Watching America

Presidents have wrangled with journalists in a struggle to convey--and repress--the truth, all the way back to George Washington. Award-winning author Harold Holzer writes a full history of this contentious relationship in his book, The Presidents Vs. The Press: The Endless Battle Between the White House and the Media—From the Founding Fathers to Fake News. Former President Trump’s tweets seem dow...

Growing up between two cultures - two worlds - can teach a kid a lot. But it cannot teach an innate love and talent for storytelling. This week’s guest has both. Clarissa Ward is the chief international correspondent for CNN and has collected quite a number of stories during her lifetime of traveling, reporting and teaching others what she knows. This week, Dr. Alan Campbell talks with Ward about...

In this episode, we hear from author and journalist Matthew Yglesias about his latest book, One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger. He says we have the space for more people, and more people would make us a wealthier and happier country. Yglesias co-founded Vox.com with Ezra Klein and Melissa Bell in 2014. He currently writes for Substack and co-hosts The Weeds podcast twice a week on...

What can we learn from the Southern films of the past? What can be done in the future to make new ones as multidimensional and as vast as the region really is? This week, Dr. Alan Campbell chats with author and film fanatic Ben Beard about his new book, The South Never Plays Itself: A Film Buff’s Journey Through the South on Screen , and more. The film industry’s idea of the South never seems to c...

Author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas Ricks set out to dig into the foundation of the United States by reading the literature that was read by the first four presidents. This took him on a journey from Aristotle to Cicero to John Locke. He wrote about the influence of classical education on the American republic in his book, First Principle: What America’s Founders Learned from the G...

Pulitzer-Prize and Emmy award-winning journalist, Barton Gellman became one of the most notable investigative journalists of our time while working with Edward Snowden to expose the machinery of the U.S. surveillance state. His new book, Dark Mirror , is the story he couldn’t tell before -- a real-life spy saga and a gripping narrative of the investigative reporting that exposed a different side o...

Actor Stephen Root has appeared in nearly countless roles on television and film—from Star Trek, NewsRadio, West Wing, and King of the Hill on television, to O Brother, Where Art Thou?, No Country for Old Men, and Idiocracy on film. Root has worked with HBO on True Blood, Barry, and Boardwalk Empire, and most recently on Perry Mason as Maynard Barnes. That show is in its second season now. In this...

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is activist for women’s rights and the author of the book Infidel: My Life , and many others. In this episode of Watching America, Dr. Alan Campbell speaks with Ali about America, religion, cancel culture, the failures of American universities, and more. Ali was born in Somalia in 1969 and took asylum in the Netherlands when she was 23. Within 10 years, she was a member of the Dutc...

Practice rigorous authenticity. Surrender the outcome. Do uncomfortable work. Michael Brody-Waite learned these skills through his continued recovery as a drug addict. He says these same practices made him a successful CEO. In this episode of Watching America, host Dr. Alan Campbell talks to Brody-Waite about his book, Great Leaders Live Like Drug Addicts: How to Lead Like Your Life Depends on It...

Dr. Peter Boghossian was one of our first guests on Watching America. In spring 2019, he spoke with us about the Grievance Studies hoax, along with his academic cohorts: mathematician James Lindsay and author/researcher Helen Pluckrose. Listen to that episode: https://mediaplayer.whro.org/program/watchingamerica/e/watchingamerica-thursday-may-2nd-2019 Boghossian and Lindsay recently published the...

A man named Rick Singer was at the center of the largest college admissions scam ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice. Singer helped wealthy parents get their children into colleges of choice with doctored essays, altered test scores, and fake athletic resumes. And let’s not forget—a whole lot of money. Wall Street Journal reporters Melissa Korn and Jennifer Levitz wrote a book detailing w...

This episode is not appropriate for all listeners. Award-winning photographer Mark Laita has used his skills for clients such as Adidas, Apple and Mercedes-Benz, and his photography has been exhibited worldwide. But he might be doing the most important work of his life right now on Skid Row in Los Angeles. A few years ago, Laita started taking photographs of people living on the street, drug-addic...

Paul Robeson was world famous for his talents as a singer, actor, and professional football player. But his most important work was as an astute lawyer and activist, working against Jim Crow and Joseph McCarthy. Author Gerald Horne and Dr. Alan Campbell have an edifying and inspiring conversation about Horne’s new book, Paul Robeson: The Artist As Revolutionary. Horne also authored The Counter-Rev...

This is Part 2 of Dr. Alan Campbell's discussion with Burt Ward (Robin)--and this time, we hear from his wife, Tracy Posner, as well. Ward and Posner have dedicated their lives to rescuing animals. They created a dog food, "Gentle Giants," and just created a healthy formula for cats as well.

We hear from Burt Ward, who played Robin in the original Batman TV series. Ward is as lively, clever and funny as ever. He talks about becoming Robin at a young age, his life-long friendship with Batman (Adam West), and reveals backstage secrets and stunts from the show. We bring you part 2 of Dr. Alan Campbell's conversation with Ward in our next episode.

You may have heard singer, songwriter and musician Cassadee Pope on The Voice (she won), or in music from her first band, Hey Monday . She may have caught your attention when she was up for a Grammy. On this episode, we hear about her new solo album: Rise and Shine . Pope talks about the twists and turns in the life of a musician, and we hear samples of her latest work.

Award-winning author and journalist Colin Woodard talks about his latest book, Union: The Struggle to Forge the Story of United States Nationhood . Woodard and Dr. Alan Campbell discuss the main figures in the book, including George Bancroft, Woodrow Wilson and Frederick Douglass, and their efforts to create the nation’s identity. Woodard also comments on the current crisis of American unity.

Phil Donahue (The Phil Donahue Show) and Marlo Thomas (That Girl) have been married for 40 years. They just authored a book titled What Makes a Marriage Last . The book features their interviews with 40 couples—and we hear details about some of their most revealing and tender conversations. Dr. Alan Campbell also talks to Phil and Marlo about interesting moments in their storied careers.

The “Dunning-Kruger effect” is the bias people hold regarding their own cognitive ability. Not surprisingly, competence in a given area is not necessarily required to inspire confidence in one’s own abilities. Dr. Alan Campbell has a fascinating conversation with Dr. David Dunning about the implications this has in society--and we learn that none of us is immune.

Mayim Bialik was the child star on the hit show Blossom , who went on to become part of The Big Bang Theory . Her career took a fascinating turn when she became a neuroscientist, earning her PhD from UCLA. Dr. Alan Campbell talks to Bialik about her online and offline life, and new entertainment ventures in Celebrity Showoff and Call Me Cat . Then, we delve into the secret history behind a hit sho...

You may know comedian, commentator, and political enigma Dave Rubin from The Young Turks, the Hot Gay Comics podcast, or his own youtube show, The Rubin Report. He describes himself as a “classical liberal.” Dr. Alan Campbell talks to Rubin about his political transformation over the years, and his new book, Don’t Burn This Book: Thinking for Yourself in the Age of Unreason .

Jemel McWilliams is the creative force behind performances you’ve likely seen-- John Legend, Janelle Monaé, Alicia Keys, Lizzo, MAGIC! and The Walls Group have worked under his direction. His artistic vision has manifested on the multiple platforms, including the Oscars, Grammy's, Coachella, BET Awards, NBC's “The Voice,” and numerous music videos. McWilliams is a dancer, choreographer, and an all...

Author, academic, activist, and self-proclaimed feminist Dr. Warren Farrell says boys are suffering from a lack of purpose. Farrell has written extensively about men’s issues and how true equality between the sexes can be obtained—including in his international best sellers, Whey Men Are The Way They Are, and The Myth Of Male Power. Dr. Alan Campbell speaks to Farrell about his latest book, The Bo...

Kelly AuCoin is one of the most interesting character actors on the some of the most compelling television shows today. As "Dollar Bill" Stearn on "Billions," he faced prison and betrayed family and friends to serve his company. As Pastor Tim on "The Americans," he threatened to unravel the KGB deep cover operation. In this episode of Watching America, he talks to Dr. Alan Campbell about his craft...

At 14, Dianne Lake became the youngest member of Charles Manson's "family." She endured manipulation, psychological control, and abuse. As one of the members who was in the family the longest, she saw the darkness that became a national story. Now she tells Dr. Alan Campbell about her memories and her book, "Member of the Family: My Story of Charles Manson, Life Inside His Cult, and the Darkness T...