PODCAST · news
The Friday Reporter
by Lisa Camooso Miller
The Friday Reporter was created to better understand the news process from a journalist's point of view. After nearly three years, the guest list has expanded to include newsmakers, policymakers and image makers. It's a show about public affairs and the contours of how business is done.Lisa Camooso Miller is the host and a D.C.-based public affairs professional who is asking the questions. newsletter.fridayreporter.com
Episodes
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Love, Journalism | Darren Samuelsohn
Behind Darren Samuelsohn on our call sat a plastic tub. Then another one. Inside are about 200 journals, decades of a reporter writing to himself, and he’s working his way through every one of them. Darren and I go back years. Energy, then politics. He was the reporter and I was the flack, and...
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The Vibes Can Tell You A Lot | Jon Seaton
The full write-up of this conversation lives on my website: The Vibes Can Tell You a Lot: What the Ground Game Sees In 2004, Jon Seaton went door to door for Bush-Cheney with a clipboard. Can the president count on your support? Great. I can get you a yard sign. There were never enough yard…
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Finding My Own Voice | Alethia Jackson
For 25 years I wrote words that weren’t my own. At the Department of Commerce, in the Speaker’s office, at the RNC, for elected officials and whoever else I worked for. That’s the job. The best communicators are the ones you never see. Alethia Jackson calls it being the whisperer. When she…
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Katie Harbath Wants You to Panic Responsibly
The morning after the 2016 election, Katie Harbath sat at a red light on Constitution Avenue in a daze. She had gotten home around 3 a.m. and fallen asleep on the couch in her clothes, CNN still on. She didn’t know exactly what was coming for Facebook. She knew something was. That’s where her new...
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Part Two -- Congressional Softball and Young Survival | Atalie Ebersole and Mary Ajango
And we’re back with Part Two of this week’s Congressional Women’s Softball Game special. If you listened to my first conversation with Senator Shelly Moore Capito and Emily Goodin, you already know this game is about a lot more than what happens on the field. For this second episode, I’m joined…
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The Congressional Softball Game is September 23 | Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and Emily Goodin
THE FRIDAY REPORTER This is a special two-fer edition of The Friday Reporter because sometimes one conversation just isn’t enough. This week, I talked with four women who know the Congressional Women’s Softball Game from very different angles — Senator Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV) and Emily Goodin...
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Stay Safe, Stay Here | Governor Donald DiFrancesco
I was serving as Special Assistant to Acting Governor Donald T. DiFrancesco then — his traveling aide, at his side almost every day. Some days that meant Drumthwacket, the Governor’s residence. Some days it meant the Statehouse. Some days I’d start at his home in Scotch Plains instead. You didn’t...
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Not Yet a Sure Thing | David Wasserman
Five weeks ago, I started talking to the team at the The Cook Political Report, one analyst at a time. This week I closed it out with the one I’d saved for last on purpose: David Wasserman, senior editor and the guy whose “I’ve seen enough” has closed out election nights for over a decade. I told...
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What Jessica Taylor Hears That Others Don’t
Host Notes Jessica Taylor talks to more candidates, in more states, than almost anyone else in Washington — and this week, in the fourth stop of my month with the team at the The Cook Political Report, I finally got to ask her what she’s hearing that the rest of us aren’t. Her answer surprised…
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Nonpartisan in a Partisan World | Amy Walter and Kathryn Hamm
Getting Amy Walter on this show once felt like a win. Getting her back a second time, this week, with Kathryn Hamm in the room too, felt like something else entirely — a vote of confidence I don’t take lightly. This is the third stop in my month with the team at The Cook Political Report, after...
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The Ratings Are Not Scripture | Carrie Dann
I’ve spent a long time in rooms where people talk about political race ratings like they’re handed down from on high — toss-up, lean R, safe D — as if there’s a formula somewhere spitting out certainty. Carrie Dann told me this week that she believed that too, once, from the outside. Carrie spent...
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The Fight for The House | Erin Covey
I’ve spent a lot of election nights the same way most political junkies have — tracking ratings, refreshing results, trying to guess which seats will flip before the networks call them. What I’d never really thought about is who actually makes those ratings in the first place, or how much…
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The Lisa Episode
For five and a half years, this show has been about someone else — pulling a thread from a guest I find fascinating and following it wherever it leads. This week, for the first time, I turned the camera on myself. After a recent conversation with my business coach, I realized I had never...
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What Your Photo Says Before You | Mira Adwell
I’ve spent years learning how to prep for interviews, testimony, TV hits — the words, the pacing, the message. What I hadn’t spent much time thinking about is the split second before any of that: the photo someone sees before they ever hear you speak. That’s exactly the space my guest this week...
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The Other Story about DC | Jeff Dooley
When you live in Washington, D.C., it’s easy to think the whole city runs on politics. But spend any time here — especially in the fall, when the Capitals and the Commanders and half a dozen other teams are all playing at once — and you realize pretty quickly that sports is what actually brings...
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The Nerds Are About to Win | Alyssa Rosenberg
This week I sat down with Alyssa Rosenberg — dean of the Allbritton Journalism Institute, the organization behind NOTUS — for the third episode of our month-long NOTUS takeover series. Alyssa spent more than 20 years at the Washington Post as a reporter, editor and cultural critic before taking a...
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NOTUS Takeover Week Two | Deirdre Walsh
The full write-up of this conversation lives on my website: Deirdre Walsh on Covering Congress and the STOCK Act Some of the most interesting conversations I’ve had on this show are the ones where I’m actually talking to a peer — someone who’s been doing this work at the same time I have, in the...
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NOTUS Takes Over The Friday Reporter | Kadia Goba and Paul Kane
For the next month, The Friday Reporter is in the hands of NOTUS. If you haven’t been paying close attention to what’s happening over there, now is the time to start. In a moment when most Washington newsrooms are contracting — the Washington Post went from roughly 1,000 to 400 people in three...
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Your Vote Isn’t The Problem. The System Is. | Chad Peace
There’s a conversation I come back to every so often in this work — the kind where you walk away thinking differently about something you assumed you understood. This week’s episode was one of those. I sat down with Chad Peace, the voter advocate and attorney behind the More Choice initiative and...
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Your Leadership Has an Invisible OS | Kasia Hatcher
When I sat down with Kasia Hatcher for the latest episode of The Friday Reporter, she described every adult as having an invisible operating system — not just what we think, but how we make sense of the world. Most leadership development, she said, works on the apps. The skills, the tools, the...
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Washington’s Hidden Work | Matthew Cutts
In this episode of The Friday Reporter, Lisa Camooso Miller sits down with Matthew Cutts of Dentons for a fast-moving conversation on what’s actually happening inside Washington right now—and what corporate leaders, policymakers, and the media may be missing. While the headlines suggest gridlock...
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She Built the CHIPS Program | Kathryn Mitchell
The full write-up of this conversation lives on my website: Inside the CHIPS Act I’ve been wanting to have Kathryn Mitchell on The Friday Reporter for a while. She’s one of those people in Washington who has earned the right to have a real opinion about one of the most consequential policy…
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The Race Already Under Way | Holly Otterbein
The Axios Takeover of The Friday Reporter wraps with one of the sharpest eyes on Democratic politics in the business. Holly Otterbein covers the 2028 presidential race for Axios — and she’s here to tell us why the race is already underway, even if most people aren’t watching yet. In this...
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Everyone is Covering AI | Madison Mills
Madison Mills covers AI for Axios — but she came to the beat from Wall Street, and that changes everything about what she’s looking for. She spent years covering markets, interviewing Jamie Dimon and Ray Dalio, and building one of the most-read financial newsletters in the country. She knows how...
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What the Iran War Reveals | Colin Demarest
The full write-up of this conversation lives on my website: Colin Demarest on the Iran Conflict and Drone Warfare For years, the Pentagon promised drone dominance would change everything. Then Iran shot down an American fighter jet. Colin Demarest has been covering the future of defense at Axios...
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Inside Pentagon’s AI Blacklist War | Maria Curi
The Pentagon just tried to blacklist an AI company from all government work. Not because its technology failed — because the company refused to let its AI run autonomous weapons or surveil Americans at scale. That’s not a contract dispute, it’s a new kind of power struggle. And it’s reshaping the...
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Local News Still Matters. | Holly Moore
Local news is disappearing. And the communities left behind aren’t just losing a newspaper — they’re losing accountability, connection and a shared sense of place. Holly Moore is helping change that. As Executive Editor of Axios Local, she’s leading one of the most ambitious efforts in journalism...
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Where Leadership Actually Happens | Judy B. Lloyd
There are some people who spend their careers chasing titles, and others who spend their careers building communities. Judy B Lloyd is firmly in the second category. This week on The Friday Reporter, I sat down with Judy, founder of Altamont Strategies and the host behind Purple Inspiration…
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Meet the Deciders | Brody Mullins and Dave Tobey
I’ve spent the last five years talking to journalists about how the story gets told. But there’s another layer—the people shaping what happens before it ever becomes a headline. This week on The Friday Reporter, I sat down with Brody Mullins and Dave Tobey to talk about a new show we just…
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Rethinking the Business of Lobbying | Jess Beeson Tocco
What happens when you build one of the largest women-owned lobbying firms in the country — and then decide to rethink the entire model? This week, Lisa sits down with Jess Beeson Tocco, a seasoned strategist who helped grow one of the nation’s most successful women-owned lobbying firms before...
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Untouchable? | Elie Honig
Elie Honig doesn’t talk like a television pundit. He talks like someone who has actually built cases. On this week’s Friday Reporter, the former Southern District of New York prosecutor drew a straight line between organized crime and modern political power. The tactics, he said, don’t really...
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We’ve Been Here Before | Bruce Mehlman
In this episode of The Friday Reporter, I sit down with Bruce Mehlman — partner at Mehlman Consulting and the mind behind The Age of Disruption. Bruce has spent decades operating at the crossroads of technology, politics, public policy and business, and he brings a rare, genuinely bipartisan lens...
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Chris Cillizza on Independent Journalism
Chris Cillizza is asked often about his political takes — that’s not what this show is about. Instead, we’re talking independent journalism. Newsrooms are smaller. Trust is harder to earn. The incentives are louder, quicker, and more punishing than ever. And for many of the most recognizable…
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Tom Sietsema on DC Dining
The Friday Reporter opens 2026 with a conversation at the intersection of food, media and reinvention. Longtime Washington, D.C. restaurant critic Tom Sietsema joins the show to reflect on his departure from The Washington Post and the next chapter of his career. We look back at some of his most...
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From Capitol Hill to K Street | John Scofield
For the final episode of the year, I’m joined by John Scofield, founder and partner of S3 Group—one of Washington’s most respected government affairs firms. John’s career arc mirrors the evolution of influence in Washington. He began as a highly regarded communicator on the House Appropriations...
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How Lobbying Moves Markets | Dan Clifton
This week on The Friday Reporter, I’m joined by Dan Clifton, Partner and Head of Policy Research for Strategas Securities — one of the sharpest minds in Washington when it comes to understanding how policy moves markets. I learn something new every time I talk with Dan. He’s built a powerhouse...
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Keeping Pace in Washington, D.C. | Karina Lynch
Karina Lynch has built a career at the intersection of health care, law and public policy — but it’s not the path she originally imagined. In this episode, I’m joined by Karina of DLA Piper for a conversation that spans the Senate Special Committee on Aging, health policy on (and off) Capitol…
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Family, Policy and Purpose | Stephanie Strategos Polis
This week on The Friday Reporter, I’m joined by Stephanie Strategos Polis, Vice President of Public Affairs for the Plastics Industry Association. Stephanie and I cover a lot of ground in this conversation: what it’s like to raise young kids while managing a demanding public-affairs portfolio…
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Property Ownership and the American Dream | Colin Allen
In today’s episode, I’m joined by Colin Allen, executive director of the American Property Owners Alliance, for a conversation that moves effortlessly from campaign classrooms in Charlottesville to the frontline debates shaping housing policy today. Colin shares stories from his early days at UVA...
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War Rooms, War Zones and Wild Stories | Mark Pfeifle
I’m joined by Mark Pfeifle, founder and president of Off The Record Strategies — and truly one of the best storytellers in the business. Mark brings the kind of lived experience you can’t fake: from his time on the ground in Iraq to his earliest days learning how to navigate people, pressure, and...
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Meet Meredith and the Media | Meredith Klein
This week’s episode is pure joy — because I’m joined by the incomparable Meredith Klein, the brilliant voice behind the wildly popular Meredith and the Media Substack. If you’ve read her column, you already know:Meredith brings an irresistible blend of enthusiasm, wit, sharp media instincts, and...
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War Room to Board Room | Alex Conant
This Week on The Friday Reporter Lisa welcomes Alex Conant, Founding Partner at Firehouse Strategies — a veteran communications strategist whose career has taken him from the halls of Capitol Hill to the highest levels of presidential politics. Alex shares insights from his years as…
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The Friday Reporter: Re-Air | David Wildstein
This week, I’m revisiting a favorite conversation with David Wildstein, the editor and founder of The New Jersey Globe. Long before political news went digital, David created PoliticsNJ — an insider’s must-read publication that reshaped how campaigns, consultants and journalists tracked Garden...
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Three Quarrelsome Dames | Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi
When Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi began their work as the Witches of Scotland, it was a campaign for justice; for a legal pardon, an apology and a memorial for the thousands of people — mostly women — that were convicted of witchcraft and executed between 1563 and 1736 in Scotland. In a...
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Making Every Move Count | James Davis
James Davis is the founder and president of Touchdown Strategies. His story is a remarkable one of resilience and perspective that is truly unmatched. He shares his origin story and reminds us that kindness and good work reward us — and it’s exactly how he got his start in this business. James’...
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From the Green Room to the Putting Green | Pat Royal
This week, The Friday Reporter welcomes Pat Royal, President and Founder of PVR Communications, a veteran media strategist best known in Washington for his unmatched TV booking instincts. Pat built a reputation connecting top voices to the biggest platforms — and now he’s taken that same…
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In the Lobby with Sam Geduldig
This week, In the Lobby welcomes Sam Geduldig, Managing Partner at CGCN Group, a powerhouse Republican firm that’s become one of the most recognized names in Washington. A seasoned strategist and trusted advisor, Sam shares how his path to success wasn’t just built on policy expertise or party...
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From “Shattered” to “Lucky” | Jonathan Allen
Jonathan Allen—senior national politics reporter at NBC News and New York Times bestselling co-author of Shattered and Lucky—joins the show for a candid conversation about covering campaigns, Congress and the collisions between strategy and reality. He’s won the National Press Foundation’s…
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Writing, Teaching and Mascot Life | Lars Lichtenfeld
In this episode of the Friday Reporter, I reconnect with my longtime friend Lars Lichtenfeld — an author, creator, and educator with a talent for storytelling that stretches from the classroom to the ballpark. Lars shares stories from his time as a writer and performer, including his…
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In the Lobby with Kristi Rogers
The next installment of Friday Reporter’s In the Lobby series features Kristi Rogers — a business leader, seasoned executive, and trusted advisor at the nexus of government, security, and the private sector. Kristi shares her remarkable journey from public service to the boardroom, offering…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Friday Reporter was created to better understand the news process from a journalist's point of view. After nearly three years, the guest list has expanded to include newsmakers, policymakers and image makers. It's a show about public affairs and the contours of how business is done.Lisa Camooso Miller is the host and a D.C.-based public affairs professional who is asking the questions.
newsletter.fridayreporter.com
HOSTED BY
Lisa Camooso Miller
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Friday Reporter have?
The Friday Reporter currently has 250 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Friday Reporter about?
The Friday Reporter was created to better understand the news process from a journalist's point of view. After nearly three years, the guest list has expanded to include newsmakers, policymakers and image makers. It's a show about public affairs and the contours of how business is done.Lisa Camooso...
How often does The Friday Reporter release new episodes?
The Friday Reporter publishes regularly with 250 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Friday Reporter?
You can listen to The Friday Reporter 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 The Friday Reporter?
The Friday Reporter is created and hosted by Lisa Camooso Miller.
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