The Project Censored Show

In the first half of the show Italian philosopher and author Federico Campagna joins the show to discuss his most recent book, Otherworlds: Mediterranean Lessons on Escaping History. Federico outlines the role of imagination in shaping our reality, the censored histories of those who refused an oppressive reality not because they denied its existence but because they denied its acceptability, and built worlds to shield, shelter, survive and in some cases thrive in some of history's most difficult times. Federico also discusses how myths and nostalgia work for and against us, the nuance missing in an ever-narrowing world view which buries and censors the possibilities of both the past and the present. Next up, Mickey sits down with media professor and author Bill Yousman to talk about disinformation, looking back on his essay for the State of the Free Press 2025 to contextualize where we are now, and where we could be headed with some prescriptive actions. Bill outlines the importance of not falling back on the lazy but easy path of censorship in combating disinformation, and the importance of well-funded public media and education in bolstering ourselves against the tsunamis of nonsense. The post History, Myth, and Media in an Age of Disinformation appeared first on Project Censored.

This week, a special roundtable discussion with your Project Censored cohosts and the Freedom of the Press Foundation. Director of Advocacy Seth Stern and Daniel Ellsberg Chair on Government Secrecy Lauren Harper come back on the show to dive into the viscous morass of rights violations, including those of ICE, and the complicit courts and judges that could do more to rein them in, SLAPP suits as a weapon to silence truth-tellers, the issue of over-classification that serves to paper over the publics right to know what our government is doing in our name, and much more. The post A Viscous Morass: SLAPP Suits, Secrecy, and Complicit Courts appeared first on Project Censored.

In the first half of the show, we welcome back the editor-in-chief of Jewish Currents Arielle Angel to talk about the need for new Jewish institutions that reflect not only antizionist Judaism but the myriad traditions of Judaism which zionism has always tried to negate and erase. Arielle also highlights the connections between zionism and American exceptionalism, ideologies that fuel and feed off one another, the power of a grassroots leftist Jewish memory culture, and the pitfalls of self-denial on the Jewish left. Next up, editor for Workday Magazine, Sarah Lazare comes on the show to discuss the purposefully obfuscated connection between labor organizing and immigrants rights. Sarah outlines ways in which workers are building solidarity in the face of violent raids and harassment, and how shallow and extractive corporate media practices perpetuate misinformation and violence. The post Antizionist Futures and Immigrant Rights in Labor Organizing appeared first on Project Censored.

This week we are rejoined by media scholar Nolan Higdon to discuss his latest work, “Unmasking Epstein: Power, Blackmail, and the Press’s Failures.” We also delve into the increasingly problematic world of Artificial Intelligence, the challenges and threats AI poses, and the importance of critical AI literacy. Next, Mickey speaks to Brown University first year student James Libresco about his latest Dispatch on Media and Politics for Project Censored titled, “A Direct Attack on Freedom of Speech: Trump Takes on Higher Ed.” Libresco addresses media freedom and the student press, as well as the massive pushback to Trump’s so-called “Compact for Excellence in Higher Education,” which actually poses major threats to academic freedom. The post Scrutinizing Power: Epstein Coverage, AI Threats, and Higher Ed Under Pressure appeared first on Project Censored.

In the first part of the program, Palestinian-American journalist, translator, photographer, and media analyst Laura Albast joins the show to discuss journalism as memory work, and the narrative as a battlefield upon which ever more advanced technology takes aim at Palestinian voices and lived experiences. Laura frames journalism as a commitment - to people and their stories, and talks about how the chasing of headlines and by-lines in the 24-hour news cycle leads to extractive journalism, and how and why movement media can be the antidote. Next up, Economics PHD students Shakked Noy and Aakaash Rao discuss their recent report: The Business of the Culture War which links the contemporary “culture wars” to changes in media technologies as well as economic incentives for cable news. Shakked and Aakaash discuss how their research shows that the economic drive for viewership has incentivized corporate media to turn away from actual political news and towards sensational infotainment, and how the commodification of legitimate rage leaves us dumber and more divided than ever before. The post Memory Work & Culture Wars: From Palestine to Corporate Media appeared first on Project Censored.