PODCAST · news
Hard Reset
by Mollie Bryant
Hard Reset is a podcast dedicated to misinformation, media and news.
Episodes
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Being doxxed, courts and clicks
What it’s like to be doxxed, systemic problems with American courts and why journalism is like an immune system. This is BigIfTrue.org’s last episode of Hard Reset. Thank you for listening, and keep up with our reporting by subscribing to our newsletter at BigIfTrue.org/hardreset.
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What to do if you’re evicted
On this week’s show, we spoke with Will Bedwell, housing attorney for the Mississippi Center for Justice. Since last year, the nonprofit law firm has seen a surge of evictions in Mississippi, which has some of the least tenant-friendly laws in the country. Also: What steps should you take if you...
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How criminal court backlogs are impacting trials
During the pandemic, many criminal courts moved at a glacial pace. Now some courts are facing backlogs that public defenders worry will further delay trials for their clients. We spoke with Jana Hayes, who wrote about this issue recently for Big If True. Also: Deepfakes and how Trump could return...
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Why blind Americans have faced barriers while seeking the covid vaccine
During the covid vaccine rollout, Americans have relied on state and federal websites to get vital information and sign up for the vaccine. But Kaiser Health News reported recently that millions of people with visual impairments have had trouble accessing the sites and getting vaccine…
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Why a winter storm left many Texans without power
On this week's episode, Justin talks about what it was like on the ground in Houston during a brutal winter storm that left many Texans without electricity and water. Also: What makes Texas' grid different from those in other states and the optics of Sen. Ted Cruz leaving the state during the...
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Why some struggling hospitals missed out on federal covid aid
Billions of dollars in federal aid were reserved to help hospitals financially survive the pandemic, but in some cases, funds went to the wrong owner or were never spent. We spoke with reporter Brianna Bailey of The Frontier, who recently reported on some of the issues that came up when this aid...
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Respect for lower-wage health workers is up, but their pay isn’t
On this week’s show, we discuss some of President Joe Biden’s first executive orders and his administration’s plan for distributing the covid vaccine. Also: We spoke with reporter Emma Castleberry about how the pandemic has worsened workforce shortages in the health care industry.
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How police responded to the assault on the Capitol
On this week’s show, we talked about last week’s assault on the US Capitol, the police response to the riot and Twitter banning President Donald Trump. Also, we spoke with Jeremy Martin, who recently wrote about how certain evictions will be blocked through the end of January.
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Why teachers worry they’re losing students
This semester, schools have relied on virtual learning as the pandemic disrupted traditional classes. We spoke with freelance reporter and former teacher Ben Luschen about why distance learning is here to stay and how students and teachers have adapted. Also on the show: In October, when...
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A minute with the podcast tastemaker
Mollie and Justin talk about podcasts, why our listening habits have changed this year and how what’s in the news plays out in our lives. Donate here to help us reach our goal to raise $1,500 to cover Big If True's reporting costs.
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Without a break, women juggle work, parenting and getting covid
During the pandemic, women have been more likely than men to lose work, cut their hours, and take on more parenting and household responsibilities. On today’s show, we spoke with reporter Emma Castleberry about how women have juggled financial challenges, parenting and getting covid. Also: The...
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Frog and Toad celebrate Thanksgiving in quarantine
For writer and comedian Jennie Egerdie, 2020 has been a year of personal and global upheaval. We talked about how the pandemic has impacted her work, her creative process and how humor can be rooted in kindness. (You can read one of her pieces that imagines the lives of the characters Frog and…
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Misinformation and the election
False claims surrounded the election, but it seems immune to efforts to delegitimize the results. We recap some of those efforts and offer predictions for what a Biden presidency could mean for how the government works, climate change policy and local media.
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How the pandemic has complicated life after prison
About 20 states have released inmates early from prisons that have been hot spots for covid-19. But a post-pandemic world has made it harder for formerly incarcerated people to get essential things like identification, homes and jobs. We spoke with Emma Castleberry, who recently wrote about the…
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The eviction ban that most renters don’t know about
A month after it went into effect, many tenants still don’t know about a federal eviction ban that covers 96% of renters. We spoke with reporters Sarah Fowler and Ben Luschen about why advocates worry that a moratorium without rental assistance could leave tenants with thousands of dollars in…
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Climate grief and a blindspot in what we know about the pandemic
The American west is facing a more severe wildfire season, which comes with stress, loss and a sense of mourning for our planet called climate grief. We spoke with Wired science journalist Matt Simon about this grief many of us are experiencing and the delicate balance of covering “the apocalypse...
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Utah’s lucrative wilderness therapy industry
For decades, Utah has dominated the for-profit industry to help troubled kids, with facilities there receiving millions in government funds. We spoke with Salt Lake Tribune reporter Jessica Miller about her investigation into these youth treatment centers, where some former residents said they…
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Inequality and covid
The pandemic has highlighted and worsened inequality in the United States, where two neighborhoods in the same community can have vastly different infection rates. Also: How prison overcrowding can lead to covid outbreaks.
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Conservatives avoid penalties for misinformation on Facebook
Today on the show: For years, far-right personalities have claimed that tech companies are biased against conservatives. Recent reports from NBC News and BuzzFeed show that at Facebook, fears of that perception led the company to turn a blind eye to misinformation from certain conservative pages....
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Without a federal response to covid, states are stepping up
The federal government’s plan to fight the coronavirus has some holes. For some cities and states, that means filling those holes to protect the public. This week’s show looks at this issue in two areas that deeply affect our lives – work and school. The Occupational Health and Safety...
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The Boogaloo Bois and how Facebook stonewalls journalists
Far-right extremists called the Boogaloo Bois have gained national attention after multiple arrests and their presence at some racial justice protests. We spoke with Cassie Miller, a senior research analyst for the Southern Poverty Law Center, about why the pandemic was a breaking point for the...
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Trump in Tulsa
On Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, President Donald Trump held his first rally in months, an event that was controversial from the beginning. We spoke with Dylan Goforth, editor in chief of the Tulsa-based investigative news site The Frontier, to get some context about what the rally meant to…
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How newsrooms have failed black journalists
Since last week, editors at multiple publications have resigned over racism allegations or in response to criticism of their protest coverage. On this week’s show, we spoke with Jason Johnson, a Morgan State University associate professor focused on politics and journalism. He says that the...
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Should journalists photograph protesters?
In the journalism industry, coverage choices that have been the standard for decades are being called into question amid sustained protests against police brutality. Newsrooms are reconsidering the merits of everything from photographing activists to the words and headlines used to frame…
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Could the pandemic make civil courts easier to navigate?
Courthouses across the country are expecting a flood of new civil cases as they begin to reopen their doors. Legal aid programs, which provide legal help to low-income people, are already seeing an increased demand for their services. At the same time, some legal aid programs stand to lose…
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Mississippi’s response to the pandemic
Journalists are in new terrain. They’re learning as much as they can as quickly as they can about how their communities are being impacted by the coronavirus. But how do you report the story of the century from home? Mississippi Today editor-in-chief Ryan L. Nave talks about how his newsroom is...
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News burnout and covid-19
A constant flood of information about covid-19 is taking its toll on some of us as we struggle to balance staying informed with managing our mental health. Even before covid-19, Americans were increasingly dealing with news fatigue – the feeling of being exhausting by the news. We’ll talk with...
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Pardoning the “junk bond king”
Last week, President Donald Trump pardoned and gave clemency to eight people who were convicted of white-collar crimes. One of those who were pardoned is Michael Milken, a former investment banker who was accused of insider trading and stock manipulation. Milken played a crucial role in making…
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Hard Reset: This fact check is a Magic Eight Ball
The Equal Rights Amendment is getting a second life, but a lot is up in the air, including whether or not it could go into effect after missing a ratification deadline decades ago. Meanwhile, some opponents argue that it could increase access to abortion. Also on the show: Roger Stone’s attorneys...
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Red flags, Shadow and the app behind Iowa’s chaotic caucuses
The results from last week’s Democratic caucuses in Iowa were delayed for days after the app responsible for reporting the results malfunctioned. Co-host Justin Sanders, who works in software and app development, explains how the app failed and some ways these issues could have been avoided.…
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How disinformation conquered Trump’s impeachment
Disinformation and propaganda have dominated the impeachment process from the beginning. On this week’s show, we look at this through the lens of two claims from Senate Republicans and Trump’s defense attorneys during the trial: Did the House of Representatives “not do its job” when requesting...
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Impeachment ennui
President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial is underway, and there are still some uncertainties. Will the trial include witnesses? Will the Senate stay awake during any part of the proceedings? Will Sen. Rand Paul ever finish his crossword puzzle? Also: Listeners, we want to know what you think...
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What are “high crimes and misdemeanors”?
Presidents and other officials can be impeached for “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” On today’s show: What that means and why impeachment charges don’t have to be tied to a specific crime.
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Factchecking claims about the Soleimani drone strike
After an American drone strike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani this month, President Donald Trump and other officials have said that the general had been planning an attack against the U.S. at the time of his death. But the White House has offered conflicting details of Soleimani’s plans to...
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Data voids, YouTube’s new harassment policy and an IG report fact check
Last week, a report from the Department of Justice’s inspector general examined how the FBI conducted its investigation into whether or not the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election. We factchecked a claim about the report and former Central...
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Why thousands are expected to lose access to food stamps
The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts that a new policy for food stamp recipients will cause about 688,000 people to lose their benefits. We factchecked some of the reactions to this rule change, including whether or not children will be affected and if this will hit families before the...
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How white nationalists use podcasts to fly under the radar and spread misinformation
As podcasts grow in popularity, white nationalists and white supremacists are using the platform to reach a broader audience ever. Experts on extremism have expressed concerns that these shows could radicalize others into hate groups. Today on the show: How white nationalists use podcasts to fly...
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Who are Nicholas Fuentes and the Groypers?
A 21-year-old white nationalist is using online platforms like YouTube to rally his followers into trolling conservatives IRL. On this episode, we’ll hear from William Nardi, a conservative writer for National Review who met Nicholas Fuentes when they both were college students in Boston.
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How to tell if a photo is legit
The internet is filled with hoax photos, but tracing where they came from isn’t as hard as you might think. The Hard Reset team gives you tips on how to identify a fake photo and walks you through the process reporters used to debunk two very different images – a K9 unit linked to the al-Baghdadi...
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Did Trump predict 9/11?
On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi during a U.S. special operations raid in Syria. In his speech, Trump claimed he predicted the 9/11 attacks, but is that accurate? And another fact check: Can medical abortions be reversed?
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How Clinton inadvertently amplified Russian messaging
Last week, Hillary Clinton accused Russia of “grooming” Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for a third-party presidential bid. There isn’t evidence to back that up, which raises questions of why Clinton made the claim, where her allegations came from and if Clinton’s attacks actually aided Russia in...
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Why run with bad information?
This week on the show: Last week, a questionable story spread from a press conference in Ukraine to Fox News and other conservative outlets. We ask the age-old question: Why do news organizations run unvetted or straight-up inaccurate information? Also mentioned on the show: False equivalence…
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Tactics to discredit the Trump-Ukraine impeachment inquiry
JC and Mollie peel back the layers of misinformation surrounding the whistleblower complaint, including the main tactics being used to discredit allegations involving Trump and Ukraine. Also: How the reliance on anonymous sources and filter bubbles impact perceptions of the media.
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Was there a cover-up of the Ukraine call?
Hard Reset factchecks claims growing around the Trump-Ukraine call and whistleblower complaint. Was there a quid quo pro or a cover-up? Do the whistleblowers’ attorneys work for Hilary Clinton and donate to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign? Plus, how a new Twitter feature could aid the spread of...
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Factchecking the whistleblower complaint
The last week has been dominated by news of a whistleblower complaint alleging President Donald Trump made a promise to a Ukrainian leader. We factchecked some responses to this story. Plus: A $2.2 billion valuation for the company that provides background checks to the gig economy; a revived...
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Should Uber drivers be contractors?
A lawsuit filed last week alleges Uber is willfully breaking a new California state law by continuing to classify its drivers as contractors. Plus, a factchecking rundown from the third Democratic debate.
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Checkr’s background checks
Silicon Valley’s biggest gig-economy companies use a background check provider that puts the onus on the consumer to correct its mistakes. At least dozens of workers have lost opportunities at Uber, Lyft and other companies due to issues with background checks from San Francisco-based Checkr…
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Nursing home deregulation
Proposed rules for the nation's nursing homes would scale back regulations for infection prevention and antipsychotic prescriptions. The industry said these requirements were unnecessary, costly and burdensome, but elder care advocates are concerned that eliminating them will put residents at risk.
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Epstein conspiracy theories and OKC immigration court shutdown five years later
In 2014, Oklahoma City's immigration court, technically a sub-office of Dallas's court, closed its doors. Big If True and Oklahoma Gazette examined the impact of the closure five years later, as defendants face higher costs to defend their cases. Plus: Conspiracy theories began to circulate…
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How delayed reporting can impact sexual assault lawsuits
Sexual assault victims have the right to file lawsuits under Title IX, a federal law that bans sexual discrimination at colleges and universities. But these lawsuits are restricted by statutes of limitations, meaning judges can dismiss cases that aren't filed within a certain amount of time.…
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Hard Reset have?
Hard Reset currently has 57 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Hard Reset about?
Hard Reset is a podcast dedicated to misinformation, media and news.
How often does Hard Reset release new episodes?
Hard Reset has 57 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Hard Reset?
You can listen to Hard Reset on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Hard Reset?
Hard Reset is created and hosted by Mollie Bryant.
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