Best UVA Media Lab Podcasts (2024)

1
S8 E6. Undue Process 28:17

2d ago28:17

28:17

Félix Maradiaga spent more than 600 days in a jail in Nicaragua. Held in solitary confinement for most of that time, he faced beatings and constant interrogation. Why? Because he stood up against the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega. Since 2007, Ortega has dismantled checks on his power. In 2018, his police cracked down on mass protests, killing some …

1
Keeping the Faith [Rebroadcast] 32:47

9d ago32:47

32:47

In 1829, the abolitionist David Walker published a stunning, poignant appeal to “to the colored citizens of the world.” He urged them to fight against a system of racial slavery and oppression, and to expose that system’s moral bankruptcy. Walker’s plea has since taken shape in the work of some of America’s greatest thinkers, like W.E.B. Du Bois, J…

1
S8 E5. El Loco 38:21

16d ago38:21

38:21

Argentina’s new president is a libertarian populist and, by his own account, an anarcho-capitalist. To tackle his county’s deep economic troubles, Javier Milei wants to dismantle state institutions, implement severe austerity measures and strip protections for workers. He also wants to outlaw abortion. But in a country with a strong tradition of or…

1
Swift Country [Rebroadcast] 51:34

25d ago51:34

51:34

Last September, Vote.org and other advocacy groups saw a massive spike in new voter registrations on a one-day nationwide drive. The main reason: Taylor Swift, who has been urging fans to get political. But can she — and other celebrities — move the needle on core matters of social justice, and maybe even save democracy? As usual, we turn to the ex…

1
S8 E4. The Plight of Pakistan 27:08

1M ago27:08

27:08

Last May, protestors took to the streets in Pakistan to support Imran Khan, the populist prime minister tossed from office and into the slammer. Now, in a rebuke to the military and political establishment, voters put more candidates from Khan’s circle in parliament than from any other party. But they fell short of a majority last month in an elect…

1
S8 E3. Lethal Weapons 28:35

2M ago28:35

28:35

Last year, there were 645 mass shootings in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive. In the latest major tragedy, at the Kansas City Super Bowl parade, one person was killed and 22 others — half of them children — suffered gunshot wounds. But here’s something you may not know: since then, there have been another 26 mass shootings. …

1
S8 E2. Against the Wall 27:23

2M ago27:23

27:23

This season we’ve adopted walls as our loose theme, and architectural historian Louis Nelson joins Will and Siva to help frame the idea. At the University of Virginia, wavy brick walls enclose beautiful gardens. But as Nelson explains those walls once served a more sinister purpose. Drawing on this lesson from the past, our guest and hosts grapple …

1
S8 E1. Living Memory 34:50

3M ago34:50

34:50

Before the Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949, Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists played a key role in fighting the Japanese during World War II. In the decades after, China’s role as an ally to the West was largely erased from its domestic politics — and all but forgotten everywhere else. Lately, Chinese leaders are revisiting “the Good War…

1
S7 E7. Keeping the Faith 33:24

5M ago33:24

33:24

In 1829, the abolitionist David Walker published a stunning, poignant appeal to “to the colored citizens of the world.” He urged them to fight against a system of racial slavery and oppression, and to expose that system’s moral bankruptcy. The essence of Walker’s plea has since taken shape in the work of some of America’s greatest thinkers, like W.…

1
S7 E6. Swift Country 50:41

5M ago50:41

50:41

Ahead of some key state elections this year, Vote.org and other advocacy groups saw a massive spike in new voter registrations on a one-day nationwide drive. The main reason: Taylor Swift. The pop star has been urging fans to get political. But can she — and other celebrities — move the needle on core matters of social justice, and maybe even save …

1
S7 E5. Power Plays 32:37

6M ago32:37

32:37

After a fraudulent election in August 2020, Belarusian riot police cracked down on massive protests. Then demonstrators started vanishing. Many of them would be tortured in custody. But a determined group of activists struck back, outing the names and faces of bad cops. We speak with one of those activists for a new segment called “The Power of Man…

1
S7 E4. Wonder Women 41:21

6M ago41:21

41:21

Coming at you live from Light House Studio’s Vinegar Hill Theatre in Charlottesville, our fair city: Emily and Siva welcome Jennifer Weiss-Wolf and Samhita Sunya to the stage, as part of the Karsh Institute’s Democracy360 forum. Sunya, a cinema expert, and Weiss-Wolf, a pioneering advocate for women’s rights, discuss the power of film and print med…

1
S7 E3. The Poles Have Spoken 26:47

7M ago26:47

26:47

For eight years, the nationalist Law and Justice Party has ruled Poland. It set about taking over public media, the courts and cultural institutions, while tightening restrictions on abortion and immigration. But this month Poles said, “Stop.” Voters turned out in record numbers and delivered a rebuke to extremism, electing a centrist coalition to …

1
S7 E2. A Dream in Distress 39:59

7M ago39:59

39:59

In the 1930s, truckers in Minneapolis went on strike to protest their precarious working conditions. When things got violent, FDR stepped in — and the truckers won. New York Times writer David Leonhardt says this story demonstrates the importance of organized labor to the vitality of the American dream. Today, that dream of a “better, richer, happi…

1
S7 E1. We Contain Multitudes 27:07

7M ago27:07

27:07

Poets, painters, novelists, musicians — it turns out they are as crucial to sustaining self-government as politicians and pundits. In a wide-ranging conversation, our hosts speak with English professor Steve Parks about the likes of Walt Whitman, Woody Guthrie, Sinéad O’Connor and the Malian singer Fatoumata Kouyaté. What does their art have in com…

1
Introducing Season Seven 8:59

8M ago8:59

8:59

New season, new questions, new people! This fall, UVa historian Emily Burrill joins our team to fill in for Will while he’s away. Emily chats with Siva and Will about what’s coming up in Season Seven. We’ll be delving into the relationship between expressive culture and democratic practice, putting on a couple of live shows and — of course — servin…

1
Changing Minds [Rebroadcast] 30:30

8M ago30:30

30:30

Let’s face it. Sometimes you can’t stand your neighbor’s guts. Problem is, contempt for people who think differently from you is the death knell of democracy, says writer Anand Giridharadas. He set out in search of the lost art of persuasion, and found it: among activists, cult-deprogrammers, political organizers and deep canvassers. Giridharadas s…

1
Unholy Land [Rebroadcast] 46:48

9M ago46:48

46:48

The 75th anniversary of Israel’s founding was met in May with another round of bloodshed. As the Islamic Jihad fired rockets from Gaza, the Israeli military responded with brutal airstrikes, killing civilians. Meanwhile, thousands have taken to the streets in Israel — to little avail — protesting the authoritarian moves of Prime Minister Benjamin N…

1
Fighting with Song [Rebroadcast] 32:01

9M ago32:01

32:01

Manasseh Mathiang was twice exiled from his homeland. Once: as a child fleeing a bloody civil war. A second time: as an activist helping to build a new country before running afoul of the authorities. His crime? Singing for freedom and justice in South Sudan, where the government promised democratic reforms and delivered oppression instead. Still, …

1
Ballot Blues [Rebroadcast] 38:43

10M ago38:43

38:43

The civil rights movement was a huge leap forward for voting rights, yet one big part of the electorate remains largely on the sidelines: the poor. Legal scholar Bertrall Ross points to low turnout among the bottom 20 percent of American earners as an insidious form of voter suppression, all but guaranteeing their interests won’t be served. And he …

1
Closet Civics [Rebroadcast] 24:53

10M ago24:53

24:53

Early in 2017, millions of women marched in solidarity to oppose Donald Trump’s inauguration. In a small Texas county, meantime, a growing network of like-minded ladies found each other — and began meeting in secret. One scholar followed these women as they became improbable, undercover champions of civic engagement while keeping their activism hid…

1
The Good Gamble [Rebroadcast]

11M ago

—

Catch up this summer on what you’ve missed. Today, legal scholar Jedediah Purdy joins Will and Siva to talk about the people and the law. Can Americans transcend gross inequality, neoliberal ideology, and the “politics of nihilism” taking root among their leaders? Looking to Frederick Douglass for inspiration, Purdy thinks so. His says citizens nee…

1
S6 E9. Unholy Land 49:42

11M ago49:42

49:42

This May, the 75th anniversary of Israel’s founding was met with another round of fighting. As the Islamic Jihad fired rockets from Gaza, the Israeli military responded with brutal airstrikes. Meanwhile, thousands have been taking to the streets in Israel to oppose the authoritarian moves of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Two analysts — one Pal…

1
S6 E8. Black and Blue 27:28

12M ago27:28

27:28

Law enforcement is among the most undemocratic institutions in America, says New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie. And the effect this has on communities of color is especially stark. Bouie visits Will and Siva’s class for another live recording with their students, to discuss police brutality, the country’s culture of violence, and the shifting …

1
S6 E7. Twitter Pill 32:42

12M ago32:42

32:42

After Elon Musk bought Twitter and fired most of its staff, the platform seems to be floundering, if not imploding. Traffic is flagging, major news outlets have abandoned their handles, hate speech is on the rise. And yet, Twitter remains one of the easiest ways to speak out in public. Media scholar Meredith Clark doesn’t know if Twitter will survi…

1
S6 E6. Fighting with Song 31:51

1y ago31:51

31:51

Manasseh Mathiang was twice exiled from his homeland. Once: as a child fleeing a bloody civil war. A second time: as an activist who returned to help build a new country but ran afoul of the authorities. His crime? Singing for freedom and justice in South Sudan, where the government promised democratic reforms and delivered oppression instead. Stil…

1
S6 E5. Ballot Blues 38:04

1y ago38:04

38:04

The civil rights movement was a huge leap forward for voting rights, yet one group of the electorate remains largely on the sidelines: the poor. Legal scholar Bertrall Ross calls low turnout among the bottom 20 percent of American earners an insidious form of voter suppression, all but guaranteeing their interests won’t be served. And he offers som…

1
S6 E4. Resisting Russia’s War 37:50

1y ago37:50

37:50

This time on the show, we bring you a tale of two struggles. In Ukraine, a 16-year-old living just miles from the Russian border does what she can in the face of missile strikes, power outages and daily trauma. And in Estonia, an exiled Russian activist works to oppose Putin’s war and help refugees escape the conflict. Where democracy is most in da…

1
S6 E3. The Road Past Roe 32:39

1y ago32:39

32:39

The end of federal protection for abortion rights has led to a patchwork of state and local laws banning and even criminalizing healthcare choices that women continue to make every day. Amy Hagstrom Miller, founder and CEO of Whole Woman’s Health, visits Will and Siva’s class to discuss the implications of these developments for her work, as she co…

1
S6 E2. Rights of Passage 30:42

1y ago30:42

30:42

As many as a quarter of U.S. residents are foreign-born or the children of immigrants. Since the country’s founding, newcomers have made and remade the United States every generation. And yet debates about immigration policy are deeply fraught, highly cyclical and often coded in racial animus, says legal scholar Amanda Frost. America’s pathways to …

1
S6 E1. Disunion Runs Deep 30:18

1y ago30:18

30:18

America’s Constitution was meant to unify the new nation and help avert a civil war over the thorniest of divisions: slavery. Oops! In retrospect, that charter proved much too ambiguous, lending itself to both proslavery and abolitionist causes. In this season’s premiere, historian Liz Varon discusses the deep roots of polarization in the United St…

1
The Justices Have No Robes [Rebroadcast] 31:25

1+ y ago31:25

31:25

The high court’s conservatives insist that strict readings of the U.S. Constitution have compelled them to strike down popular policies like abortion rights and campaign finance limits. Well, legal expert Christopher Sprigman has some news for these robed rogues. Buried in the law of the land is the key to reining in the federal judiciary. All Cong…

1
WTF, GOP [Rebroadcast, Again!] 31:18

1+ y ago31:18

31:18

We’ve never been a podcast about “Democrats” in danger. But in the United States, one political party epitomizes the antidemocratic moment. Donald Trump’s influence may be waning, but many Republicans remain devoted to his style, intent on suppressing the vote and hostile to racial justice. After last week’s debacle in the House, we bring you an ep…

1
Hoover’s Ghost [Rebroadcast] 35:40

1+ y ago35:40

35:40

A consummate G-man, J. Edgar Hoover led the FBI for four decades, becoming one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. Demanding rigor, loyalty and stealth from his subordinates, he worked closely with presidents of both parties, but his own views were steeped in conservative ideas on religion, race and anticommunism. As new details em…

1
S5 E9. Changing Minds 31:26

1+ y ago31:26

31:26

Let’s face it. There are times you can’t stand your neighbor’s guts. The problem is, contempt and disgust for people who think differently from you is the death knell of democracy, says writer Anand Giridharadas. Over the last few years, he set out in search of the lost art of persuasion, and found it: among activists, cult-deprogrammers, political…

1
S5 E8. Missed Opportunity 32:25

1+ y ago32:25

32:25

Two years ago, on the heels of mass protests, Chileans overwhelmingly agreed: they needed to draft a new constitution. This September, faced with an up-or-down referendum on one of the most progressive governing charters in world history, they balked. What went wrong? Political theorist Camila Vergara breaks down the breakdown in her country’s effo…

1
UVA, Wounded and Strong [Special Episode] 30:58

1+ y ago30:58

30:58

Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry were returning from a field trip with their classmates when their lives were cut short. The gunman who killed them has been identified as another student on the trip. Our hosts and producers sit down together to mourn and make sense of yet another tragedy too close to home. And they ask: Where do we …

1
S5 E7. Unsafe Harbor 31:10

1+ y ago31:10

31:10

The United States hasn’t overhauled immigration policy since the 1990s, even though most Americans agree the system is failing. And for thousands fleeing violence in Latin America, the consequences of inaction in Washington are treacherous. Will and our colleague Debbie Kang speak this time with a scholar fighting for asylum cases to get a fair sha…

1
S5 E6. Hoover’s Ghost 34:21

1+ y ago34:21

34:21

A consummate G-man, J. Edgar Hoover led the FBI for close to 40 years, becoming one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. Demanding rigor, loyalty and stealth from his subordinates, he worked closely with presidents of both parties, but his own views were steeped in conservative ideas on religion, race and anticommunism. Historian Be…

1
S5 E5. Brazilian Nail-Biter 33:14

1+ y ago33:14

33:14

Pollsters in Brazil had Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the comeback candidate, leading by as many as 14 percentage points in the presidential election. But neither top nominee won a majority this month, sending citizens back to the polls for a historic runoff. And democracy itself is on the line. Incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro has waged war on real…

1
S5 E4. We the Entrenched 34:48

1+ y ago34:48

34:48

The U.S. Constitution is an 18th-century straitjacket. It’s almost impossible to amend, it gives outsize power to small states, and its meaning is subject to the whims of unelected and increasingly intransigent judges. So what’s new? Well, you might be intrigued to learn on this episode just how America might wrench itself out of that morass, short…

1
S5 E3. The Justices Have No Robes 30:38

1+ y ago30:38

30:38

The high court’s conservatives insist that strict readings of the U.S. Constitution have compelled them to strike down popular policies like abortion rights and campaign finance limits. Well, legal expert Christopher Sprigman has some news for these robed rogues. Buried in the law of the land is the key to reining in the federal judiciary. All Cong…

1
S5 E2. Closet Civics 25:23

1+ y ago25:23

25:23

In January 2017, millions of women marched in solidarity to oppose Donald Trump’s inauguration. But in a small Texas county, a growing network of like-minded ladies found each other — and began meeting in secret. Communications scholar Emily Van Duyn followed these women as they became improbable, undercover champions of civic engagement while keep…

1
S5 E1. The Good Gamble

1+ y ago

—

We’re back! Legal scholar Jedediah Purdy joins Will and Siva to help launch a new season focused on democracy, law and the people. Can Americans transcend gross inequality, neoliberal ideology, and the “politics of nihilism” taking root among their leaders? Looking to Frederick Douglass for inspiration, Purdy thinks so. His new book urges readers t…

1
Learning Curbed [Rebroadcast] 27:15

1+ y ago27:15

27:15

Public schools are ground zero in the battle over American civic life. Teaching history is under attack, book banning is on the rise, and leaders in red states are legislating homophobia in the guise of protecting children. Historian Natalia Petrzela locates the roots of such political backlash in cultural upheavals of the 1960s that continue to pl…

1
Disconnected [Rebroadcast] 30:45

2y ago30:45

30:45

President Biden’s recent covid diagnosis is a reminder that the country is not out of the pandemic woods yet. As new variants crop up and infection numbers spike, the demand for remote working and learning will remain. But as many as 120 million Americans lack consistent, high-speed internet. This time we revisit our show with media scholar Christo…

1
Telltale Coup [Rebroadcast] 23:27

2y ago23:27

23:27

Just as FDR and his allies were crafting the New Deal, a retired Marine named Smedley Butler came forward with a shocking revelation. Powerful business interests, Butler alleged, were plotting to overthrow the U.S. government. Inspired by the rise of fascism in Europe, the conspirators had sought Butler’s aid. Little did they know, decades of fight…

1
Locked and Loaded [Rebroadcast] 43:17

2y ago43:17

43:17

There are more firearms — nearly 400 million — in the United States than people. Hundreds of them were on full display at a pro-gun rally in Virginia, in 2020, where a group of strange bedfellows met in praise of the Second Amendment. On this replay, we revisit that story, and our interview with historian Carol Anderson. If you thought the right to…

1
S4 E16. Past, Present, Future 42:06

2y ago42:06

42:06

Coming to you live this week from the American Political History conference at Purdue University, it’s our season finale. Will and Siva speak with three historians — Liette Gidlow, Derek Musgrove and Thomas Zimmer — about the past, present and future of government by the people. Our guests ponder the Jan. 6 hearings, D.C. statehood, social mobiliza…

1
S4 E15. Saving Social Media 36:18

2y ago36:18

36:18

In recent years, American politicians seem to be getting tougher about internet oversight. But it remains unclear whether Washington has the will to regulate big tech companies and the platforms they control. This week we hear from Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat, and former Rep. Barbara Comstock, a Republican, live from the University of Virginia’s c…

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