What is your favorite media?

My favorite media is podcasting. I love it! If you are unaware of what a podcast is, it is basically a glorified radio show. But it’s recorded, and you download it through one of many podcast apps so you can listen to it whenever you're ready. You can listen while you’re working, at the gym, in your car, walking to school — it’s remarkably accessible.

My favorite podcast is called Sway by the New York Times and is hosted by Kara Swisher. I am a big fan of Swisher. So much so that when she finished her last podcast with Vox Media, I followed her over to her new podcast so I would not miss out on her famous interviews. Apple Podcasts writes this about Sway, “Power, unpacked. “Sway” is a new interview show hosted by Kara Swisher, “Silicon Valley’s most feared and well-liked journalist.” Now taking on Washington, Hollywood, and the world, Kara investigates power: who has it, who’s been denied it, and who dares to defy it.” It is true. Swisher is not someone to be messed with. She is known for her punchy interviews and no-nonsense attitude. I believe Swisher herself described the podcast as interviews with those in power, whether in business, politics, or whatever other timely avenues.

And timely is correct. One of the most recent episodes was with John Matze, CEO of Parler, and they recorded on the day of the capitol insurrection. In the interview, aptly called “If You Were on Parler, You Saw the Mob Coming,” Swisher was to reveal Matze’s irresponsibility without particularly trying. That said, this interview reminded me of a young bull and an extremely experienced matador. I don’t think Matze really knew what he was getting himself into. He was one of the most open and honest tech CEO’s Swisher had the pleasure of skewering. In his case, honesty was not the best policy. Later in the week, Google, Apple, and Amazon Web Services all dropped Parler from their respective platforms.

Now, I think I have not painted Swisher in the best light. The brilliance of Sway is the brilliance of Kara Swisher. I have always found the best interviewers ask the right questions at the right time. It’s comparable to a sheepdog and its flock, gracefully and ambiguously directing the sheep where they want them. Swisher can lead the interviewee into giving her the information she wants through pressure and guidance. And who doesn’t want to hear the rich, powerful, and well-connected squirm just a little bit?

So what entices me so to Sway? Swisher. I know I am drawn to strong-willed females. (Diane Lockheart, Mai Valentine, and Nicki Minaj, to name a few.) The way she has used her career height to uncover the harsh underbelly of power is a testament to her journalism commitment. Further, the episodes are timely. Yes, I want to hear the CEO of Parler on the day that the Capitol was overrun by rioters who largely organized on Parler. And on a lighter note, the show is not all doom and gloom. Other guests have included Brene Brown, Anna Wintour, and Bryan Cranston. Still, the interview always circles current events relevant to the interviewee.

This blog post shows I am a huge Swisher fan. I have followed her career over the last few years, I watch for when she goes live on Twitter (where I won a Sway hat), and I read her columns. It’s interesting to see how Swisher is wielding media to her advantage. Her Twitter account can attract listeners and readers to her work and vice versa. It must be very lucrative for her work if her 1.4 million Twitter followers can link straight to the podcast like this. It’s interesting how media figures like Swisher can manipulate different media to their benefit. I am a prime example. I follow her on Twitter, listen to Sway and her other podcast, Pivot, and watch her when she goes live with the New York Times. In Swisher’s case, this seems quite legitimate. I find her products to be a helpful source of information. On the other hand, I can see how those with more celebrity may wield their following for nefarious dealings.