Freedom of the Press Sloganeering AI transcript and summary - episode of podcast Citations Needed

· 88 min read

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Episode: Ep 207: US-Backed Killing of Journalists in Gaza and the Limits of "Freedom of the Press" Sloganeering

Ep 207: US-Backed Killing of Journalists in Gaza and the Limits of "Freedom of the Press" Sloganeering

Author: Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson
Duration: 01:32:26

Episode Shownotes

"Western World Observes Press Freedom Day," gloated the United Press International newswire back in 1961. "Trump v. CNN: lawsuit becomes test case on press freedom," declared The Guardian in November 2018. "The 10 Best and Worst Countries for Press Freedom," says US News and World report in 2022. For decades,

elite US media and government institutions have touted the sacred notion of freedom of the press. Our media, so we’re told, have the legally enshrined latitude and responsibility to criticize, to interrogate, to expose. According to this same high-minded rhetoric, freedom of the press preserves our media’s integrity and serves as a pillar of US democracy. This all sounds well and good. After all, media’s ability to keep the public informed without constraints or compromise is intrinsically good and essential to any society - that’s kinda the whole point of this show. But there are far more limitations to US-based frameworks of freedom of the press than our media, and our government, let on. Far too often, the concept of press freedom is limited by liberal formulations of negative rights, and even those, selectively applied depending on short term US interests. As the US-backed wholesale destruction of Gaza by Israel enters its 10 month and more than 140 journalists have been killed in the assault –– many deliberately targeted by the Israeli military –– Western elite sanctimony over their alleged commitment to press freedom has been revealed as hollow, its ideological cracks and contradictions apparent for all to see. On this episode, our Season 7 Finale, we examine lofty American conceptions of freedom of the press, especially as it emerged in the middle of the 20th century, looking at how US media organizations are more willing to award rights, sympathy, and security to those journalists and institutions who help prop up the usual State Department line. Our guests are documentarian Kavitha Chekuru and journalist Hoda Osman.

Summary

In Episode 207 of "Citations Needed," the hosts discuss the stark contrast between the ideal of press freedom promoted by U.S. institutions and the harsh realities faced by journalists in Gaza, where over 140 have been killed amid a U.S.-backed assault. The episode critiques the selective application of press rights based on U.S. interests, particularly highlighting the media's failure to humanize Palestinian victims and journalists compared to their counterparts in Ukraine. Guest contributors elaborate on the historical manipulation of press freedom narratives and call for a reevaluation of support within the journalism community for those reporting from conflict zones.

Go to PodExtra AI's episode page (Ep 207: US-Backed Killing of Journalists in Gaza and the Limits of "Freedom of the Press" Sloganeering) to play and view complete AI-processed content: summary, mindmap, topics, takeaways, transcript, keywords and highlights.

Full Transcript

00:00:03 Speaker_00
This is Citations Needed with Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson. Welcome to Citations Needed, a podcast on the media, power, PR and the history of bullshit. I am Nima Shirazi.

News Brief: A Quantitative Analysis of US Media's Fentanyl Panic and How It Kills AI transcript and summary - episode of podcast Citations Needed

· 26 min read

Go to PodExtra AI's episode page (News Brief: A Quantitative Analysis of US Media's Fentanyl Panic and How It Kills) to play and view complete AI-processed content: summary, mindmap, topics, takeaways, transcript, keywords and highlights.

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Episode: News Brief: A Quantitative Analysis of US Media's Fentanyl Panic and How It Kills

News Brief: A Quantitative Analysis of US Media's Fentanyl Panic and How It Kills

Author: Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson
Duration: 00:29:43

Episode Shownotes

In this public News Brief, we discuss a new, detailed media survey by Zach Siegel that shows how news outlets mindlessly parrot police "accidental fentanyl overdoes" misinformation.

Full Transcript

00:00:04 Speaker_02
Welcome to a Citations Needed News Brief. I'm Nima Shirazi. I'm Adam Johnson. You can follow the show on Twitter at CitationsPod, Facebook Citations Needed, and become a supporter of the show through patreon.com slash citationsneededpodcast.

News Brief: Substance vs Vibes in VP Kamala Harris' Gaza PR Reboot AI transcript and summary - episode of podcast Citations Needed

· 23 min read

Go to PodExtra AI's episode page (News Brief: Substance vs Vibes in VP Kamala Harris' Gaza PR Reboot) to play and view complete AI-processed content: summary, mindmap, topics, takeaways, transcript, keywords and highlights.

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Episode: News Brief: Substance vs Vibes in VP Kamala Harris' Gaza PR Reboot

News Brief: Substance vs Vibes in VP Kamala Harris' Gaza PR Reboot

Author: Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson
Duration: 00:21:12

Episode Shownotes

In this public News Brief we analyze the new Democratic nominee's "shift in tone" and whether more sophisticated Empathy-Speak and continued appeals to bogus "ceasefire negotiations" signifies a meaningful break from Biden.

Full Transcript

00:00:04 Speaker_01
Welcome to a Citations Needed News Brief. I am Nima Shirazi. I'm Adam Johnson. You can follow Citations Needed on Twitter at CitationsPod, Facebook, Citations Needed, and become a supporter of the show through patreon.com slash citationsneededpodcast.