A longer version of Micah's conversation with political scientist Lilliana Mason that aired on last week's show. They spoke about the most polarizing issue among Americans: who gets to decide who belongs in this country. Mason makes the case that while polarization is worrying, it is a symptom of a greater threat to democracy that demands our attention – the rise of ethno-nationalist politics.

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During an I.C.E. operation in New York City, officers shot a man in a car while a child sat in the back seat. On this week’s On the Media, coverage of I.C.E. has decreased since the spring, while the agency’s operations have quietly surged. Plus, rightwing activists go after the H-1B visa program. 

[01:00] Micah Loewinger hears from data journalist G. Elliott Morris about how I.C.E. coverage has decreased since it exploded across our front pages earlier this year, following the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. However, José Olivares makes the case that I.C.E.’s operations have actually surged in the ensuing months – the agency has just been working more quietly.

[15:05] Micah interviews Christopher Mathias about how the once-fringe far-right thinker Chris Rufo (known for his critiques of DEI’ and ‘CRT’) is fomenting anti-Indian bigotry and advocating for extremist “remigration” policies.

[31:02] Micah speaks to political scientist Lilliana Mason about the most polarizing issue among Americans: who belongs in this country. Mason makes the case that while polarization is worrying, it is a symptom of a greater threat to democracy that demands our attention – the rise of ethnonationalist politics.

Further reading:

• “Gone in 90 seconds: an ‘invisibilized’ ICE is arresting more people than ever” by Maanvi Singh, Will Craft, Andrew Witherspoon and Julius Constantine Motal
• “Three deaths, three states, 24 hours: one day in ICE’s quiet but ‘gruesome’ surge,” by José Olivares
• “‘What they’re doing qualifies as torture’: new details of ICE force-feeding revealed” by José Olivares
• “Iran, prices, ICE, and Epstein are the biggest stories of 2026,” by G. Elliott Morris
• “Chris Rufo — Known For ‘DEI’ and ‘CRT’ Panics — Tries to Make ‘the Indian Question’ a Thing,” by Christopher Mathias
• “Polarization is Not the Problem,” by Lilliana Mason
  
   

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In 2023, Evan Gershkovich was working as a young reporter in Moscow for the Wall Street Journal, when he was arrested by Russian authorities. He was eventually convicted on blatantly false charges of espionage and spent nearly five hundred days in imprisonment. Gershkovich recounts the experience in a new memoir, “This Cursed Beautiful Land,” and in an essay in The New Yorker. He spoke with David Remnick about life inside a Russian prison, the international prisoner swap that freed him, and why the difficult process of reacclimating to his former life complicated how he viewed his incarceration. 
 

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The Supreme Court has denied a bid by the Trump administration to restrict mail-in voting. On this week’s On the Media, hear about the attempts, successful and not, to turn election conspiracies into policy. Plus, the case for literary gatekeepers. 

[01:00] Micah Loewinger speaks with Rick Hasen, law professor and director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA, about the state of our election systems heading into midterm season, and what headlines should hold our attention.

[20:07] Brooke Gladstone speaks with Mark Krotov, the publisher and coeditor of the literary magazine n+1, about how old books are enjoying renewed popularity thanks to the flourishing “reissue” book market, and TikTokers’ penchant for hidden gems in the backlist. But what does the trend tell us about the health of the publishing industry?

[35:41] Brooke also sits down with Laura McGrath, an assistant professor of English at Temple University and the author of the book, Middlemen: Literary Agents and the Making of American Fiction, to discuss the little-known history of literary agents, the unseen tastemakers choosing your favorite novels.  

Further reading:

• “Exorcising Justice Alito’s Voter Fraud Boogeyman,” by Richard L. Hasen
• “A Judicial Guide to Search Warrants Seeking Election Materials,” by Richard L. Hasen and Shelby Wayment
• “Old Directions: Reviving the spirit of revival,” by Mark Krotov and Lisa Borst
• Middlemen: Literary Agents and the Making of American Fiction, by Laura McGrath
   

On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

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American journalist Austin Tice vanished in Syria 14 years ago. A secret lead suggests he may still be alive. This week we're sharing the first episode of Where Is Austin Tice? NPR's documentary podcast, Embedded, partners with BBC Radio 4 to follow reporter Josh Baker as he travels through a changing country to attempt to uncover the truth.

On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

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When the president barred Politico, CNN, and MS Now from the White House, the press pool boycotted the president, leaving him without his usual TV coverage. On this week’s On the Media, why media outlets finally banded together. Plus, the legal debate over journalists’ access to the country's highest office. 

[01:00] Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger get together to chat about The White House Press Pool’s walkout, why it took so long for them to take collective action, and what it means for the relationship between Donald Trump and the media. 

[16:12] Brooke Gladstone speaks with Roger Parloff, senior editor at Lawfare, about about the Trump administration’s legal justifications for banning outlets, and what he learned from attending the hearings this week.

[31:38] Brooke also sits down with Sonja West, professor of the first amendment at the University of Georgia School of Law, about the history of press access being granted, and denied by the White House. 

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At the outset of the war with Iran, Brooke Gladstone spoke to Wes J. Bryant, a former senior policy advisor at the Pentagon and retired Air Force Master Sergeant, about the civilian protection initiative he was working on for the Department of Defense and the deadly consequences of Secretary Hegseth’s decisions to close it down.

On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

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AI researchers are warning that the technology they’re creating could kill us all. On this week’s On the Media, unpacking the feverish debate over the dangers of artificial intelligence. Plus, why people find AI chatbots more convincing than their fellow humans.

[01:00] Brooke Gladstone interviews Joshua Rothman, staff writer at The New Yorker, about the competing narratives around AI, which maximize its power on the one hand and minimize it on the other, and how both sides risk misunderstanding the technology and what to do about it. 

[21:38] Micah Loewinger speaks with Jason Koebler, investigative reporter and co-founder of 404 Media, about the A.I. marketing tactic that’s bombarded Reddit, and why AEO, not SEO, is changing the internet’s future. 

[36:05] Micah Loewinger chats with Kai Kupferschmidt, contributing writer for Science, about the growing body of research showing that chatbots can be as, if not more, persuasive than people. 

Further reading / watching:

• “Can A.I. ‘Go Rogue’?” by Joshua Rothman
• “Companies Are Using Reddit to Manipulate ChatGPT and Google AI Search” by Jason Koebler
• “It Is Trivially Easy to Use Reddit to Manipulate AI Search, Research Suggests,” by Jason Koebler
• “Powers of persuasion: AI chatbots are becoming experts at changing people’s minds. What gives them an edge?” by Kai Kupferschmidt

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The hit HBO series, How To With John Wilson was huge when it came out during the pandemic, 2020. Wilson begins each episode with a sort of mundane premise like how to split a check with your friends or how to properly throw out batteries, and then cleverly deviates from the idea, inserting delightful and strange interactions filmed on New York’s sidewalks and his poetic narration on city life and beyond.

After wrapping 3 seasons of the show, Wilson has a new project, again focused on infrastructure, a feature length movie, titled The History of Concrete, which comes to theaters September 18th. Micah called him up to talk about the state of the documentary industry and the arduous journey behind making the film.

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I.C.E. agents have targeted Springfield, Ohio since Haitians lost Temporary Protected Status. On this week’s On the Media, a reporter from The Haitian Times describes the culture of fear that has ensued. Plus, how did AI chatbots end up in public school classrooms?

[01:00] Brooke Gladstone interviews Wedly Cazy, a reporter for the Haitian Times, who has been closely covering the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio, as immigration officials have descended on the area following the end of temporary protected status. 

[19:54] Micah Loewinger speaks with Julia Angwin, investigative journalist and founder of Proof News, on a massive settlement between Meta and dozens of states over claims that Facebook and Instagram harm kids, and why the deal might not bring about real change. 

[34:57] OTM producer Molly Rosen speaks with Jessica Winter, staff writer at the New Yorker, about how AI tools have infiltrated schools and what the research says about the impact of AI use on cognitive development.

Further reading / watching:

• “Roadside stops, foot chases and children in hiding as ICE operations intensify in Springfield,” by Wedly Cazy
• “Family: Ankle monitor distressed Haitian man killed by tanker truck in Springfield,” by Wedly Cazy
• “As Meta Enters Its Zombie Era, Every Blow Counts,” by Julia Angwin
• “What Will It Take to Get A.I. Out of Schools?” by Jessica Winter

On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

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On last week's show we devoted a segment to the plague of online influencers making endorsement videos for politicians in exchange for money, but we wanted to hear from a creator's perspective. Host Micah Loewinger sat down with Dave Jorgenson, who, until last year, made videos at the Washington Post where he grew the paper’s TikTok account to nearly 2 million followers. Now he has his own media outlet, called Local News International and his videos cover pretty much anything and everything that makes headlines. This is the extented cut of their conversation.
 

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