The Study Hall Podcast

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/id1866733...

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: http...

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: h...

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 talke...

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...

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://boo...

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 explore...

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 Sof...

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....

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...

  Brian Reed is the host and producer of KCRW’s “Question Everything ,” a podcast and newsletter from KCRW and Placement Theory, that is exploring the media industry. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Reed chats about why he’s advocating to reform Section 230, a law that protects big tech platforms from defamation lawsuits. Reed chats about why he believes this law gives platforms...

Katherine Reynolds Lewis is an award-winning journalist and founder of founder of the Institute for Independent Journalists.  In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Lewis shares tips on negotiating a fair rate, getting a better contract, and managing your finances as a freelancer.    On December 12th at 11 AM PST/ 2 PM ET, Lewis will be teaching an online course about treating your fre...

Kevin Nguyen is the features editor at The Verge. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Nguyen chats about his novel "My Documents." The dystopian satire is set in a near-future United States where following a terrorist attack, Vietnamese Americans are imprisoned in interment camps. The novel explores how journalism can both shed light on trauma and crucial stories, while also being a...

  Ellen Huet is a reporter at Bloomberg News and Bloomberg Businessweek. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Huet discusses her new book Empire of Orgasm: Sex, Power, and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult . The book chronicles the story of OneTaste, a wellness company that’s been accused of manipulation and abuse. Huet exposed the true story of the company for Bloomberg.   Empire of O...

On this special bonus episode, Daniel Spielberger chats with Lauren Harris, an editor at The New Yorker and a co-chair of The New Yorker Union. The New Yorker Union and Condé United are both part of the NewsGuild of New York. Harris discusses recent events at Condé Nast. On Wednesday, in response to Condé management’s decision to fold Teen Vogue into Vogue and lay off employees at Teen Vogue, a gr...

P.E. Moskowitz’s writing has been published in New York Magazine, The Nation, and numerous other outlets. They write the newsletter “Mental Hellth .” In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Moskowitz chats about their new book “Breaking Awake: A Reporter's Search for a New Life, and a New World, Through Drugs.” Moskowitz discusses their reporting on the mental health crisis, pharmaceuti...

Zito Madu’s writing has appeared in The Nation, Flaming Hydra, GQ, and other outlets. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Zito chats about his personal approach to sports writing, the influence of the gambling industry on sports journalism, and his criticism of Stephen A.'s decisive coverage.   Follow Zito on Twitter/X:  https://x.com/_Zeets Read Zito's Flaming Hydra essay: https://...

Jourdain Searles is a film critic whose work has appeared in Bustle, Los Angeles Review of Books, Indiewire, and other outlets. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Searles chats about her approach to film criticism, the significance of film reviews in the age of aggregation sites like Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes, and how she handled people upset over her negative reviews.    Foll...

Peter Rubin is head of publishing at Automattic and an editor at Longreads, a website that curates longform stories and publishes original writing. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Peter chats about the art of the longread, internet curation during the post-Twitter age, the IP potential of longreads, and the attention economy.    More info about Longreads’ member drive: https://l...

Erin Somers is a reporter at Publishers Lunch. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Bustle, Esquire, and numerous other outlets. In this episode, she chats about her new novel, The Ten Year Affair. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Erin discusses how authors cultivate a sense of mystique and recounts her experience reporting from a Philip Roth festival.    For...

  Jacob Silverman is a reporter and author of “Gilded Rage: Elon Musk and the Radicalization of Silicon Valley,”   In this conversation with Daniel Spielberger, Jacob discusses his reporting on cryptocurrency, Silicon Valley’s connection to the weapons industry, and Twitter/X’s involvement with the Saudi Royal family. Jacob also offers insight into how tech billionaires became right-wing and what...

Charlie Porter is a fashion critic whose work has been published in The Financial Times and The Guardian. In this conversation, Charlie chats about his debut novel “Nova Scotia House.” The novel follows Johnny, a middle-aged gay man who is trying to make sense of his past relationship with Jerry, a former lover who died of AIDS-related complications in 1995. The novel explores the legacy of queer...

Delia Cai writes the newsletter Deez Links. In this conversation, Delia chats about the newsletter boom, Bari Weiss’s possible LUCRATIVE CBS News deal, and the creator/journalist dynamic. Delia previously was a staff writer at Vanity Fair. She’s the author of the novel “Central Places.”  Keep up with Delia’s work: https://www.deezlinks.com/ More info about Study Hall: Studyhall.xyz   Music by KT T...

Derek Beres is a co-host of The Conspirituality Podcast.  His work examining health disinformation has appeared in The Guardian, Mother Jones, and The New York Times. In this conversation, Derek discusses the origins of the MAHA movement and how journalists can counter health disinformation.    Listen to Conspirituality: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/conspirituality/id1515827446   Derek’s...

Sarah Miller is a writer whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Popula. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Sarah chats about her recent N+1 essay chronicling her ayahuasca journey in Peru. She also discusses her essay for The New Yorker on botox. Sarah shares her approach to essays, explaining why she tackles difficult topics like climate change and ment...