The Study Hall Podcast

The Queen of Queer Media ft. Tracy E. Gilchrist

Tracy E. Gilchrist is the former editor in chief of The Advocate. She is the of the Holding Space podcast. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Gilchrist talks about the evolution of queer media, her viral moment with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, and campy pop culture. 
 
Check out Holding Space: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/holding-space-with-tracy-e-gilchrist/id1866733335
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz
 
Music by KT The Terrible 
 
 
 

Reporting on Immigration and ICE Raids ft. Tina Vásquez

Tina Vásquez is a features editor at Prism. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Vásquez discusses her work reporting on immigration, ICE raids, and workers' rights. Vásquez also talks about how movement journalism can help restore the public's trust in media and offer more holistic coverage of topics like the immigration system.
Sign up for Vásquez's movement journalism course: https://courses.outvoice.com/products/live_events/movementjournalism
 
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz
 
Music by KT The Terrible  

Bari Weiss and the Future of CBS News ft. David Klion

David Klion is a contributing editor at Jewish Currents and columnist at The Nation. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Klion discusses how Bari Weiss went from a polarizing opinion writer to the editor-in-chief of CBS News. Klion breaks down the origins of Weiss’s reactionary politics and analyzes her plan to transform CBS News.  
Read Klion’s deep-dive into Bari Weiss’s career: https://www.theguardian.com/media/ng-interactive/2025/sep/10/bari-weiss-cbs
Other articles cited:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/01/26/inside-bari-weisss-hostile-takeover-of-cbs-news
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/bari-weiss-cbs-news-comeback-new-york-return.html
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/harpers-letter-free-speech-trump/
https://www.nplusonemag.com/online-only/online-only/have-we-learned-nothing/
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz
 
Music by KT The Terrible

A Memoir About Exile ft. Elena Sheppard

Elena Sheppard’s writing has appeared in The Cut, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and other outlets. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Elena discussed her memoir “The Eternal Forest: A Memoir of the Cuban Diaspora”, which traces her family’s history in Cuba. Elena shared insight into the memoir-writing process and how she explored her family’s story. In addition, Elena talked about the dynamic of writing a memoir about the diaspora.
 
More info about “The Eternal Forest” : https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-eternal-forest-a-memoir-of-the-cuban-diaspora-elena-sheppard/2167dd906e224c52?ean=9781250287687&next=t
 
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz 
 
Music by KT The Terrible

The Tragic Story Behind Green Energy Metals ft. Nicolas Niarchos

Nicolas Niarchos is a reporter with work published in The Nation, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. His new book The Elements of Power: A Story of War, Technology, and the Dirtiest Supply Chain on Earth traces the origins of the metals fueling decarbonization. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Niarchos discusses his rigorous research and reporting into the green energy metal supply chain in Congo, Indonesia, and the Western Sahara. Niarchos shares his on-the-ground reporting on the exploitation taking place in Congolese mines. He also offers tips for journalists who want to report in conflict regions. 
For more information on The Elements on Power: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/blue-power-cobalt-china-and-the-scramble-to-dominate-the-new-energy-revolution-nicolas-niarchos/7585254
 
For more information on Study Hall: studyhall.xyz
 
Music by KT The Terrible 
 

How Barbie Became An Icon ft. Tarpley Hitt

Tarpley Hitt is an editor at The Drift. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Hitt discusses her new book Barbieland: The Unauthorized History. The book chronicles the checkered journey of Barbie from a knockoff idea to a global icon. Hitt chats about her rigorous research process and what can be learned from Mattel’s highly litigious history. 
More info about Barbieland: https://bookshop.org/p/books/barbieland-the-unauthorized-history-tarpley-hitt/3f285eff4283aec8?ean=9781668031827&next=t
More info about studyhall.xyz
Music by KT The Terrible 
 

The Heyday of Fashion Media ft. Caroline Palmer

Caroline Palmer was the editor of Vogue.com and Director of Editorial, Video, and Social Media at Amazon Fashion. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Palmer discusses her novel Workhorse, which chronicles the heyday of fashion media in the early 2000s. The novel centers around an ambitious editorial assistant who lands a dream job at a prestigious fashion magazine. Workhorse explores the glamor of that era and takes an honest look at the dynamics of privilege, talent, and success. Palmer chats about the lost art of print media, fashion media’s shaky transition to online, and the life of a workhorse. 
 
More info about Workhorse: https://bookshop.org/p/books/workhorse-a-novel-caroline-palmer/0a4e36139fe538db
 
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz 
 
Music by KT The Terrible 
 

Colossal Squids, Invasive Frogs, and Biodiversity ft. Sofia Quaglia

Sofia Quaglia is an award-winning science journalist whose work has been published in The National Geographic, The New York Times, The Guardian, New Scientist, and other outlets. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Sofia chats about how she started reporting on biodiversity and the nuances of translating complex scientific concepts for a mass audience. 
More info about the class Sofia is teaching with Study Hall on January 16th 10 AM PT/ 1 PM ET: https://courses.outvoice.com/products/courses/howtobreakintosciencejournalism
(Study Hall subscribers check last newsletter for discount code)
 
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz 
 
Music by KT The Terrible

Air Conditioning and Climate Disaster ft. Marianne Dhenin

Marianne Dhenin is an award-winning journalist whose work has been published in Truthout, Yes! Magazine, The New Republic, and Teen Vogue. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Marianne chats about their Noema Mag report on the history of air conditioning in the Gulf States. Marianne discusses how they use their journalism to illuminate the class implications of climate change issues.
 
Read the article here: https://www.noemamag.com/the-gulf-world-that-air-conditioning-wrought/
 
Subscribe to their newsletter: https://newsletter.mariannedhenin.com/
 
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz
 
Music by KT The Terrible

How Media Will Survive in 2026 ft. Max Tani

Max Tani is the media editor at Semafor and co-host of the Mixed Signals podcast. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Max discusses the biggest media stories of 2025 and how legacy media can regain its footing in 2026. Max chats about how legacy media outlets are experimenting with AI tools and leveraging the creator journalism model. In addition, Max shares what it’s like covering some of the biggest media stories like the corporate battle over Warner Bros Discovery. 
 
Listen to Mixed Signals: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mixed-signals-from-semafor-media/id1746776326
 
More info about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz 
 
Music by KT The Terrible