Sam Adler-Bell’s writing has appeared in New York Magazine and The New Republic. He’s also the co-host of the “Know Your Enemy” podcast. In this conversation with Daniel Spielberger, Sam chats about researching conservative figures, writing about the internal ideological divide amongst Democrats, and presenting leftist populism to a broader audience.

Listen to the Know Your Enemy podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/know-your-enemy/id1462703434

More about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz

Music by KT The Terrible

Zach Zimmerman is a comedian and writer whose work has been published in The New Yorker, Lithub, and other outlets. He’s also the author of the essay collection, “Is It Hot in Here (Or Am I Suffering for All Eternity for the Sins I Committed on Earth)?” Recently, he released a comedy special, “Surprise Me” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3J60D-JPSM)

In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Zach shares how he got into standup comedy, his advice for managing rejection, and the art of writing a humorous essay.

Watch “Surprise Me”: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3J60D-JPSM)

More info about Study Hall: Studyhall.xyz

Music by KT The Terrible

Mike Isaac is a technology correspondent for The New York Times who has been covering Meta and Silicon Valley. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Mike discusses his experience covering the FTC vs. Meta trial, deepfakes, and the rise of AI. In addition, Mike offers some tips on how reporters can find overlooked stories.

Keep up with Mike’s work: https://www.nytimes.com/by/mike-isaac

More information about Study Hall: Studyhall.xyz

Music by KT The Terrible

Kat Tenbarge is an independent reporter who writes at Spitfire News. Before Spitfire News, Kat was a reporter at NBC News and Insider. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Kat chats about her experience pivoting to independent multimedia reporting, the significance of the Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni case, and her coverage of Disney Adults.

Find out more about Spitfire News:https://spitfirenews.com/

Find out more about Study Hall: Studyhall.xyz

Music by KT The Terrible

Marisa Kabas runs the politics-focused newsletter The Handbasket. Marisa has been covering the Trump administration’s drastic cuts to the federal government and deportations.

In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, she discusses why she started The Handbasket, what it’s like getting scoops as an independent journalist, and how she navigates the dynamic of legacy media outlets failing to attribute reporting to independent journalists.

More information about The Handbasket: https://www.thehandbasket.co/

More information about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz

Music by KT The Terrible

Karen Hao is an award-winning journalist whose work has been published in MIT Technology Review, The Atlantic, and The Wall Street Journal. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, Hao discusses her new book,“Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI,” which traces how the company went from idealism to relentless expansion. Hao discusses the environmental and ethical implications of OpenAI’s empire. In addition, drawing from her role as the head of the Pulitzer Center’s The AI Spotlight series, she shares insight into how journalists should approach this technology as both a tool and a subject of reporting.

For more information about The AI Spotlight Series: https://pulitzercenter.org/focus-areas/information-and-artificial-intelligence/ai-spotlight-series

More information about “Empire of AI”: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743569/empire-of-ai-by-karen-hao/

Find out more about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz

Music by KT The Terrible

CONTENT WARNING: VIOLENCE

Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, an award-winning journalist, discusses her article for The Guardian about the murder of Fiona Holm. In her article, Brinkhurst-Cuff explores why Fiona’s murder didn’t gain that much attention in the British media and contextualizes it within the phenomenon of “missing white woman syndrome.” For the Reuters Institute, Brinkhurst-Cuff researched how the media often fails to accurately cover missing people. In this conversation with host Daniel Spielberger, she shares the findings of her research, discusses reporting The Guardian article, and offers tips for journalists who want to report on missing people while avoiding true crime tropes and sensationalism.

Charlie’s article: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/16/the-killing-of-fiona-holm-why-was-the-life-and-death-of-this-much-loved-mother-so-overlooked

Learn more about Study Hall: studyhall.xyz

Music by KT The Terrible