The Study Hall Podcast

Perez Hilton, Press Protection, and Project 2025 ft. Betsy Morais

Betsy Morais is the editor in chief of Columbia Journalism Review. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Morais discusses CJR's reporting on press freedom. She highlights the case studies of Mario Guevara and Perez Hilton. In addition, she delves into how the uncertainty over finding a sustainable business model has factored into the fight for press protection.
Keep up with CJR: https://members.cjr.org/member/
 
More about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz 
 
Music by KT The Terrible 

Inside The Rise of True Crime IP ft. Jeff Maysh

Jeff Maysh's investigative reporting has appeared in The New Yorker, Financial Times, The Daily Beast, and numerous other outlets. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Maysh discusses what's behind our collective fascination with scammer content and how he finds stories with IP potential. In addition, he offers advice on how writers should navigate the contract negotiation process to ensure that their IP is protected. 
 
More info about Maysh's IP class: https://courses.outvoice.com/products/live_events/IPCourse
 
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz 
 
Music by KT The Terrible

The Complex Reality of Mom Influencers ft. Fortesa Latifi

Fortesa Latifi is a senior writer for Yahoo News. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Latifi discusses her new book "Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online."  The book chronicles the rise of mom influencer content. Latifi shares insight her reporting process. She also offers a nuanced assessment on the risks of family influencers. 
 
More info about "Like, Follow, Subscribe" : https://bookshop.org/p/books/like-follow-subscribe-influencer-kids-and-the-cost-of-a-childhood-online-fortesa-latifi/0015d12afb1a78c2
 
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz 
 
Music by KT The Terrible 

McMansions and The Trump Aesthetic ft. Kate Wagner

Kate Wagner is the architecture critic at The Nation. She also runs the blog "McMansion Hell." In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Kate chats about the significance of McMansions, President Trump's tacky design choices, 1880s/1980s, gilded palaces, Saudi Arabia's failed future city, Iranian architecture, and gentrification. 
 
Subscribe to "McMansion Hell":  https://mcmansionhell.com/
 
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz 
 
Music by KT The Terrible

Tesla Fans, AI Fatigue, and Mogging ft. Miles Klee

Miles Klee, senior writer at Wired, chats about his reporting on Meta, social media addiction, AI, and  internet culture. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Klee discusses how he translates niche internet stories for a broader audience.
 
Works Cited:
-https://www.wired.com/story/the-tesla-influencers-leaving-the-cult/
-https://www.wired.com/story/everyone-speaks-incel-now/
-https://www.wired.com/story/mark-zuckerberg-testifies-social-media-addiction-trial-meta/
Check out "Double Black Diamond" by Miles Klee and Mads Gobbo: https://asterismbooks.com/product/double-black-diamond-mads-gobbo-miles-klee
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz 
 
Music by KT The Terrible
 

Exploring The Survivor Narrative ft. Jamie Hood

Jamie Hood's writing has appeared in The Drift, Bookforum, The Nation, and numerous publications. She is the author of How To Be A Good Girl: A Miscellany and Trauma Plot: A Life. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Hood discusses the process of writing her memoir, the survivor narrative, personal essays in the post- #MeToo era, and the confessional form.
More info about Trauma Plot: https://bookshop.org/p/books/trauma-plot-a-life-jamie-hood/50837adfe931ba99?ean=9780593686089&next=t
 
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz.
 
Music by KT The Terrible

Gourmet, TikTok Recipes, and Restaurant Coverage ft. Cale Weissman

Cale Weissman is one of the worker-owners of Gourmet, a food magazine that has been recently revitalized. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Weissman chats about the return of Gourmet. He also discusses food content, restaurant coverage, worker-owned outlets, and aesthetically unappealing, albeit delicious, recipes. 
 
More info about Gourmet: https://gourmetmagazine.net/
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz 
Music by KT The Terrible

Starting A Media Brand ft. Daisy Alioto

Daisy Alioto is the co-founder and CEO of Dirt. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Alioto discussed the origins of her media company, the "post-subscription" model for media revenue, the taste economy, "Call Her Daddy," book coverage, and more. 
 
More info about Dirt: dirt.fyi 
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz
 
Music by KT The Terrible

Gonzo Internet Journalism ft. Daniel Kolitz

Daniel Kolitz's reporting has appeared in Harper's, The Nation, The Atavist, and numerous other publications. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Kolitz shares the inside story about his viral Harper's article and discusses what it's like to "go gonzo." Kolitz also shares insight into earning a source's trust and offers a nuanced take on narratives about Gen Z/millennials.
Works Cited:
-https://harpers.org/archive/2025/11/the-goon-squad-daniel-kolitz-porn-masturbation-loneliness/
-https://magazine.atavist.com/2021/the-love-bomb-enthusiastic-sobriety-bob-meehan-abuse-cult-drugs-rehab
-https://thebaffler.com/latest/millennial-cringe-kolitz
 
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz.
 
Music by KT The Terrible

Hong Kong's Attack On Press Freedom ft. Liam Scott

Liam Scott's reporting has appeared in The Nation, Columbia Journalism Review, and numerous other outlets. He currently writes a newsletter for The Washington Post on press freedom. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Scott discusses his reporting on Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong-based publisher who was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison. Apple Daily, Lai's newspaper, published content in favor of the 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Scott, who profiled Lai's international defense team, contextualizes this case with Hong Kong's broader attack on press freedom. 
Read Scott's profile in The Nation: https://www.thenation.com/article/world/the-campaign-to-free-jimmy-lai/
 
Subscribe to the Press Freedom Desk newsletter: https://www.washingtonpost.com/newsletters/press-freedom-partnership/
 
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz 
 
Music by KT The Terrible