The Preamble

Latest Episodes:

Navigating Media Bias with Vanessa Otero Apr 28, 2025

Show notes

How can you tell if your news source is reliable? In this episode, Sharon talks with Vanessa Otero, founder of Ad Fontes Media and creator of the Media Bias Chart, about how to better evaluate the reliability of your news. They explore the difference between fact-based journalism and misinformation, and why so much of our news falls somewhere in the middle.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Master Slave Husband Wife with Ilyon Woo Apr 21, 2025

Show notes

You may not be familiar with their names, but William and Ellen Craft were a determined enslaved couple who made their escape through disguise and performance, and in their success, defied the limitations of gender and race. Sharon talks with Ilyon Woo, author of “Master Slave Husband Wife,” which beautifully depicts their epic journey from slavery to freedom.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Punished for Dreaming with Bettina Love Apr 14, 2025

Show notes

We hear the word “reform” tossed around a lot when it comes to education, but what does it actually mean? And how does school segregation—both past and present—continue to shape our classrooms today? Sharon sits down with Dr. Bettina Love, a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, and author of “Punished for Dreaming.” From chronic underfunding and the overemphasis on standardized tests to teacher burnout and the devaluing of educators, it’s clear the system is struggling. So, where do we go from here?

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Go to https://ground.news/interesting for an objective, data-driven way to read the news. Save 50% on the Ground News unlimited access Vantage plan with my link.

A Biography of George Washington with Alexis Coe Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

We have a tendency to regard many of our U.S. Presidents as heroes, illuminating the ways in which they shaped our nation for the good, that we often gloss over their missteps. Historians piece together facts and details to fill in the gaps of the bigger picture, but how often are our interpretations colored by our own lived experiences and perceptions? Sharon speaks with presidential historian Alexis Coe, who talks about her goal as a historian to tell the whole story. Listen in to learn some fun–and maybe not so fun–facts about our first president, George Washington.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Go to https://ground.news/interesting for an objective, data-driven way to read the news. Save 50% on the Ground News unlimited access Vantage plan with my link.

Welcome to The Moth: The Rest is History Apr 03, 2025

Show notes

We're excited to bring you a beautiful episode of The Moth, The Rest is History. In this hour, Henny Lewin, a young Jewish girl, is smuggled out of a Lithuanian ghetto during WWII, Musician Frank Almond makes a historic discovery, and Sivad Johnson takes us behind the scenes of the Detroit Fire Department.

On Tuesdays and Fridays, The Moth’s podcast feed presents episodes of the Peabody-Award Winning Moth Radio Hour and original episodes of The Moth Podcast. Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country.

Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight with Julia Sweig Mar 31, 2025

Show notes

Lady Bird, a whip-smart Southern woman, met Lyndon Johnson in Austin, Texas where he proposed to her at the end of their first date (she said no!). Eventually, the pair married and moved to Washington DC. Today, Sharon talks with author Julia Sweig about her newest book, Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight. The research and writing took Julia over six years, as she meticulously poured over the details of not only Lady Bird’s life, but also the 1960s era and the state of the nation at the time. Discover her real first name, the complexities of her marriage to LBJ, her relationship with the Kennedys, environmentalism, and her propensity to document the details of her life.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Go to https://ground.news/interesting for an objective, data-driven way to read the news. Save 50% on the Ground News unlimited access Vantage plan with my link.

Eleanor Roosevelt and WWII Mar 24, 2025

Show notes

It's the trifecta of listener-favorite subjects: an American First Lady, World War II, and a secret adventure. Shannon McKenna Schmidt joins us to share about her new book, The First Lady of World War II:, which chronicles Eleanor Roosevelt’s journey to the Pacific theater during wartime. The five-week trip took her through the South Pacific, and began as a secret when she hitched a ride on a transport airplane next to sacks of mail. Tune in to hear what happened when she touched down in Australia.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

The Tell with Amy Griffin Mar 17, 2025

Show notes

There’s a reason her book was just chosen for Oprah’s book club. Sharon McMahon talks with her friend Amy Griffin—venture capitalist and new author—to talk about her powerful memoir, “The Tell.” On the outside, Amy had a picture perfect life. But hiding behind that facade was a horrifying secret she had kept for decades. She explains what happened to her as a child, how it affected her life in ways she never realized, and why she wanted to finally share her truth.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Go to https://ground.news/interesting for an objective, data-driven way to read the news. Save 50% on the Ground News unlimited access Vantage plan with my link.

Make Magic with Brad Meltzer Mar 10, 2025

Show notes

Want to know the secret to getting more out of life? Sharon McMahon chats with #1 NYT best-selling author Brad Meltzer about his latest book, “Make Magic,” based on his viral commencement speech from last year. Brad shares the four things you can do to lead a more kind, empathetic life full of wonder.

And because Brad doesn’t have enough to do, he has written another new political thriller, “The JFK Conspiracy.” During their discussion, he tells Sharon about a lesser-known plot to assassinate JFK and how his marriage to Jackie Kennedy saved the president’s life.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

DEFY with Dr. Sunita Sah Mar 03, 2025

Show notes

How do you stay true to your values when the world pushes you to conform? Sharon McMahon is joined by award-winning Cornell professor Dr. Sunita Sah to talk about her new book, “DEFY: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes.” Dr. Sah breaks down why we feel pressured to comply—and says real defiance isn’t about rebellion, but about standing up for what you believe, even when it’s uncomfortable. After listening to this discussion, even the most obedient people pleasers will be able to say no.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

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