The Study Hall Podcast

Writing About The Erasure of Palestine ft. Sarah Aziza

Sarah Aziza discusses her memoir "The Hollow Half: A Memoir of Bodies and Borders." Aziza’s writing has been published in The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Baffler, and Jewish Currents. In her memoir, Aziza traces her family’s history of being displaced from Palestine and explores the dynamic of historic erasure. In this conversation with Daniel Spielberger, Aziza discusses the process of writing and researching her memoir. She also reflects on her experience as a Palestinian American writer using her platform to raise awareness of Israel’s war on Gaza. 
 
More information on The Hollow Half: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-hollow-half-sarah-aziza/21691339?ean=9781646222438&next=t&affiliate=39
 
For more information about Study Hall: https://studyhall.xyz/
 
Music by KT The Terrible 

Adam Popescu on narrative journalism

Adam Popescu discussed his recent Bloomberg feature about the Cordyceps fungi trade in Nepal. In this discussion with host Daniel Spielberger, Popescu shares his approach to narrative journalism and offers advice on how to find and pitch a compelling story. Popescu also chats about his recent Scientific American report on the implications of Colossal Biosciences creating a woolly mouse. 
 
Popescu’s reporting has appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Washington Post, and numerous other outlets. 
 
Read here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/company-seeking-to-resurrect-the-woolly-mammoth-creates-a-woolly-mouse/
 
https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2025-cordyceps-sex-mushroom-hunters-nepal/?srnd=undefined
 
For more information about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz 
 
Music by KT The Terrible

Evette Dionne on feminist blogs

We were joined by Evette Dionne, the co-founder of The Flytrap and Executive Editor of Yes!. She chatted about the importance of feminist blogging, The Flytrap’s editorial philosophy, and Yes! Media’s approach to covering activism.
Support Yes! : https://www.yesmagazine.org/?form=PowerOf30
Subscribe to The Flytrap: https://theflytrap.beehiiv.com/
Find out more about Study Hall: https://studyhall.xyz/
Music by KT The Terrible

Vittoria Elliott on covering DOGE and Elon Musk

Daniel chatted with Vittoria Elliott, a reporter at WIRED, about her recent coverage of DOGE, Elon Musk, and the Trump administration. She shared what she learned about reporting on Musk's attack on federal bureaucracy and how her background in startups informs her coverage. 
Read Vittoria Elliott’s work: https://www.wired.com/author/vittoria-elliott/
Find out more about Study Hall: Studyhall.xyz.
 
Music by KT The Terrible 
 

Allegra Rosenberg on reporting a queer Antarctic love story

Daniel chatted with Allegra Rosenberg, an editor and journalist who recently published a very in-depth feature for Atavist Magazine about an Antarctic love story between two British sailors in the early 1910s. Rosenberg shared her experience researching, writing, and editing this feature.
Read Allegra’s feature here: https://magazine.atavist.com/from-antarctica-with-love-terra-nova-scott-south-pole-pennell-atkinson/
Check out more of her work: https://allegrarosenberg.com/
Her sources/bibliography: https://allegrarosenberg.com/polar/2025/02/28/pennell-and-atkinson-in-the-atavist-magazine/
Pennell's full diary uploaded: https://collection.canterburymuseum.com/objects/771153/diary-harry-pennell-1909-13
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz.
Music by KT The Terrible
 

Anna Merlan on the "new state media"

Daniel chatted with Anna Merlan, a senior reporter at Mother Jones. Merlan shared her experience covering the far-right media ecosystem, disinformation, and RFK JR..
She discussed why she believes Trump has used a “new state media” to spread his message.
Follow Anna Merlan on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/annamerlan.bsky.social
 
Find our more about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz
 
Music by KT The Terrible

Katelyn Burns on covering Trump's anti-trans policies

In a chat with host Daniel Spielberger, Katelyn Burns, a columnist at MSNBC and Xtra, discussed her coverage of President Trump’s anti-trans policies, how legacy media overlooks trans perspectives, and the expanding role of independent media. Burns is also the co-host of the podcast Cancel Me, Daddy and co-founder of The Flytrap. 
 
Subscribe to her Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/katelynburns/posts
 
Find out more about Study Hall: https://studyhall.xyz/
 
Music by KT the Terrible 

Daniel D'Addario on awards season coverage

Daniel D’Addario, Variety’s chief correspondent, joined the podcast to discuss his new novel "The Talent." "The Talent" follows five competing actresses over the course of an awards season. D’Addario also discussed the evolution of awards season as a spectacle, what exactly means for a celebrity to do "media training," and entertainment journalism's place in the creator economy. 
Find out more about "The Talent": https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Talent/Daniel-DAddario/9781668075470
Find out more about Study Hall: https://studyhall.xyz/
Music by KT the Terrible 
 

Alex Arriaga and kate harloe on local journalism in New York

Daniel chats with journalists Alex Arriaga and kate harloe. Alex is an audience engagement editor at New York Focus, while kate is a freelance journalist who has written for Mother Jones,  Neiman Labs, and other outlets. The two discussed a community listening tour they spearheaded for New York Focus, an independent newsroom covering New York. The community listening tour surveyed New Yorkers on how they get information and local news. On this episode, Arriaga and harloe chat about information ecosystems, local news, and news deserts. Read the full report on New York’s local information ecosystems here: https://nysfocus.com/2024/12/11/what-new-yorkers-want-from-local-news 
 
Subscribe to New York Focus’s newsletter: https://nysfocus.com/newsletter 
 
Find out more about Study Hall: https://studyhall.xyz/
 
Music by KT the Terrible 

Dane Cardiel

Daniel spoke to Dane Cardiel, the founder of Good Tape, a creative studio and magazine that covers the podcasting industry. Dane discussed the importance of building a community around your podcast/magazine. He also shared some insight into the benefits and drawbacks of podcasting for journalism.
To learn more about Good Tape visit: https://goodtape.com/
To learn more about Study Hall visit: https://studyhall.xyz/
Music by KT the Terrible