Publishing in a Polarized World

In a wide-ranging conversation, Foreign Affairs Editor Dan Kurtz-Phelan joins Why It Matters to discuss nonpartisan publishing in a polarized political climate, the state of press freedom around the world, and the future of journalism.

Play Button Pause Button
0:00 0:00
x
Host
  • Gabrielle Sierra
    Director, Podcasting
Credits

Molly McAnany - Associate Podcast Producer

Episode Guests
  • Daniel Kurtz-Phelan
    Editor, Foreign Affairs; Peter G. Peterson Chair

Show Notes

A free and independent press is at the core of many democracies. But threats to the safety of journalists abound worldwide, and the rise of generative artificial intelligence has raised concerns about the future of media. At the same time, more people have access to high quality news now than perhaps ever before. Where does all this leave the state of the current media climate?

 

In this episode, Host Gabrielle Sierra and Foreign Affairs Editor Daniel Kurtz-Phelan talk about the future of journalism, and whether political polarization presents a challenge to nonpartisan publishing.

 

Mentioned on the podcast

 

W.E.B. Du Bois, “Worlds of Color,” Foreign Affairs

 

Mike Gallagher and Matt Pottinger , “No Substitute for Victory,” Foreign Affairs

 

How to Avoid a Great-Power War: A Conversation With General Mark Milley, Foreign Affairs Interview

Energy and Climate Policy

What powers artificial intelligence (AI)? As global electricity use is surging, with unprecedented demand coming from an increase in data centers, AI’s dependence on fossil fuels presents a serious issue for the planet. In the United States, data center power usage is on track to double by 2030, largely due to the proliferation of AI technology. But while the application of AI shows potential to mitigate climate problems through modeling or predicting weather events, will its power grab stall the clean energy transition?

Election 2024

Why It Matters sits down with the hosts of The World Next Week to talk about what the United States–and a closely watching world–should expect in the weeks and months to come as incoming President Trump takes office.

Technology and Innovation

For most of our history, the realm of international relations was dominated by nation-states. They waged wars and signed treaties through the framework of governance. But today, more so than ever before, tech titans are acting as unilateral decision makers, upsetting the balance and structure of global power around the world.

Top Stories on CFR

Syria

China

Zoe Liu, the Maurice R. Greenberg Senior Fellow for China Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how Trump’s victory is being viewed in China and what his presidency will mean for the future of U.S.-China economic relations. This episode is the seventh in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2025 presidential transition and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

France

The fall of the French government, along with political uncertainty in Germany, has upped the pressure on President Emmanuel Macron amid growing European tensions over migration, Ukraine, and energy policy.