Hearsay Culture Network

On KZSU Stanford’s Hearsay Culture, Dave Levine hosts Ty Cobb—former Trump Russia investigation attorney and one of the world’s leading white-collar/government investigations lawyers—for an urgent conversation about the core challenge facing the U.S. today: attacks on the rule of law. We move beyond the political and policy challenges of the day (which Ty discusses regularly on CNN and other networks), to focus instead on unprecedented insider candor about democracy under threat. Cobb argues that process—not partisanship—must steer truth-finding, even as free-speech threats, norm-breaking, and a judiciary with limited enforcement power strain the system. Tracing his path from Grand Canyon Trust […]

Duke professor David Schanzer joined Hearsay Culture on August 21, 2025, to unpack his searing essay from his Perilous Times Substack, “Israel’s Gaza War Has Made Me a Shame to Be a Jewish Zionist.” Drawing on his national security expertise, Schanzer argues Israel’s response has crossed the line from self-defense to an unjust, immoral war. We dig into the polarizing narratives, the collapse of nuance in public debate, the role of the university in today’s information ecosystem, and the way social media amplifies extremes while drowning out facts. This candid conversation blends personal reflection with rigorous and unusual analysis—exactly the […]

In this powerful episode, longtime Hearsay Culture guest Lorelei Kelly returns to share her groundbreaking new project, Defend the Constitution, which empowers citizens to hold their own congressional-style field hearings. Drawing on decades of experience in and around Congress, Kelly lays out how everyday people can create a civic record, influence policy, and repair democracy from the ground up. She explains why traditional outreach—like emails and protests—often falls short, and how local, structured engagement can become a game-changing tool. If you’ve ever felt powerless or frustrated by politics (and who hasn’t?), this episode offers a real, practical, and unique path […]

In this episode we examine the creator economy, where the lines between law, entertainment, and the future of work are blurring. Creators aren’t just entertainers; they’re architects shaping the digital landscape, the future of work, and even the laws that govern our online lives. From reimagining monetization norms to the value of creativity as an AI-proof job skill, this revolution is unfolding right under our noses. Understanding its contours is key to navigating the territory ahead. “Here [on Uneven Distribution, listeners have] the full thought process and the flow of the discussion. Whereas, if you just read a summary, if […]

Dave Levine’s latest Hearsay Culture episode dives deep into the dark side of fan culture with Professor Mel Stanfill, author of 2024’s Fandom Is Ugly: Networked Harassment and Participatory Culture. Stanfill reveals how online fan communities, often dismissed as harmless, can fuel toxic harassment, exclusion, and disinformation—blurring the line between passion and mob behavior. The conversation connects these dynamics to real-world flashpoints like Gamergate, January 6th, and the critical race theory manufactured panic, showing how “fandom logic” now drives political and cultural conflicts. With sharp insights on power, identity, and the speed of online networks, this interview makes clear why […]

What if the internet actually worked for us—not just watched us? On this episode of Hearsay Culture, author and former Google exec Richard Whitt joins to explore how we got from a utopian, people-powered web to a system driven by surveillance, manipulation, and profit—and how we might fix it. We dive into his bold new book, Reweaving the Web: How Together We Can Create a Human-Centered Internet of Trust, and his plan to build tech companies that act like fiduciaries, putting users’ interests first. If you’ve ever wondered whether a more human, trustworthy internet is possible, this one’s for you. […]

When infrastructure fails — planes crash, systems freeze, rights vanish — suddenly everyone cares. Villanova’s Brett Frischmann rejoins Hearsay Culture to explain how tech design, digital contracts, and AI are wired for speed, not sense — and why that’s a problem. He calls for a radical rethink: more friction, less hype, and real consent — if that’s possible — in the digital world. From infinite scroll to forced arbitration, this episode exposes how platforms quietly control our choices — and what it’ll take to start regaining some control. “There’s often an emphasis on building new stuff. The latest, the greatest, […]

NYU’s Meredith Broussard pulls back the curtain on the hidden biases baked into today’s “smart” tech—from flawed facial recognition to the AI that underdelivered during her own cancer diagnosis. She tackles what’s broken in journalism, education, and healthcare—and why shiny new gadgets won’t fix it. With sharp insights and personal stories, Broussard shows how tech often amplifies inequality instead of solving it. This conversation, recorded in June 2024, will change the way you see the digital world. “This vision of the future where you would like roll up to a machine and you stick your body part into it, and […]

In today’s world, generative AI is shaking up the job market, and many fear that their skills are on the chopping block. But Matt Beane’s book The Skill Code: How to Save Human Ability in an Age of Intelligent Machines offers a powerful blueprint to safeguard what makes us irreplaceable, and what makes being human rewarding and fulfilling. Drawing on his expertise in technology and the economy, Matt introduces a game-changing framework: the three C’s—Challenge, Complexity, and Connection—for mastering new skills, and the three D’s—Discovery, Development, and Deployment—for keeping them sharp. On this episode of Hearsay Culture, Dave and Matt […]

In a time when technology dominates our lives, it’s easy to feel adrift on an endless stream of screens and information. Yet, as the late Steve Jobs noted, “Technology alone is not enough.” In this unique episode, we sit down with bestselling author and global thinker Pico Iyer, whose transformative new book Aflame: Learning from Silence delves into the profound lessons found in stillness. Drawing on decades of personal retreats to a remote Big Sur Benedictine hermitage and insights from his travels and life’s adversities, Pico shares how silence can be a source of clarity and strength in an overbusy […]

U.S Health Care Expenditures have risen to $4.5 trillion or $13,493 per capita, double the cost in other developed nations (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2023). These figures are staggering but will continue to increase absent intervention. New healthcare startups present such solutions to rising costs by developing new digital tools and healthcare options. On this July 2023 episode of Uneven Distribution, Denise interviews Peter Joyner, an industry expert in healthcare startups, about the developments in the medical landscape, the importance of health insurance and doctor quality, and how AI will revolutionize healthcare.  “Health insurance is absolutely critical. And […]

While many investors remain uncomfortable with innovations in women’s health care, Denise and her guest Marina Gerner are not. Join them to unpack Marina’s new book The Vagina Business, which examines over 100 entrepreneurs, researchers, and investors across 15 countries, all focused on developing ground-breaking new products and services aimed at helping women at every stage of life. In addition to exploring a host of intriguing developments at the cutting edge of women’s health care, Denise and Marina also look at how and why it remains so difficult to deliver these much-needed solutions, and the pioneers seeking to topple the […]

Although we interact with technology seemingly endlessly, we don’t often consider what kinds of biases technology both reflects back to humans, but also exacerbates by its very nature as dumb code. On this episode of R&D with D&D, Dave and Denise chat with Prof. Mar Hicks of the University of Virginia’s School of Data Science. Mar’s work focuses on, as they describe it, “the history of computing, labor, technology, and queer science and technology studies” and “how gender and sexuality bring hidden technological dynamics to light.” In this far-ranging discussion, we discuss the use of female voices by a variety […]

Almost from its inception, Facebook has been subject to intense scrutiny as a groundbreaking, but sphinx-like, corporate entity. Although CEO Mark Zuckerberg naturally received the most attention, many lesser-known and unknown individuals played critical roles in Facebook’s launch, idealistic early days, and its predominant current focus on growth and profits — and they often operated at odds with each other. However, until Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz connected with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, most of these individuals, along with their efforts and conflicts, were unknown. On this episode of Hearsay Culture Radio, Dave chats with Jeff about his 2023 […]

Leo Laporte is a serial pioneer. Already a well-loved fixture on radio and cable TV, where he made technology both accessible and exciting, Leo was one of the first to recognize and run with podcasting’s potential. His production, business, and sponsorship models led podcasting’s evolution from niche hobby to global media force. In this episode of Uneven Distribution, Denise (a former host on Leo’s network) and Leo discuss the relationship between passion and profession, lessons learned from 20+ years of working and living online, and what to expect as tech continues to shape the future of journalism, information, media, entertainment, […]

Jeremy Pelt’s new book Griot is filled with stories from Black jazz musicians in an effort to broaden representation and share on social issues within the industry. Jeremy Pelt began his musical journey at a young age listening to stories from his grandparents. When setting out to write his new book Griot, he wanted to embody variety. He felt compelled to broaden music representation as there is consistent mislabeling in the industry. By interviewing intrinsic artists who are not in the spotlight as often despite their talent and role in the jazz industry, Pelt is highlighting Black jazz musicians’ experiences. […]

How humans build our technological society. How do we design technology, and how how does it then shape us. In this volume titled Technology and Society: Building Our Sociotechnical Future (2nd edition), essays, stories, articles and book excerpts spanning over 200 years address the aftermath of tech products. Editors Deborah Johnson and Jameson Wetmore expertly curate the literary and scholarly history of how humans have viewed technology. In this inaugural June 2022 interview on Hearsay Culture Network’s R&D with D&D, hosts Denise Howell and Dave Levine team up to examine the impact of technology as opposed to the engineers’ intentions—from […]

Since 2006, Hearsay Culture has hosted experts whose insights shape our culture and the technology we use. Now, with Hearsay […]