Laura Brown and Kristina O’Neill join Lachlan Cartwright on The Breaker Pod to discuss what happens after getting “billboard fired” from two of the most coveted jobs in magazine publishing.

Brown, the former editor-in-chief of InStyle, and O’Neill, the former editor-in-chief of WSJ. Magazine, explain how losing their jobs inspired their bestselling book, All the Cool Girls Get Fired, their podcast, and now, their new media venture.

They share behind-the-scenes stories from the golden age of glossy magazines, debate who could one day replace Anna Wintour, weigh in on the future of Condé Nast and The New York Times Magazine, and explain why creativity — not AI — will always be at the heart of great storytelling.

00:00 Intro

01:42 Getting “Billboard Fired”

08:15 How All the Cool Girls Get Fired Was Born

15:34 Why Owning the Narrative Matters

24:11 Who Could Replace Anna Wintour?

28:47 The Future of Condé Nast and Magazine Publishing

36:52 Why the Individual Is the Media

43:08 AI, Creativity, and the Future of Journalism

#podcast #viral #journalism #fashion #fyp #interview #media #news

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At the fourth annual Truth Tellers Summit in London, Breaker Media founder Lachlan Cartwright and London Centric founder Jim Waterson joined BBC media editor Katie Razzall for a candid conversation about the brutal realities — and amazing opportunities — of building independent journalism outside legacy media.

From burning through life savings and working “20 hours a day,” to scooping major outlets, chasing Murdoch stories, and surviving the subscription economy, the panel explored what it really takes to build a modern media business in 2026.

“I was waking up in the middle of the night spewing my guts up with stress because I was worried I was going to lose my life savings.” — Lachlan Cartwright

“You live and die by whether your paid subscribers are going up.” — Jim Waterson

The discussion took place at the Sir Harry Evans Truth Tellers Summit in London, where leading journalists, editors, and investigative reporters gathered to debate the future of journalism, AI, trust, democracy, and independent media.

#Journalism #Media #Podcast #Substack #NewsMedia #IndependentJournalism #MediaIndustry #DigitalMedia #InvestigativeJournalism #TheGuardian #NewYork #YouTubePodcast #MediaNews #Press #Politics #News #Journalist #CreatorEconomy #Publishing #UKMedia #Viral #ViralVideo

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Ken Auletta has spent decades chronicling the most powerful figures in media — from Rupert Murdoch to Harvey Weinstein. In 2026, he sees a media landscape that’s more chaotic, competitive, and vulnerable than ever.

In this episode of The Breaker Pod with Lachlan Cartwright, Auletta breaks down the Murdoch family succession battle, what drives Rupert Murdoch, and what the empire could look like after him. He also reflects on his legendary New Yorker career, the craft of profiling powerful people, and the risks of access journalism in an era of PR handlers and corporate pressure.

Along the way, Auletta shares behind-the-scenes reporting stories — from nearly exposing Harvey Weinstein years before the scandal broke to helping Ronan Farrow with his subsequent research at The New Yorker — and offers a candid look at the pressures facing journalists today, from political attacks to risk-averse media owners.

00:00 Inside the Murdoch dynasty and what the doc missed

01:38 What the Netflix Murdoch doc got wrong

03:26 The family settlement and hidden NDAs

05:10 Profiling Rupert Murdoch up close

07:03 How Auletta landed access to Murdoch

09:19 Elizabeth Murdoch and the succession battle

11:15 Will the Murdoch family ever reconcile?

13:24 The dangers of access journalism

14:48 Dealing with PR handlers and gatekeepers

15:52 What drives Rupert Murdoch?

17:16 What happens to the empire after Rupert

19:38 Why Fox News remains so powerful

21:01 The Harvey Weinstein reporting story

23:30 How Ronan Farrow broke the Weinstein case

25:23 What surprised Auletta about the trial

28:15 The future of The New Yorker

31:08 Why legacy media still survives

32:10 The New York Times’ unexpected business model

33:34 How Auletta picks his subjects

35:01 The profile that stuck with him most

36:35 Roy Cohn’s influence on Trump

37:50 Who he still wants to profile

39:17 Why subjects feel “betrayed” by profiles

41:00 Why journalism is more dangerous than ever

#media #journalism #podcast #murdoch #rupertmurdoch #succession #interview #news #foxnews #newyorker #trump #harveyweinstein #digitalmedia #press #breakingnews #politics #politicalcommentary #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #viral #trending #explore

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Graydon Carter helped define modern magazine journalism — from Spy to Vanity Fair to Air Mail. But in 2026, he’s not convinced the media industry is headed in the right direction.

In this episode of The Breaker Pod with Lachlan Cartwright, Carter reflects on his decades shaping cultural coverage, his early calls on Donald Trump, and why he believes journalists should skip the White House Correspondents’ Dinner altogether.

He also breaks down what made magazines powerful, why that influence has faded, and what it actually takes to build something people want to read now. Along the way, Carter shares behind-the-scenes stories from Vanity Fair, his approach to hiring and storytelling, and the biggest mistake media companies are making today.

00:00 Why journalists shouldn’t attend the WHCD

00:45 Early take on Trump and Spy Magazine

01:11 “Washed-up on local access TV”

02:04 Reinventing The New York Observer

04:30 The moment he knew it worked

05:09 Taking over Vanity Fair

07:22 How editors shape great stories

10:12 Building a must-read publication

14:11 Why he’d skip the WHCD today

15:26 Covering Trump: “a fire hose”

17:40 Why America “swings wildly”

24:03 What he looks for in young journalists

31:54 “You cannot cut your way to greatness”

35:00 Why media jobs aren’t as fun anymore

38:18 Why magazines lost their influence

40:10 The future of media and social platforms

41:20 His long-running feud with Trump

#graydoncarter #media #journalism #politics #trump #vanityfair #podcast #interview #pressclub #news #whcd #digitalmedia

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Jennifer Welch didn’t intentionally set out to build a political media platform.

After her reality TV show was canceled, a podcast started almost as a joke — venting about everyday annoyances, bad etiquette, and life in general.

Then it shifted.

In this conversation with Lachlan Cartwright, Welch explains how her podcast evolved into a major political voice, why audiences are turning away from traditional media, and how authenticity — not polish — is driving growth in the new media landscape.

She also talks about interviewing figures like Barack Obama, navigating offers from legacy media, and why she’s refused major corporate deals to maintain independence.

This is a conversation about the collision of comedy, politics, and media — and where it’s all heading next.

00:00 Behind-the-scenes start and setup

01:14 From reality TV cancellation to podcast launch

02:12 Early podcast topics and viral growth

03:14 Political shift and audience connection

04:03 “Joe Rogan of the left” conversation

05:13 Why the podcast turned political

06:49 Interviewing Obama, AOC, and Harris

07:37 Entering the political mainstream

09:10 Inside the Democratic Party divide

10:19 Positioning within the media landscape

11:41 Legacy media vs independent creators

13:03 Turning down major corporate deals

14:34 Refusing traditional media promotion

16:21 Criticism, controversy, and audience reaction

17:24 “Dark woke” and political messaging

19:34 Money, media, and independence

21:45 Legacy media “cosplaying” podcasts

23:57 The role of podcasts in elections

25:02 Why candidates need long-form interviews

26:15 Family reactions to podcast fame

27:43 Toxic masculinity and online culture

29:23 Guests she would (and wouldn’t) interview

31:01 Dream guest: Larry David

32:11 Interviews she would redo

33:40 2028 election predictions

35:43 The future of media and journalism

36:40 Building a personal news ecosystem

37:36 Podcast chemistry and success

37:59 What’s next: books, growth, and touring

#podcasts #jenniferwelch #politics #media #interviews

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Adam Friedland didn’t follow the rules.

No marketing strategy. No audience targeting. No optimization. At one point, he and his co-hosts didn’t even think their own show was good.

And yet, it became a hit.

In this conversation, Friedland talks about the accidental rise of his podcasts, why authenticity now matters more than polish, and how the internet has completely reshaped media, comedy, and politics.

He also breaks down his interview process, how he approaches guests, and why long-form conversations still work in a short attention span era.

This is a conversation about how media is actually changing — from someone in the middle of it.

00:00 “People power” intro and tone

00:29 Growing up in Las Vegas

01:20 From law to comedy

02:30 The “bad” podcast that blew up

04:00 Why they thought it sucked

06:00 Fan-driven growth and clips

08:00 Reinventing the show

10:30 How he prepares for interviews

14:00 Talking to politicians and celebrities

18:30 The Alec Baldwin interview

24:00 Editing and making it entertaining

28:00 Why he ignores analytics

32:00 The business side of podcasts

36:00 Why late night TV is struggling

40:00 Comedy vs politics

44:00 The future of media

#podcasts #adamfriedland #comedy #media #interviews

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Pulitzer Prize–winning editor David Remnick joins Lachlan Cartwright for a wide-ranging conversation on The Breaker Pod about Trump’s pressure on the press, billionaire media ownership, the weakening of legacy institutions, and how journalism survives its most dangerous era.

Remnick reflects on running The New Yorker through a century milestone, the collapse of print advertising, adapting to the internet and AI, the chilling effect of political intimidation, and why talent — not tech — still determines whether journalism endures.

They also discuss Bezos and the Washington Post, the Harvey Weinstein investigation, Trump’s attacks on the media, the role of ownership, and what the next generation of journalism must protect at all costs.

⏱ CHAPTERS

00:00 – Trump, Bezos, and billionaire pressure

01:25 – The New Yorker at 100

02:55 – Ad collapse and reader loyalty

05:35 – Why paywalls finally worked

07:00 – AI, archives, and audio

09:00 – Washington Post fallout

12:00 – Editing, longevity, and succession

17:50 – Weinstein investigation inside The New Yorker

22:10 – Trump, aging, and media scrutiny

27:40 – Free speech and intimidation

30:05 – Ownership, courage, and standing tall

33:25 – The future of journalism

#DavidRemnick #Journalism #MediaIndustry #FreePress #DonaldTrump

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Hollywood is reeling after Netflix’s bombshell plan to buy Warner Bros. — and Janice Min joins Lachlan Cartwright to explain exactly why the town is in full-blown panic.

From mass layoffs to collapsing leverage, shrinking marketplaces, shrinking salaries, and the death of bidding wars, Min breaks down how the merger could reshape Los Angeles, destroy thousands of jobs, and tilt all power toward tech giants. She also dives into HBO’s future, Disney’s succession mess, David Zaslav’s payday, the collapse of the trades, AI disruption, Substack’s rise, and why she built The Ankler as Hollywood’s inside-the-room voice.

This is one of the most definitive conversations yet about the future of entertainment, streaming, journalism, and power.

⏱ CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome to The Breaker Pod at Fish Cheeks

00:22 – Introducing Janice Min and her media legacy

01:00 – Netflix shocks Hollywood with plan to buy Warner Bros.

01:25 – Why the entire town went into meltdown

02:10 – The history of consolidation and why it always means job losses

03:00 – LA’s unemployment crisis and what comes next

03:50 – Shrinking marketplaces and the death of bidding wars

04:40 – Pay cuts, leverage collapse, and Sarandos spin

05:30 – Why Netflix triggers Hollywood more than anyone

07:00 – The Albanian Army metaphor and what it means now

09:20 – How Netflix + Warner Bros. upends every studio’s strategy

11:00 – Does the deal get approved? The Trump factor

13:00 – David Zaslav’s windfall and Warner Bros. whiplash

15:00 – Is HBO still the crown jewel?

17:00 – Anxiety, layoffs, fires, and Xanax in Hollywood

18:30 – The Ankler’s origin story

21:00 – Why the trades failed and The Ankler thrived

22:00 – Why chasing scale destroyed journalism

25:00 – Leo DiCaprio, Danny DeVito, and what US Weekly was like

27:00 – Managing Jan Wenner and the old magazine wars

33:00 – Jimmy Finkelstein, Trump, and The Hollywood Reporter

36:00 – Why the Harvey Weinstein story was impossible to land

38:00 – The Quibi chapter and lessons from failure

40:00 – Disney succession in a post-Netflix-Warner world

44:00 – Is Disney becoming a luxury brand?

46:00 – AI arrives in Hollywood — quietly

48:00 – GPT-5, Sora 2, synthetic actors, and the next guild war

52:00 – Will The Ankler sell? What’s next for niche media

55:00 – Is subscription fatigue here?

56:30 – Can the California Post succeed?

01:00:00 – Closing thoughts

#JaniceMin #Netflix #Hollywood #MediaIndustry #WarnerBros

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