Question Everything

The podcast dives into the ramifications of free speech and the control exerted by tech giants. Host Brian Reed visits the Iowa State Fair to capture the public's discontent regarding trust in news and the media's role. Attendees express feelings of helplessness and concern over how social media fuels division and misinformation. The discussion highlights the controversial Section 230 law, which shields tech platforms from lawsuits. Can reforming this law restore trust in information? Brian leaves motivated to advocate for change.

Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes have been picked apart in headlines, documentaries, and endless conspiracy theories. And yet there have continued to be shocking new revelations in the story this year, as President Trump’s base has pressured him to release the government’s files about Epstein.  In this episode of Question Everything, host Brian Reed brings together the reporters who know the case best – along with one of their Trump-supporting producers – for drinks and a candid, no-holds-barred conversation. They compare notes, challenge each other’s assumptions, and reveal what it really takes to separate fact from rumor in a story that has tested the limits of journalism. It’s one of the most provocative and confronting discussions Brian’s ever hosted about power, accountability and what’s at stake when the media goes up against billionaires and their networks. Check out our Substack, by the way, where we get into juicy behind the scenes details and other good stuff from our episodes.  “Question Everything” is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory. Drinking and fact-checking don’t always go hand in hand, so clarifying and correcting a few statements from the conversation here – which honestly in themselves give a sense of just how many crannies of global power the tendrils of the Epstein story reach into.  We reached out to Anouska De Georgiou to see if she wanted to comment, but we didn’t hear back.  Leslie Wexner is not the founder of Victoria’s Secret – he bought the company in 1982, and he said Jeffrey Epstein had stolen $46 million from him, not $60 million. Meanwhile investor Leon Black paid Epstein $170 million for supposed tax advice – not $160 million.  Virginia Giuffre sued Prince Andrew as an individual, not the Crown itself. Tara Palmeri’s reporting that Elon Musk dm’d Virgina Giuffre saying Trump would release the files is based on Virginia telling her this – Tara didn’t see the DM.  At one point, Eric says that in 2015, Roger Stone called Epstein’s island a “democrat orgy island”. Really, Stone wrote a book excoriating the Clintons called The Clinton’s War on Women, and there’s a chapter in there called Orgy Island, which highlights Bill Clinton’s friendship with Epstein. So Roger Stone didn’t call Epstein’s island a democrat orgy island. Just “orgy island”.  And last, but not least: the pope who was in a picture with Jeffrey Epstein, which was displayed on Epstein’s credenza, was John Paul II.

We're back. September 25th.

A listener weighed in with some criticism on Substack. Brian (our host) got involved. Some advice for journalists ensued. It ended up inspiring an entire segment on KCRW’s show Left, Right & Center, which we’re sharing with you here. This is the kind of action that’s happening over on our new Substack – which you should subscribe to! If you do, we’ll enter you in a lottery to join us at the next taping we do at Bibber & Bell Wine Shop in Brooklyn. We’re getting together reporters who are all covering the Jeffrey Epstein story as it has burst back into the news and is threatening Donald Trump. A couple of you can eavesdrop on the conversation from the storage area in the back with our sound guy – sign up at questioneverything.substack.com.  

After her NPR show was canceled some years back, producer and host Yowei Shaw gave herself a new title: “Emotional Investigative Journalist.” She started a podcast called Proxy, where she helps people who are facing unique emotional or personal obstacles by connecting them with a proxy who’s uniquely positioned to help them. Our host, Brian, recently went on Proxy, and got help with a problem of his own: something he’s been struggling with involving a member of his family. Here are the caregiving resources from Claudia Drossel. Listen to Proxy with Yowei Shaw. Follow them on Instagram: @proxypodcast @yoweishaw  

Local reporters from around the country tell stories of using the experiences of their neighbors to confront people in power.    Featuring:Anna Wolfe with Mississippi Today Lisa Halverstadt with Voice of San Diego Alissa Zhu with The Baltimore Banner Tony Plohetski with The Austin American-Statesman and KVUE Austin   Lisa is a part of the Homelessness Beat Reporters Collective, which recently produced a guide on how to responsibly cover homelessness. That guide can be found here.    Sign up for our newsletter at: www.kcrw.com/questioneverything “Question Everything” is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory.

A TV reporter from Kansas City hears about the newspaper raids over in Marion. Her interest is piqued by the fact that the police chief who oversaw the raids had recently left Kansas City PD. So she heads to Marion to see what she can find out. And what she finds…is basically a Bravo reality series, small-town midwestern style.  Part One of this story aired last week. Listen to it first if you haven’t already. We’re now on Substack! You can weigh in on what we’re doing at Question Everything – make your pleasure or displeasure known – and really talk to us about our reporting, the stories we’re working on. This week, Brian will share an outtake from the Mystery in Marion series – a moment of police bodycam footage that makes his skin crawl.    Sign up at: www.kcrw.com/questioneverything “Question Everything” is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory.

On a Friday morning in rural Kansas, the publisher of a tiny local newspaper hears a knock at the door. It’s the police—with a search warrant. Within minutes, they’re inside his home, seizing his electronics. At the same time, officers are raiding his newsroom, confiscating computers and phones. No subpoena. No warning. And, according to legal experts, no right to do it. The publisher scrambles to understand: Why is this happening? Who’s behind it? He has made some enemies over the years, in this town of just 2,000 people.  And then—just as he starts to piece it together—something even more devastating happens. A tragedy that would make national news, and change his life forever.   Part Two of this story drops next week.   Sign up for our newsletter: www.kcrw.com/questioneverything   “Question Everything” is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory.    

Chris Hayes, MSNBC host and author of The Siren’s Call, dives into the realm of attention capitalism and its insidious grip on politics and everyday life. He reflects on the commodification of attention, comparing modern smartphones to the printing press in their societal impact. Hayes candidly discusses the crisis of democratic discourse, alienation from information, and provides tips for reclaiming focus in our distraction-heavy world. His insights reveal a deep understanding of the ongoing battle for our attention in a media-saturated landscape.

A  group of reporters recently uncovered a closely held secret: the identity of the Israeli soldier who shot and killed renowned veteran journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022. This is the story of how they figured it out. Sign up for our newsletter: www.kcrw.com/questioneverything   “Question Everything” is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory.