Trumpism, Fascism, & Algorithms: Talking with Cody Johnston of Some More News

Filed under: Interviews, Radio & Podcast, Radio/Podcast

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In this episode of the It’s Going Down podcast, we talked with comedian Cody Johnston who along with Katy Stoll is behind both the podcast and online show, Some More News. Every week, the pair along with their wider team produce a hysterical take on mainstream news, while also diving deep into broader political topics. We here at It’s Going Down first started paying attention to SMN after they put out a fantastic series on fascism and Trumpism. The series looked at fascism historically as well as the ways in which it attempts to appeal to the public, and in doing so SMN created both a damning indictment of Trumpism as well as a useful introduction to fascism in general.

We begin our discussion by talking about how Johnston grew from working on an earlier version of SMN on the website version of the comedy publication Cracked.com, before moving onto independent success. During our conversation, we also talk about the work load of writing, editing, and recording the podcast and show each week, as well as the production process of creating the content.

The larger theme which comes up several times, is what does it mean to produce online – especially video content on platforms like YouTube in an age where the Alt-Right and reactionary MRA forces already have both a head start and an advantage on the field of algorithms. While coming to no final conclusions, Johnston reiterates the power of humor in not only the pursuit of a better understanding of the world, but also as a weapon against the forces of reaction.

More Info: Some More News on Patreon and Even More News Podcast

This post was written by It's Going Down