On the Media - From Subpoenas to Cockroaches: Journalist Intimidation 101

On the Media - From Subpoenas to Cockroaches: Journalist Intimidation 101

From Adam Curry's Podcasts by KCUR Radio

July 17, 2026 · 51 min

About this episode

The episode discusses journalist intimidation through subpoenas and harassment campaigns against reporters.

This week, several New York Times reporters were subpoenaed by the Justice Department for their reporting on Air Force One. On this week’s On the Media, how a fifty-year-old Supreme Court ruling left journalists exposed to this kind of legal challenge. Plus, hear how Ebay employees launched a bizarre harassment campaign against a couple of e-commerce reporters. [01:00] Micah Loewinger interviews Matt Gertz , senior fellow at Media Matters, about Todd Blanche’s recent confirmation hearings, his track record of being a Trump loyalist and frequent Fox News guest, and what his appointment reveals about the shifting independence of the attorney general from the White House. [16:39] Micah speaks with Lee Levine , media lawyer and author of the upcoming book In Bad Faith: Earl Caldwell and the Fight for a Free Press , about the Justice Department delivering subpoenas to New York Times journalists for reporting on security concerns regarding the president’s new Air Force One, and what we can learn from the history of past presidential administrations weaponizing subpoenas against the press. [32:11] Brooke Gladstone sits down with Jenny Carchman, director of the documentary Whatever It…

People in this episode

Hosts: Micah Loewinger, Brooke Gladstone

Guests: Matt Gertz, Lee Levine, Jenny Carchman

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New York Times, Justice Department, Media Matters, eBay

Books & works: In Bad Faith: Earl Caldwell and the Fight for a Free Press, Whatever It Takes: Inside the eBay Scandal

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