Psychology/Psychiatry

Jesse Singal: How To Stay Honest While Doing Journalism

The Blocked & Reported cohost talks about cancel culture, activism vs. truth, and why he quit Twitter.

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Jesse Singal: How To Stay Honest While Doing Journalism

My guest today is journalist and podcaster Jesse Singal, who first came to national prominence a few years ago when he wrote a cover story for The Atlantic titled "When Children Say They're Trans." The article was meticulously reported but questioned various aspects of contemporary activism and created a firestorm that continues to this day. Since then, he has emerged as a fierce advocate for free speech, open debate, and honesty about the use and limits of social science in journalism and public discourse. 

In 2020, he and Katie Herzog started hosting the immensely popular podcast Blocked & Reported. In 2021, he published the excellent book, The Quick Fix: Why Fad Psychology Can't Cure Our Social Ills.

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at a small gathering in New York City. We talk about Jesse's work and research, how he came by his commitment to truth over advocacy, and how we can all push back against cancel culture and other forms of soft and hard censorship.

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