Episodes

  • Our Social Media 'Bespoke Realities'

    Our Social Media 'Bespoke Realities'
    Feb 10 2025
    Mona welcomes Renée DiResta to discuss how social media has distorted our perceptions and how to navigates the world of influencers, online mobs, and lairs.

    The Mona Charen Show is a weekly, one-on-one discussion that goes in depth on political and cultural topics. Ad-free editions are exclusively available for Bulwark+ members. Add the show to your player of choice, here, or find it wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Not yet a member? Join The Bulwark today!

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    References:

    Books & Authors:

    • "Invisible Rulers" – by Renée DiResta (Main topic of discussion)

    Historical References:

    • Father Coughlin & Propaganda (1930s) – Discussion of his use of radio for anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi propaganda, and how he was eventually stopped.

    • Institute for Propaganda Analysis (1930s) – Early efforts to combat misinformation by teaching people how propaganda works.

    Academic & Media References:

    • Helen Lewis (The Atlantic) – Quoted for stating that “the internet is built to empower extremophiles.”

    • Google's Assertive Provenance Report – Discussion of how Google suggests approaches for watermarking and authenticating AI-generated content.

    Key Topics Discussed:

    Misinformation & Social Media Dynamics

    1. Iowa Caucuses (2012 vs. 2020) – How political narratives and distrust in election results evolved.

    2. Measles Outbreak & Anti-Vaccine Misinformation – How misinformation spreads and how online movements gain traction.

    3. Algorithmic Influence & Content Curation – The role of algorithms in shaping political extremism and public perceptions.

    4. QAnon & Wayfair Conspiracy Theory – How misinformation led to real-world harassment and threats.

    5. COVID-19 & Public Trust in Institutions – How institutional silence and slow responses allowed misinformation to fill the gap.

    6. Decline of Trust in Experts – How institutions and scientists need to engage more effectively online.

    7. Influencers & Audience Capture – How social media personalities can be driven toward extremism by audience demands.

    Solutions & Strategies

    1. Pre-bunking – Educating people in advance about misinformation tactics.

    2. Adding Friction – Using design interventions (like Twitter’s “Are you sure you want to share this?”) to slow down misinformation.

    3. Virality Circuit Breakers – Temporary restrictions on the spread of viral misinformation while it is fact-checked.

    4. Watermarking AI-generated Content – Challenges and limitations in identifying AI-created media.

    5. Institutional Preparedness – Advice for organizations on handling misinformation crises.
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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • Christianity’s Crossroads: Faith, Democracy, and America’s Future

    Christianity’s Crossroads: Faith, Democracy, and America’s Future
    Feb 3 2025
    In this episode of The Mona Charen Podcast, Mona Charen speaks with author Jonathan Rauch about his new book, Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy. They explore the decline of Christianity in America, its impact on democracy, and whether faith can be depoliticized. Rauch, a self-described “atheistic homosexual Jew,” makes the case that Christianity has been a vital “load-bearing wall” for American democracy and argues for a return to its core principles. The conversation touches on political polarization, the role of faith in public life, and what small-l liberals and conservatives alike can learn from the evolving role of religion in society.

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    REFERENCES:
    Books by Jonathan Rauch    :

    • Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy (his new book)
    • The Constitution of Knowledge (his previous book)
    Articles:

    • An article by Jonathan Rauch in The Atlantic (2003) celebrating secularization, which he later called "the dumbest thing I ever wrote."
    Books and Works Referenced:

    • Tim Alberta’s The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory (referred to in discussion about the church and politics)
    • A quote attributed to G.K. Chesterton: “When people cease to believe in God, they don’t believe in nothing, they believe in anything” (noted as possibly apocryphal).
    • Russell Moore's commentary on the state of the church.
    • The Bible (including references to Jesus’ teachings such as "forgive your enemies" and "the least of these").
    • A quote from John Adams: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
    • The Book of Mormon (mentioned in the discussion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).
    • Immanuel Kant’s ethical philosophy (used to support moral arguments).
    • Rabbi Hillel’s summary of the Torah: “That which is hateful to you, do not do unto your neighbor. All the rest is commentary. Now go and study.”
    Legislation and Policies Referenced:

    • The 1964 Civil Rights Act (mentioning its religious exemptions).
    • The Utah Compromise (2015) on LGBT rights and religious freedoms.
    • The Respect for Marriage Act (2022), which protected same-sex marriage while also ensuring religious protections.
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Does the Law Allow Trump's Power Grab?

    Does the Law Allow Trump's Power Grab?
    Jan 27 2025
    Mona interviews Georgetown law professor Stephen Vladeck on executive orders, birthright citizenship, Congress not doing its job, and whether Trump will defy the Supreme Court.

    Referenced Cases:

    1. Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952) – Commonly referred to as the "Steel Seizure Case," it involved President Truman's attempt to take control of steel mills during the Korean War.

    2. Korematsu v. United States (1944) – Upheld the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II; later criticized but not formally overturned until its repudiation in Trump v. Hawaii.

    3. Ex Parte Endo (1944) – A companion case to Korematsu, ruling the detention of a loyal Japanese American citizen was unauthorized by statute.

    4. Trump v. Hawaii (2018) – Upheld the Trump administration's travel ban but included the repudiation of Korematsu as part of the decision.

    5. United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898) – Affirmed the principle of birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment.

    6. INS v. Chadha (1983) – Declared legislative vetoes unconstitutional, affecting the National Emergencies Act.

    7. TikTok-related Executive Orders and Litigation – Mentioned in the context of national security and executive overreach.

    Referenced Works:

    • The U.S. Constitution:

      • Article II: Presidential powers.

      • 14th Amendment: Citizenship clause.
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    37 mins
  • About Those Men

    About Those Men
    Jan 20 2025
    Mona welcomes Richard Reeves to discuss the struggles of boys and men, including a debate about whether marriage promotion is good or obsolete in this day and age.

    • Richard Reeves’s bio at the American Institute for Boys and Men

    • Sex Matters by Mona Charen

    • Boy Mom by Ruth Whippman

    • How to Save Marriage in America by Richard Reeves (Originally published in The Atlantic)

    • Pro-Family Policy Priorities for States Shaping Policy, Renewing Culture. Polling and Perspectives from the Sun Belt by Patrick T. Brown of The Ethics and Public Policy Center and Brad Wilcox of The Institute for Family Studies

    • How family law undermines fatherhood, and how to fix it by June Carbone at AIBM.
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Is Womanhood So Bad?

    Is Womanhood So Bad?
    Jan 13 2025
    In the inaugural episode of The Mona Charen Show, Mona welcomes New York Times columnist Pamela Paul to discuss why girls are getting negative messages about womanhood. Also: sex differences, social media, motherhood, and men's struggles.

    Get 15% off OneSkin with the code MONA at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Coming soon—a new show hosted by Mona Charen

    Coming soon—a new show hosted by Mona Charen
    Jan 8 2025
    1 min
  • The Final Beg to Differ

    The Final Beg to Differ
    Dec 20 2024
    Mona and the gang bid farewell to this format, discuss what will replace it, and offer a glimpse of future plans.

    Leave a comment

    Highlights / Lowlights:

    Mona outlined the future of her new show.

    Bill previews his forthcoming book on political psychology.

    Linda: The Silver Candlesticks: A Novel of the Spanish Inquisition, Linda’s forthcoming book, which you can pre-order now! Make sure you sign up for Linda’s Substack.

    Damon: While Damon finishes his forthcoming book on Leo Strauss, go down the Straussian rabbithole at Notes from the Middleground.

    Referenced work: Bret Stephens’s “Done With Trump” in the NYT
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    1 hr and 18 mins
  • Trump's Most Dangerous Nominee

    Trump's Most Dangerous Nominee
    Dec 13 2024
    Noah Smith joins to discuss what Tulsi Gabbard could do to America, the other anti-qualified nominees, the Penny/Mangione cases, and what Syria should remind us of.

    Highlights / Lowlights

    Mona: Rupert Murdoch's Succession Fiasco, Clive Irving at Vanity Fair

    Linda: Why Does Pete Hegseth Keep Talking About ‘Warfighters’? Elliot Ackerman at The Free Press.

    Bill: His WSJ column: Save a Reagan Initiative From Musk and Ramaswamy

    Damon: When Democracy’s Defenders Turn Into Its Gravediggers, Yascha Mounck

    Noah makes his reasoned pitch as to why rabbits make excellent pets.
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    1 hr and 10 mins