Lies and disinformation are as old as humanity itself.  But Steven Brill argues that the witches brew of 30-year-old legislative consequences; mixed with technological innovation; and bad actors threaten the lives of democratic institutions and truth itself. 

 Brill is an award-winning journalist, author, and the founder of Court TV, The American Lawyer Magazine, American Lawyer Media, Brill’s Content Magazine, Journalism Online and The Yale Journalism Initiative. He is also the co-founder and co-CEO of NewsGuard, a media platform that rates the reliability of news and information websites. His latest book, “The Death of Truth: How Social Media and the Internet Gave Snake Oil Salesmen and Demagogues the Weapons They Needed to Destroy Trust and Polarize the World – and What We Can Do About it” explores the threat of disinformation on society.  

Lies and disinformation are as old as humanity itself.  But Steven Brill argues that the witches brew of 30-year-old legislative consequences; mixed with technological innovation; and bad actors threaten the lives of democratic institutions and truth itself. 
 Brill is an award-winning journalist, author, and the founder of Court TV, The American Lawyer Magazine, American Lawyer Media, Brill’s Content Magazine, Journalism Online and The Yale Journalism Initiative. He is also the co-founder and co-CEO of NewsGuard, a media platform that rates the reliability of news and information websites. His latest book, “The Death of Truth: How Social Media and the Internet Gave Snake Oil Salesmen and Demagogues the Weapons They Needed to Destroy Trust and Polarize the World – and What We Can Do About it” explores the threat of disinformation on society.

Story in the Public Square is a weekly, 30-minute series that brings audiences to the intersection of storytelling and public affairs. Hosted by Jim Ludes and G. Wayne Miller, Story in the Public Square offers a spirited but respectful dialogue. Often funny, always provocative, each episode of Story in the Public Square
moves beyond traditional public affairs programming to consider the impact of narrative and storytelling on public life today.

Story in the Public Square is a weekly, 30-minute series that brings audiences to the intersection of storytelling and public affairs. Hosted by Jim Ludes and G. Wayne Miller, Story in the Public Square offers a spirited but respectful dialogue. Often funny, always provocative, each episode of Story in the Public Square moves beyond traditional public affairs programming to consider the impact of narrative and storytelling on public life today.

Story in the Public Square

Season 16

Steven Brill on Disinformation in the Modern Era and its Consequences

Climate change has been part of the public lexicon for decades, now.  But what once seemed like some dystopian, distant future is, according to Jeff Goodell, a reality—where higher temperatures are reshaping agriculture, animal migrations, the health of the oceans, and our futures.  

Goodell is a bestselling author and has written seven books including “The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World,” which was a New York Times Critics Top Book of 2017. He has covered climate change for more than two decades at Rolling Stone, The New York Times Magazine, and many other publications.  As a commentator on climate and energy issues, he has appeared on NPR, MSNBC, CNN, CNBC, ABC, NBC, Fox News and The Oprah Winfrey Show. He has a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MFA from Columbia University in New York.  

Climate change has been part of the public lexicon for decades, now.&nbsp; But what once seemed like some dystopian, distant future is, according to Jeff Goodell, a reality&mdash;where higher temperatures are reshaping agriculture, animal migrations, the health of the oceans, and our futures.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Goodell is a bestselling author and has written seven books including &ldquo;The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World,&rdquo; which was a New York Times Critics Top Book of 2017. He has covered climate change for more than two decades at Rolling Stone, The New York Times Magazine, and many other publications.  As a commentator on climate and energy issues, he has appeared on NPR, MSNBC, CNN, CNBC, ABC, NBC, Fox News and The Oprah Winfrey Show. He has a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MFA from Columbia University in New York. &nbsp;

Examining The Deadly Impacts of Rising Temperatures on Everyday Life with Jeff Goodell

From the joyous streets of Paris and the opening of the Olympic Games to the snap of gunfire at a presidential campaign rally, 2024 has seen its highs and lows. Evelyn Farkas helps us unpack the stories that defined 2024 and name our story of the year.   

Farkas is a highly respected expert in American foreign policy and geopolitics, particularly known for her insights into U.S.-Russia relations and now serves as the Executive Director of the Arizona State University’s McCain Institute, based in Washington, D.C.  She earned her MA and Ph.D. from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and is fluent in multiple languages. Under President Obama, Farkas served as the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia. She is the author of the book, “Fractured States and US Foreign Policy: Iraq, Ethiopia, and Bosnia in the 1990s.” Her writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and The Boston Globe and on sites including The Daily Beast, Politico, and Foreign Policy. Farkas has had an extensive career in government and has held prominent roles, such as senior advisor for Public-Private Partnerships to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and the Commander of the U.S. European Command, and executive director of the bipartisan Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. She also served as a senior staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, overseeing U.S. defense policy and military budgets. Farkas also serves on the boards of several prestigious organizations, including the Council on Foreign Relations and the Aspen Institute Socrates Seminar.  

From the joyous streets of Paris and the opening of the Olympic Games to the snap of gunfire at a presidential campaign rally, 2024 has seen its highs and lows. Evelyn Farkas helps us unpack the stories that defined 2024 and name our story of the year.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Farkas is a highly respected expert in American foreign policy and geopolitics, particularly known for her insights into U.S.-Russia relations and now serves as the Executive Director of the Arizona State University&rsquo;s McCain Institute, based in Washington, D.C.&nbsp; She earned her MA and Ph.D. from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and is fluent in multiple languages. Under President Obama, Farkas served as the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia. She is the author of the book, &ldquo;Fractured States and US Foreign Policy: Iraq, Ethiopia, and Bosnia in the 1990s.&rdquo; Her writing has been featured in&nbsp;The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and The Boston Globe&nbsp;and on sites including&nbsp;The Daily Beast, Politico, and Foreign Policy. Farkas has had an extensive career in government and has&nbsp;held prominent roles, such as senior advisor for Public-Private Partnerships to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and the Commander of the U.S. European Command, and executive director of the bipartisan Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. She also served as a senior staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, overseeing U.S. defense policy and military budgets. Farkas also serves on the boards of several prestigious organizations, including the Council on Foreign Relations and the Aspen Institute Socrates Seminar.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Geopolitics, Climate Change, and the Olympics: The 2024 Story of the Year with Evelyn Farkas

America’s wars have produced a legion of heroes.  But historian Ronald C. White focuses us on the story of Maine’s Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, a Civil War lion whose service in war and in peace still resonates today.

White is the author of two New York Times bestselling biographies, “A. Lincoln: A Biography,” and “American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant,” which won the William Henry Seward Award for Excellence in Civil War Biography. His latest book, “On Great Fields: The Life and Unlikely Heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain,” was published in 2023 and is a USA Today national bestseller. He has also written, “Lincoln’s Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural,” a New York Times Notable Book, “The Eloquent President: A Portrait of Lincoln Through His Words,” a Los Angeles Times bestseller, and “Lincoln in Private: What His Most Personal Reflections Tell Us About Our Greatest President,” which received of the 2021 Barnondess/Lincoln award.  White is a graduate of UCLA and Princeton Theological Seminary and received a Ph.D. from Princeton University. He is a Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum in Washington, D.C. and has taught at UCLA, Whitworth University, Colorado College, and Princeton Theological Seminary.  He has lectured at the White House and been featured on the PBS NewsHour. He has spoken on Lincoln in England, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and New Zealand. He lives with his wife Cynthia in Pasadena California.

America’s wars have produced a legion of heroes.  But historian Ronald C. White focuses us on the story of Maine’s Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, a Civil War lion whose service in war and in peace still resonates today.
White is the author of two New York Times bestselling biographies, “A. Lincoln: A Biography,” and “American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant,” which won the William Henry Seward Award for Excellence in Civil War Biography. His latest book, “On Great Fields: The Life and Unlikely Heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain,” was published in 2023 and is a USA Today national bestseller. He has also written, “Lincoln’s Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural,” a New York Times Notable Book, “The Eloquent President: A Portrait of Lincoln Through His Words,” a Los Angeles Times bestseller, and “Lincoln in Private: What His Most Personal Reflections Tell Us About Our Greatest President,” which received of the 2021 Barnondess/Lincoln award.  White is a graduate of UCLA and Princeton Theological Seminary and received a Ph.D. from Princeton University. He is a Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum in Washington, D.C. and has taught at UCLA, Whitworth University, Colorado College, and Princeton Theological Seminary.  He has lectured at the White House and been featured on the PBS NewsHour. He has spoken on Lincoln in England, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and New Zealand. He lives with his wife Cynthia in Pasadena California.

Steven Brill on Disinformation in the Modern Era and its Consequences

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