Journalists
Reporters use Media Monitor to hear how people across the political spectrum are talking about the news — and to catch news that breaks on podcasts.
- Search every word. Find every show that played a clip or used a phrase, in seconds.
- Get the gist fast. Ask summarizes coverage across episodes, with citations down to the minute.
- Spot the next story. Emerging Topics shows what’s trending across shows each week.
- Stay on it. Alerts flag new mentions as episodes come in.
Case study: Trump’s remarks on Iran, L.A. and San Diego
On Oct. 5, at a campaign stop in Nebraska, Trump made remarks about Iran, Los Angeles and San Diego that were read two ways. The Five, 0:37 Critics heard him call losing the cities a “small price” for the war. The White House said he meant a nuclear Iran would have put them at risk.
“They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay.”
A political reporter wants the “how the left and right covered it” story — without listening to dozens of hours of talk radio.
What Trump’s defenders said
- Their explanations didn’t match. Roger Stone said “small price” meant gas prices. The StoneZONE, 28:16 Dan Bongino called it sarcasm. The Dan Bongino Show, 7:40 A panelist on Steven Crowder’s show said Trump wasn’t joking. Louder with Crowder, 16:30
- Some conceded the words. Erick Erickson granted the literal wording, then defended Trump anyway. The Erick Erickson Show, 3:35
- Several leaned on a CNN fact-checker. Daniel Dale had said the viral version wasn’t a fair paraphrase. The Larry Elder Show, 5:15
“He was referring, of course, to the attacks on Iran and the fact that they have driven gas prices higher.”
“He was being sarcastic, like, oh, we should just let him take out LA and San Diego.”
What his critics said
- The full clip, condemned twice. Ana Kasparian of The Young Turks played the whole passage and condemned it before and after, pointing to the cheering crowd. The Young Turks, 9:49
- A generous reading, then a jab. The Bulwark’s Tim Miller gave Trump the benefit of the doubt, then noted that Iran’s missiles can’t reach California. The Bulwark Podcast, 3:41
“Joking around about Americans being killed by a foreign country.”
“Even if that generous interpretation is true, it’s pretty strange. … They can’t reach Los Angeles or San Diego with their missiles.”
Somewhere in between: Breaking Points’ Saagar Enjeti laid out both readings and said both were bad news for Trump. Breaking Points, 48:07
“You can also look at it as him saying Iran nuking San Diego and Los Angeles would be a small price to pay. You decide.”
Case study: Prepping to interview Ro Khanna
Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, is hard to miss. Media Monitor logged 151 of his appearances in the past year: 17 interviews, and 133 clips of him played on other shows.
A reporter booked to interview him wants to know what he’s already said, so the interview can break new ground.
What the reporter would have learned
- He stays on message. Ask found his positions “substantially consistent” across all four. He pitched a ban on self-improving AI to CNBC’s business audience Squawk Pod, 25:23 and to Breaking Points’ populist one. Breaking Points, 2:58
- His emphasis shifts with the room. On CNBC, he said he doesn’t begrudge the entrepreneurs in his district. Squawk Pod, 21:51 On Breaking Points, he said tech billionaires can’t be trusted to write the rules. Breaking Points, 2:43
- So does his emphasis on Israel. On Fox News Sunday, he said he has always backed Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish democratic state. Fox News Sunday, 30:01 On The Young Turks, he called for “zeroing out aid and no military sales that are killing civilians.” The Young Turks, 1:09:21
- He isn’t ruling out 2028. Asked on Squawk Pod whether he’d run for president, he said he’s “looking at it.” Squawk Pod, 14:36
- His numbers need checking. He said his plan would cut the deficit by over $12 trillion, without saying over how long, Squawk Pod, 16:04 and that Medicare for All would save almost $1.2 trillion. Breaking Points, 19:00
“I don’t begrudge the entrepreneurs in my district. I know how hard some of them work.”
“I know these tech guys. I’ve been in the rooms. You cannot trust tech billionaires to write the rules to keep us safe.”
The plan: Skip the AI pitch he’s given everywhere. Ask what “looking at it” means, and where the $12 trillion comes from.