Reckonings

Trump concedes. Fake news? Dec 18, 2020

For the last episode of Reckonings, none other than: Donald Trump. This episode is part of Deep Reckonings — a series of explicitly-marked deepfake videos that imagine Mark Zuckerberg, Brett Kavanaugh, and other public figures having a reckoning. Here, an imaginary Donald Trump concedes the 2020 election. Watch the video and access the transcript: www.deepreckonings.com/trump Want to see Trump give a real concession speech? Tweet: .@realDonaldTrump here's some actual fake news. Only you can make it real with @stephlepp: www.deepreckonings.com/trump Continue the journey beyond Reckonings: bit.ly/influnch

#29 || DEEP RECKONINGS Sep 16, 2020

If Brett Kavanaugh, Alex Jones, and Mark Zuckerberg had a crisis of conscience, what would they say? Reckonings presents Deep Reckonings — a project that uses deepfakes to take Reckonings in a *fictional* direction, and imagine public figures having a reckoning. Watch the full series and learn more about the project: deepreckonings.com

This is the last Reckonings episode for a while, and maybe...the last episode.

#28 || How To Tackle Trump's Lies Jun 23, 2020

How do we cover the communications of a president who lies, especially when those lies can be fatal? The traditional rituals of journalism don't really work with a president who doesn't tell the truth, and so, what can we do instead? Reckonings presents Infinite Lunchbox on the topic of how to tackle Trump's lies — aka *post-truth jujitsu*.

NOTE: Infinite Lunchbox is better viewed than heard — watch this episode on YouTube: bit.ly/posttruthjujitsu

Show Notes: • Jay Rosen on switching to an emergency setting: https://pressthink.org/2020/03/today-we-switch-our-coverage-of-donald-trump-to-an-emergency-setting • Dan Froomkin on live fact-checking: https://presswatchers.org/2020/03/how-to-turn-trumps-daily-virus-misinformation-show-into-a-vector-for-the-truth • Matt Yglesias on Trump being a master showman: https://www.vox.com/2020/3/23/21190362/trump-daily-coronavirus-briefing-fox-cnn-msnbc • Jay Rosen on sending the interns: https://pressthink.org/2018/06/its-time-for-the-press-to-suspend-normal-relations-with-the-trump-presidency • Neighbors podcast: https://bit.ly/neighpod

Connect: • Infinite Lunchbox: https://www.youtube.com/c/infinitelunchbox • Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephlepp • Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephlepp

#27 || How do people change? Jun 16, 2020

How do we change our hearts and minds? What moves us to shift our political worldviews, transcend extremism, and make other kinds of transformative change? That's the $64 million dollar question that gave birth to Reckonings. And that's the question I explore with lessons learned *from* Reckonings -- in this bonus episode with Inflection Point's Lauren Schiller.

Check out additional interviews featuring yours truly: reckonings.show/press.html

Connect: • Inflection Point — a show about how women rise up: https://www.inflectionpointradio.org • Neighbors — a podcast showcasing our common humanity: https://bit.ly/neighpod • Infinite Lunchbox — Reckonings’ sister show: https://www.youtube.com/c/infinitelunchbox • Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephlepp • Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephlepp

#26 || Biden, #MeToo, and Growing in Public Jun 09, 2020

#25 || Beyond Goliath Aug 08, 2019

He built Facebook’s business model. Then he went on to become the President of Pinterest. And then he realized: he was addicted to his phone. And later: he was complicit in his own — and all of our — addictive relationships with technology.

How does an architect of Facebook’s business model grapple with the impact of what he built? What is he doing to help us renegotiate our relationship with technology? This is the odyssey of Moment CEO Tim Kendall.

SF BAY AREANS: Tim Kendall and Stephanie Lepp will be speaking at the Institute for the Future on September 26th from 6:30-8pm. Check here for details.

#24 || How to turn a monster into an apologist Jul 17, 2019

'In writing this apology, I moved him from monster to apologist…and in doing that, he lost power over me.'

That's Eve Ensler, talking about her recent *masterpiece* of a book, The Apology. In it, she imagines the apology her father never gave her for the abuse he inflicted on her as a child. It echoes the imaginary Pope in Reckonings episode #22 — except that Ensler did it for her own father.

Ensler was recently interviewed about the book by Lauren Schiller on Inflection Point, and their conversation had SO MUCH resonance to Reckonings, that I'm bringing it to you right here, in the feed.

Enjoy!

And when you're done, please tell Eve that she'd enjoy Reckonings — on Instagram @TheApology :)

#23.5 || Where is Reckonings going? Jun 11, 2019

Let's take a quick peek behind the curtain on a few things, including the question: where is Reckonings going?

#23 || An uncommon conversation about clergy sex abuse May 21, 2019

She was sexually abused by her Catholic school teacher, a former nun.

As a young priest, he sexually abused boys in his parish.

Buckle your seat belts for an *uncommon conversation* about clergy sex abuse.

Enormous gratitude to the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice (https://nacrj.org), and to The Gilead Project (https://gileadproject.org) -- a 501(c)3 devoted to healing and preventing sexual abuse.

#22 || An imaginary reckoning with Pope Francis Feb 24, 2019

If the Pope had a reckoning, what would it sound like?

And then after you listen.....if you're curious *why* this was made, go to episode #23.5 and scroll to 01:18 for an explanation.

#21 || A survivor and her perpetrator find justice Dec 03, 2018

Sameer met Anwen freshman year. He was into her, and they started seeing each other. Then one night, after a fraternity party, Sameer convinced Anwen to come home with him — which is when he coerced her into sexual activity. Their senior year, Anwen invited Sameer into a process of restorative justice.

This story features *both* Anwen and Sameer, talking about how they worked through sexual assault using restorative justice.

What does it sound like for a survivor to get her needs met? What does it sound like for a perpetrator to take responsibility for his sexual abuse of power?

Heartfelt thanks to the Friend Foundation, Varda Rabin, and David Karp at the Campus PRISM Project, which helps universities explore the possibility of applying restorative justice to sexual assault: www.skidmore.edu/campusrj/prism.php

#20 || A journalist reckons with truth Sep 21, 2018

Alternative facts.

Fake news.

How are journalists grappling with this moment??

Dive into one journalist’s reckoning with truth.

#19.5 || Behind The Mic May 01, 2018

'Behind The Mic' is a series of short pieces I produce periodically, to bring you behind the microphone and reveal a bit of what’s going on back here. This time, I’m pulling the curtain on three things: a new creative adventure, the *kinds* of change Reckonings is interested in, and how to bring you more stories more often.

#19 || How will we become majestic elephants? Mar 24, 2018

‘I could have been a left-wing guerrilla in Columbia. Whatever would have grabbed me at the right time, I was ready for.’ What ended up grabbing Frank was neo-Nazism. What ended up grabbing Jesse was jihadi extremism. What do we see when we look beyond ideology?

This episode was produced with generous support from the Gen Next Foundation (www.gennext.com), which leverages a venture philanthropy framework to build paradigm-shifting social ventures with a wide footprint of impact. Their partnership with

#18 || The defection of a Roger Ailes warrior Jan 04, 2018

"Very earlier on, Roger called me Ailes Junior. He told my dad, 'I've never met anyone more like me than Joe.'" As the protégé of Fox News chairman Roger Ailes, Joe Lindsley was closer to the man who built Fox News than any Fox executive. He helped write Ailes' speeches, sat next to him at executive meetings, and went to church with his family on Sundays. What moved the ambitious twenty-something to abandon the conservative media titan?

For a deeper dive into his epic odyssey, check out Joe's memoir — Fake News / True Story: www.inkshares.com/books/fake-news-true-story

#17 || A paid climate skeptic switches sides Oct 31, 2017

'I can say to climate skeptics on the right, 'I used to believe what you believe. Hell, I wrote your talking points, and for 20 years, I was there! But let me tell you why I'm not there anymore.'' As the head of the Cato Institute’s climate and environmental policy shop, Jerry Taylor was a leading spokesperson for climate skepticism. He waged TV battles against climate activists on the likes of CNN, NBC, and Fox, and says he won all of them. And yet, he's the only paid climate skeptic who's ever flipped. Why did he shift not just his views on climate change, but his relationship with his views more broadly?

This is a joint episode with Inquiring Minds, a podcast exploring where science, politics, and society collide (motherjones.com/topics/inquiring-minds). To hear our previous joint episode about worldview transformation in the 2016 presidential election, visit: www.reckonings.show/episodes/inquiring-minds

#16 || Two teens overcome bullying Sep 10, 2017

'When I'm angry and I don't know how to get it out, I take it out on other people. I call people names, I say they're ugly, I talk about the way they dress. And when I get into fighting mode, I just start swinging.’ When she was in high school, Halley built a reputation for herself as a bully. So did Chris, who even bullied his teachers, going so far as to break one teacher's jaw. Why do we bully? And what moves us to stop?

#15 || From health insurance spin doctor to truth teller Jul 05, 2017

'I was getting people to make decisions based on misleading information that could have life or death consequences.' That’s Wendell Potter, the former head of public relations for CIGNA. As the executive spin doctor for one of the biggest health insurance companies in the country, he was responsible for concocting tales that enabled CIGNA to deny coverage, discredit critics, and otherwise cast the corporate health insurance machine in a positive light. That was until the numbers in his spreadsheets became actual people with real lives.

What happens when a health insurance PR executive confronts the consequences of his spin? Dive into one man's odyssey from health insurance spin doctor to activist truth teller.

#14.5 || Behind The Mic Jun 13, 2017

‘Behind The Mic' is a series of short pieces I produce periodically, to share what's going on behind the scenes. This time, I'm bringing y'all behind the microphone on two things: 1) an event Reckonings hosted back in December, inviting voters to take a post-election stroll in each other’s shoes (short video: bit.ly/2s7OuGD), and 2) the wondrous reason the show has been on hiatus.

With that, Reckonings is BACK, and the next episode is imminent…

#14 || When her daughter became her son (and vice versa) Dec 24, 2016

'You have all these plans, all these dreams, and then it hits you: my daughter's no longer a daughter, she's a son.' In struggling to accept her daughter as a transgender man, Rita DiNicola had to surrender dreams of wedding dress shopping and biological grandchildren. Similarly, in accepting her son as a trans woman, Catherine Hyde had to reckon with the fact that — as a tomboy from a young age — she'd always wanted, and believed she'd gotten, a son as her only child. Together, Rita's and Catherine's stories provide a hopeful window into what might help other parents, and other people more broadly, overcome transphobia and expand our understanding of gender.

#13 || Navigating wealth within cross-class relationships Sep 13, 2016

'I was taught that money is not something you talk about, because once people know you have it, you’ll get taken advantage of.' Like many young members of the 1%, Michelle inherited immense wealth at an early age. In a separate but parallel tale, so did Abe. For many years, they didn't talk about their wealth or know what to do with it, and ultimately denied its existence. Being involved in cross-class relationships only thickened the plot. Then Michelle and Abe discovered Resource Generation, an organization mobilizing young people with wealth around redistribution.

How is learning to talk about wealth essential to doing something with it? How do we navigate wealth disparity within the context of cross-class relationships? And how might that be a microcosm for alleviating wealth disparity in our country? Tune in for a rich, two-story episode.

CORRECTION: This episode mistakenly refers to Abe’s trust, which he doesn't have.

#12 || A conversion on climate change Jun 21, 2016

"When my son said, 'dad, I'm gonna vote for you, but you're going to clean up your act on the environment,' it wasn't a threat. It was my son saying, 'dad, I love you, and I want you to be what you can be.'" The force that propelled then-Republican South Carolina Congressman Bob Inglis to shift his position on climate change was, indeed, love. His son and family created a safe environment for him to explore the possibility of changing his views, and loved him unconditionally through what he calls his 'climate metamorphosis.' Which is why Inglis uses this same strategy to mobilize fellow conservatives around climate change: his organization RepublicEn avoids judgment, and leverages love.

For his courage on climate, Bob Inglis won the 2015 JFK Profile in Courage award. Today, he stands at the forefront of America's conservative movement on climate change.

This episode includes excerpts from Inglis' 2013 TEDxJacksonville talk.

#11 || The fracture of a fundamentalist worldview May 24, 2016

'I don't know if I can convey how comforting it is to believe that you possess the secret to how everything in the universe works. And as a consequence, we had this amazing bonus: we were going to heaven and everyone else was going to hell.' That's how Chris Ladd describes his upbringing in a fundamentalist Christian home in East Texas. But that sense that he possessed the secret to how everything in the universe worked? Well, it eventually cracked, shifting his views on women's rights, homosexuality, race, and everything else in the delicate mobile we call a "worldview." The cost of ideological transformation has been painfully high, but Chris concedes, it's been worth it.

#10 || An unlikely friendship transforms the gun debate May 03, 2016

"What really blinds people on both sides is thinking that it's either or: either we do nothing and put up with the horrendous tolls of firearm deaths and mass shootings, or we take all the guns away." That's public health expert and former CDC research director Mark Rosenberg, speaking to one of America’s most polarizing issues. Our country's fierce gun debate pits "both sides" against each other — proponents of stricter firearm regulation against gun rights advocates. But when it comes to finding solutions everyone can get behind, we have a major roadblock: there's been no federally funded scientific research on gun violence since 1996. That's when Republican Arkansas Congressman Jay Dickey, the NRA's so-called 'point man on the Hill,' spearheaded a bill that stripped the CDC of $2.6 million — the amount that had been funding Mark Rosenberg’s gun violence research.

Mark Rosenberg and Jay Dickey were on diametrically opposed sides of the gun debate, but fate took a twist. Their story a microcosm of what's so vitally needed in the arena of gun control, and our political arena beyond.

Friendly hint: listen til the very end.

#9 || Defecting from the Donald Apr 26, 2016

"One of my co-workers said, 'Trump supporters are without exception the worst people I've ever met, they're almost sub-human.' And I'm standing there thinking, you know, we're friends, but I think I'll keep my mouth shut." That's Alex Mamach, a young white Chicago native who grew up in a poor and diverse suburb of Chicago. He gives voice to why millions of Americans support Donald Trump: because Trump speaks to his marginalized constituency in a way that neither party has done in decades. And when his co-worker, the political establishment, and the media accuse Trump supporters of being sub-human, ignorant, and racist, it only entrenches their support and reinforces the notion that only he cares about poor white Americans.

So why did Alex defect from the Donald, and who did he switch to? Tune in for that, but for now, a sneak peak into how Trump supporters might be moved in a new direction: by appealing to their nobler intentions.

#8.5 || Behind The Mic Apr 25, 2016

There's so much that goes on behind the microphone, and I'm going to start bringing you back here. This is the inaugural 'Behind The Mic' piece, stay tuned for more. For this first one: what is Reckonings, and why did I create it?

#8 || Transcending a lineage of violence Jan 21, 2016

"I called myself a Karma King, because I was distributing the shit that had been given to me." The finale of Season 1 features Daniel Gallant, a former violent extremist turned anti-violence activist, counselor, and scholar. Violence is what he experienced growing up, what he became a perpetrator of, and what it has been a phenomenal feat for him to overcome.

Today, Daniel is the founder of anti-violence organization Exit Canada, and a J.D. candidate at Thompson Rivers University. May we take this story — albeit difficult — as an opportunity to understand what motivates extremist violence, and draw hope from one person's ability to transcend it.

#7 || Emergence of a conscientious objector Jan 13, 2016

'I realized that my excuses for justifying war had nothing to do with what we were trying to achieve. I justified war because I wanted to believe that the things I’d done were right, and that my fellow soldiers hadn't died in vain.' Those are the sobering words of Afghanistan war veteran and conscientious objector, Brock McIntosh. Through his experiences in Afghanistan, he lost faith in the Afghanistan war, and then in war altogether. Growing up, McIntosh had taken his ideological cues from the institutions in his life — military, church, and family — and in the process of applying for conscientious objector status, he found himself wrestling with his inherited beliefs and renegotiating his relationships with these institutions. His process of becoming a conscientious objector became a portal through which to challenge and reconstitute his most fundamental beliefs. The overarching shift: from fearful rigidity to brave open-mindedness. Today, McIntosh is a peace activist pursuing his Master's of Public Policy at NYU.

#6 || From addiction to recovery and beyond Jan 05, 2016

'My mantra back then was I hate my life...My mantra now is I love my life.' Paige Sargent is a singer and song-writer, who once struggled with alcohol and cocaine addiction. The destruction of her addiction was vast and damaged every part of her life — especially her relationships, and in particular, her relationship with her mom. It is then, perhaps, little surprise that her recovery process has both been inspired by and yielded deeper, more loving relationships. Hear Sargent speak, pray, and sing her healing story, from addiction through recovery and beyond.

#5 pt. 2 || The conscience of a public intellectual Dec 23, 2015

'What I regret is not being aware of the extent to which what I was pronouncing as right or wrong for the world was motivated by my own personal issues.' So admits Glenn Loury, prominent academic economist and one of the nation's foremost black intellectuals. Loury's story is expansive, involving drugs, sex, politics, and religion. Most distinctly of all, it's an odyssey of worldview transformation, swinging from the staunch neoconservative right to a more nuanced, progressive position on the left. As a public intellectual who influenced US economic policy, Loury is reckoning with the impact of his early views — not only because he now opposes them, but because he endorsed them for strikingly personal reasons.

Our conversation is split into two parts: Part 1 dives into Loury's early neoconservative views, cocaine addiction and recovery, adultery, and spiritual rebirth. This is part 2, which explores his worldview transformation and the impact of his former views.

#5 pt. 1 || The conscience of a public intellectual Dec 23, 2015

'What I regret is not being aware of the extent to which what I was pronouncing as right or wrong for the world was motivated by my own personal issues.' So admits Glenn Loury, prominent academic economist and one of the nation's foremost black intellectuals. Loury's story is expansive, involving drugs, sex, politics, and religion. Most distinctly of all, it's an odyssey of worldview transformation, swinging from the staunch neoconservative right to a more nuanced, progressive position on the left. As a public intellectual who influenced US economic policy, Loury is reckoning with the impact of his early views — not only because he now opposes them, but because he endorsed them for strikingly personal reasons.

Our conversation is split into two parts: This is part 1, which dives into Loury's early neoconservative views, cocaine addiction and recovery, adultery, and spiritual rebirth. Part 2 explores his worldview transformation and the impact of his former views.

#4 || Revelations of a tough-on-crime prosecutor Dec 15, 2015

'I went through 4 years of college, 3 years of law school, and a 2-year judicial clerkship without ever really thinking about the way our criminal justice system functions.' That's the admission of Preston Shipp, a former tough-on-crime prosecutor for the state of Tennessee. Tune in to find out what drove him to leave his role as a prosecutor, and shift from 'cog in the wheel' of the criminal justice system to advocate for criminal justice reform.

#3 || Mother of an ISIS militant Dec 08, 2015

"He wanted a purpose." Those are the words of Christianne Boudreau, whose son Damian left Calgary for Syria, to join ISIS. She raised him Christian, but he was convinced by Islamic State recruiters to take up jihadism. Damian kept his activities hidden and Boudreau knows there's little she could have done, still she can’t help but ask ‘what if…?’. Damian was eventually killed fighting in Syria. Today, Boudreau coordinates Mothers for Life, a global network of mothers working to prevent jihadist radicalization.

#2 || White-collar criminal turned whistleblower Dec 01, 2015

'The top executives from Enron, WorldComm, and ADM — we went to jail for narcissism.' Mark Whitacre was the FBI informant in one of the biggest price-fixing cases in US history, against global food conglomerate Archer Daniels Midland. While undercover, he was convicted for embezzlement, lost his whistleblower immunity, and spent almost a decade in federal prison. Whitacre is played by Matt Damon in the film The Informant!, and today, spreads his story of redemption and second chances.

#1 || Drug cop turned drug war critic Nov 17, 2015

"When you call something a war, everyone believes that they're a warrior." Neill Franklin is a former Maryland State Police Major, who oversaw 17 drug task forces. Take a ride on his journey from narcotics agent to vocal critic of the drug war and Executive Director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP).

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected