True Journalism | Season 2026 "Digital First Responders  Kim Karr on Protecting Kids in the Age of Social Media" Featuring Kim Karr — co-founder of Digital for Good, bringing 13 years of classroom experience and partnerships with major tech companies to create practical digital citizenship programs that empower youth as change agents in online communities.

Two groundbreaking verdicts totaling $755 million against Meta and YouTube for harming children signal a new era of accountability for social media platforms. As Mark Zuckerberg sat in the LA courtroom witnessing the $380 million judgment, across America's schools, children remain glued to the very devices deemed harmful by the courts. With the Ticket Down Act requiring platforms to remove deepfake sexual imagery of children within 48 hours, hosts Richard Schreiber and Tom Martin explore this pivotal moment when tech accountability meets educational responsibility.

This episode features Kim Karr, co-founder of Digital for Good, who has trained over 2.4 million students across 1,500 schools in digital citizenship. From her 13-year teaching background to partnerships with major platforms, Kim shares insights on creating "digital first responders" among youth. The conversation spans sextortion cases costing billions, phone bans in schools, AI detection challenges, and the critical role of peer accountability in online spaces.

Topics Covered:

• Legal Accountability Era: Analysis of $375M New Mexico and $380M LA verdicts against Meta/YouTube for child harm
• Sextortion Crisis: Billions lost to international schemes targeting minors with AI-generated personas
• Digital First Responders: Training students to recognize and respond to online dangers before escalation
• School Phone Policies: State-by-state implementation of device restrictions and their surprising positive outcomes
• Platform Safety Measures: Youth councils at Snapchat, TikTok providing real input on product development
• Parental Partnership: Moving beyond monitoring to side-by-side digital literacy conversations
• AI Detection Challenges: Beta-tested facial recognition failing to accurately verify user ages
• Rage Bait Economics: How click-driven revenue models fuel misinformation and emotional manipulation
• Generational Digital Divide: Students educating parents on deepfakes and manufactured news content
• Peer Accountability: Teaching respectful callouts for inappropriate online behavior
• Federal AI Labeling: Need for mandatory disclosure when artificial intelligence creates content

About the Hosts:

Richard Schreiber

Richard Schreiber is a strategic AI consultant, journalist, autism advocate, and fiction writer based in New York City. With a background spanning investigative reporting, technology consulting, and over 25 years in legal technology and procurement, Richard brings a rare combination of real-world experience and analytical depth to every conversation. He is the founder of a growing autism advocacy foundation and the author of multiple books, including Autism Care Revolution. His journalism is guided by one principle: facts first, always.

Guest Kim Karr joins as co-founder of Digital for Good, bringing 13 years of classroom experience and partnerships with major tech companies to create practical digital citizenship programs that empower youth as change agents in online communities. 

Our Mission

True Journalism exists because facts still matter. The press is a watchdog — not a lapdog — and the American public deserves reporting that shines a light rather than throws a shadow. This is not a political show. We do not have a party. We have one principle: if it is not a verified fact, we will say so.


True Journalism airs weekly. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

True Journalism | Season 2026 "The Mirror and the Machine: AI, Press Freedom, and the Erosion of Truth" Featuring Michael Ashley — Forbes Columnist, AI Philosopher, and Author of 50+ Books

Five days ago, a sitting President of the United States reportedly handed his acting attorney general a stack of news articles with the word treason written in Sharpie on a sticky note. The result? Grand jury subpoenas targeting the Wall Street Journal and other newsrooms — demanding reporter records on Iran war coverage. Dow Jones called it an attack on constitutionally protected news gathering. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned it. And somewhere in the metadata of all of this, buried inside AI systems now processing communication surveillance, the question isn't just who leaked. The question is: who's watching the watchers?

This week on True Journalism, Richard Schreiber and Tom Martin sit down with one of the most compelling thinkers at the intersection of technology, ethics, and human power — Michael Ashley. Forbes columnist. Former Disney screenwriter. Author of more than 50 books, five of them bestsellers. And the creator of The AI Philosopher, a Substack dedicated to the critical question our era refuses to ask out loud: what happens to humanity when the machine stops being a tool and starts being the enforcer?

Michael's journey started in the University of Missouri's legendary journalism school, moved through Hollywood, into the boardrooms of IBM Watson collaborators, and eventually to interviews with some of the biggest names in AI — Ben Goertzel, Peter Diamandis, David Hanson, and Ray Kurzweil. He was writing about Neuralink-style brain interfaces in 2018, years before they became a dinner table conversation.

But this episode isn't just about technology. It's about the slow, deliberate collapse of the institutions that were supposed to protect us from exactly the moment we're living in right now.

When the Fairness Doctrine died in 1987, opinion moved in dressed as news. When journalists got comfortable at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, they stopped being reporters and became stenographers. When Barack Obama codified wartime powers, the next administration was handed a loaded weapon. When AI went from disembodied chatbot to a drone with facial recognition software, the Sharpie note became the least of our problems.

Michael makes the case that AI is not the villain in this story — we are, because we stopped asking who benefits. He warns of a coming robot revolution that will make the ChatGPT moment look like a warm-up act. He challenges parents, journalists, and citizens to stop outsourcing their judgment to algorithms, AI companions, and partisan media ecosystems that profit from fear.

And in the tradition of Edward R. Murrow, he leaves us with this: fear is contagious, but so is bravery.

This is not a tech episode. This is not a political episode. This is a story about what it means to be a human being in a world that is rapidly being reshaped by systems that have no ethics, no conscience, and no accountability — unless we build those things in. Starting right now. Starting with us.

Apply the sticky note test this week. Name the specific fact that was proven wrong in what you're being told. If the answer is nothing — you know exactly what you're looking at.

Good night, and good luck.

Guest: Michael Ashley Find Michael: The AI Philosopher on Substack | Forbes (Wednesdays) | LinkedIn

Hosts: Richard Schreiber & Tom Martin This is True Journalism.

Topics Covered

• The DOJ Subpoenas & Press Freedom Crisis — A president writes "treason" on a sticky note; newsrooms face subpoenas over Iran war coverage; the pattern of executive press suppression across multiple administrations
• AI Surveillance and the Journalist as Target — How AI systems combining telecom data and drone feeds are being used to identify and track journalists; 128 journalists killed in 2025; spyware on the rise
• The Fairness Doctrine and the Death of Balanced Media — How its 1987 repeal opened the door for opinion masquerading as news and the steady degradation of journalistic standards
• Michael Ashley's Origin Story — From the University of Missouri J-school to Hollywood screenwriting to co-authoring Own the AI Revolution with interviews from Ben Goertzel, Peter Diamandis, David Hanson, and Neil Sahota
• The Robot Revolution — Why embodied AI changes everything; robot police in China; AI companions replacing human relationships; the real-world implications of the Black Mirror scenarios we laughed at
• The Neuralink Question — Why the argument against brain-chip technology collapses the moment your child's classmates have IQs above 150
• Media Literacy in the Algorithm Age — 40% of Americans now get their news primarily from AI; the absence of ethical guardrails; how fear-based headlines spike cortisol and drive clicks
• The Monoculture Collapse — How decentralized media destroyed shared cultural touchstones and why that fragmentation weakens democratic resilience
• Parenting in the AI Era — How parents can safeguard their children's minds, model better behavior, and stop raising obedient workers and start raising entrepreneurs
• Boys, Education, and the Disengagement Crisis — Why forcing boys into eight-hour classroom structures is failing them; the link to disengagement, Adderall, and violence
• AI as a Philosophical Mirror — Why AI reflects back what we value, what we fear, and what we refuse to be honest about — and what the DOJ story reveals about where journalism stands today
• The Micro-Enterprise Journalism Model — How agentic AI enables a single journalist to build a credible, independent news operation that answers to no one but their ethics
• The Duopoly Trap — Why framing press suppression as a "Trump problem" lets every other administration off the hook and prevents systemic change
• The Containment Problem — Why you cannot put AI back in the bottle; the Gutenberg parallel; why civic responsibility — not legislation — is the only real answer
• Who Benefits? The Real Business Model of Fear — How major AI platforms and media companies profit from emotional engagement, outrage, and dependency — and what citizens can do about it
• Edward R. Murrow's Question in 2026 — Is what you're being told true? — and why that question has never been more urgent or more dangerous to ask

About the Hosts

Richard Schreiber

Richard Schreiber is a strategic AI consultant, journalist, autism advocate, and fiction writer based in New York City. With a background spanning investigative reporting, technology consulting, and over 25 years in legal technology and procurement, Richard brings a rare combination of real-world experience and analytical depth to every conversation. He is the founder of a growing autism advocacy foundation and the author of multiple books, including Autism Care Revolution. His journalism is guided by one principle: facts first, always.

Tom Martin

Tom Martin is a veteran television news producer with more than 20 years at some of the most respected names in broadcasting. He got his start at the CBS News Washington Bureau in 1982 — where he witnessed history firsthand, including being in the room when Nixon delivered his infamous "I am not a crook" statement. The son of a legendary newspaper editor who helped launch USA Today, Tom grew up believing journalism is a sacred public trust. He carries that belief into every story he tells.

Our Mission

True Journalism exists because facts still matter. The press is a watchdog — not a lapdog — and the American public deserves reporting that shines a light rather than throws a shadow. This is not a political show. We do not have a party. We have one principle: if it is not a verified fact, we will say so.

True Journalism airs weekly. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Hosted by Richard Schreiber & Tom Martin | May 8, 2026

Episode Description

When governments scrub the wounded from their own casualty lists, when a cabinet secretary testifies to Congress that nearly a trillion dollars in Medicaid cuts simply don't exist, and when the United States falls to 64th place in global press freedom — sandwiched between Botswana and Panama — we are no longer watching missteps. We are watching a pattern.
In this episode of True Journalism, hosts Richard Schreiber and Tom Martin pull back the curtain on the machinery of institutional deception operating at the highest levels of American government. From Pentagon casualty manipulation in the Iran war to commercial satellite imagery contradicting official damage reports, from the gutting of the Voting Rights Act to the quiet consolidation of American media under billionaire-friendly ownership, Richard and Tom deliver the week's most urgent stories with the clarity and conviction that only independent journalism can provide.
This week's conversation goes deeper than headlines. Tom shares a striking personal story — his 2008 encounter with Donald Trump at a Learning Annex event, where Trump famously counseled audiences to consider the power of negative thinking. The irony is stark: a president who once asked "what's the worst that can happen?" now presides over a war where the worst is being actively hidden from public view.
Richard and Tom also pay tribute to Ted Turner — the maverick media visionary whose creation of CNN changed the global news landscape forever — and whose civic courage stands in sharp contrast to today's billionaire-driven media consolidation. As Stephen Colbert prepares for his final broadcast on May 21st and CBS correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi faces contract non-renewal after exposing a truth the administration didn't want told, Richard and Tom ask the question every American should be asking: When is the last time you demanded a verifiable source?
This episode is a masterclass in what journalism is supposed to be — uncomfortable, rigorous, sourced, and unapologetically committed to truth. Build your foundation on reality. Check your sources. And if you're not asking where the numbers come from, you're not consuming the news. You're consuming its absence.
Good night. And good luck.


Topics Covered

• Pentagon Iran Casualty Manipulation — 15 wounded troops quietly removed from official tallies without explanation; Washington Post satellite analysis documents 228+ damaged or destroyed structures on U.S. bases — far exceeding anything publicly acknowledged by the Pentagon
• The Fairness Doctrine & Its 1987 Repeal — How Reagan's dismantling of verifiable truth requirements on public airwaves created the conditions for today's propaganda ecosystem, and why that baseline matters more than ever
• RFK & the $911 Billion Medicaid Deception — HHS Secretary Kennedy testifies to Congress that there are no Medicaid cuts under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act; the CBO documents $911 billion in reductions eliminating coverage for 13.1 million Americans by 2035, verified by FactCheck.org
• U.S. Press Freedom Collapses to 64th Globally — Reporters Without Borders ranks America between Botswana and Panama, citing the systematic weaponization of state institutions against independent journalism
• The War Powers Act Deadline Quietly Passes — The 60-day statutory limit for congressional notification on the Iran conflict came and went with no formal briefing; Hegseth described it as pressing "pause" — Richard and Tom are not amused
• Ted Turner Tribute — Remembering CNN's founder, his courage in building round-the-clock civic journalism, his early coverage in Russia and North Korea, and why his model of truth-first reporting is desperately needed right now
• CBS 60 Minutes Under Siege — Sharyn Alfonsi's contract not renewed after her ICE detention facility exposé; the pattern of retribution journalism at a network now operating under administration-aligned leadership
• Supreme Court Guts the Voting Rights Act — Louisiana v. Kale, a 6-3 ruling forcing plaintiffs to prove discriminatory intent rather than effect, dismantling Section 2 of the landmark 1965 law
• FCC Approves Nexstar-Tegna Mega-Merger — One company now reaches 80% of U.S. TV households across 259 stations; no full commissioner vote held; eight state attorneys general filed suit to block it
• May Day Protests Dismissed as Fringe — Thousands of nationwide demonstrations involving teachers, veterans, parents, and small business owners were branded radical by administration officials and right-wing media
• Stephen Colbert's Final Broadcast & the Kimmel Pressure Campaign — The end of a satirical era as media intimidation escalates against late-night voices critical of the administration
• The Parallel Count Methodology — Named for Seymour Hersh's Vietnam-era journalism: building shadow data sets from hospital records, congressional testimony, and independent reporting to expose the gap between official narrative and ground truth — when the official number doesn't match, the official number is the anomaly

About the Hosts

Richard Schreiber

Richard Schreiber is a strategic AI consultant, journalist, autism advocate, and fiction writer based in New York City. With a background spanning investigative reporting, technology consulting, and over 25 years in legal technology and procurement, Richard brings a rare combination of real-world experience and analytical depth to every conversation. He is the founder of a growing autism advocacy foundation and the author of multiple books, including Autism Care Revolution. His journalism is guided by one principle: facts first, always.

Tom Martin

Tom Martin is a veteran television news producer with more than 20 years at some of the most respected names in broadcasting. He got his start at the CBS News Washington Bureau in 1982 — where he witnessed history firsthand, including being in the room when Nixon delivered his infamous "I am not a crook" statement. The son of a legendary newspaper editor who helped launch USA Today, Tom grew up believing journalism is a sacred public trust. He carries that belief into every story he tells.

Our Mission

True Journalism exists because facts still matter. The press is a watchdog — not a lapdog — and the American public deserves reporting that shines a light rather than throws a shadow. This is not a political show. We do not have a party. We have one principle: if it is not a verified fact, we will say so.

True Journalism airs weekly. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Whipple's 10,000-word Vanity Fair profile of Susie Wiles was called a "hit piece" by the White House. His answer: everything is on tape. Together they dissect Tucker Carlson's calculated apology, the corporate surrender at CBS News, the Biden inner circle's fog of delusion — and the central question of this moment: who, if anyone, is still willing to walk into the Oval Office and tell this president what he doesn't want to hear.

Topics Covered

• Tucker Carlson's Apology: Carlson admits he misled America on Trump and Iran. Whipple's read: he's running for president in 2028.
• The CBS News Surrender: The Skydance merger, Barry Weiss's editorial retreats, and the defanging of 60 Minutes — with a cautionary parallel to the Larry Tisch era.
• Susie Wiles, The Chief Who Stopped Delivering Hard Truths: A year of reporting reveals the woman Trump trusts most has abandoned the most critical function of her job.
• The Gatekeepers: From James Baker saving Reagan on Social Security to Leon Panetta rescuing Clinton — why chief of staff is the most consequential unelected job in America.
• Biden's Fog of Delusion: How Donillon, Ricchetti, and Klain convinced themselves Biden could win — and why Whipple disputes the Tapper thesis.
• Trump Family Conflicts: Kushner's $2 billion Saudi deal, the sons' Pentagon drone investments.
• The Fourth Estate: Great journalism is still happening. The midterms will tell us if it still has a constituency.

About the Hosts

Richard Schreiber

Richard Schreiber is a strategic AI consultant, journalist, autism advocate, and fiction writer based in New York City. With a background spanning investigative reporting, technology consulting, and over 25 years in legal technology and procurement, Richard brings a rare combination of real-world experience and analytical depth to every conversation. He is the founder of a growing autism advocacy foundation and the author of multiple books, including Autism Care Revolution. His journalism is guided by one principle: facts first, always.

Tom Martin

Tom Martin is a veteran television news producer with more than 20 years at some of the most respected names in broadcasting. He got his start at the CBS News Washington Bureau in 1982 — where he witnessed history firsthand, including being in the room when Nixon delivered his infamous "I am not a crook" statement. The son of a legendary newspaper editor who helped launch USA Today, Tom grew up believing journalism is a sacred public trust. He carries that belief into every story he tells.

Guest: Chris Whipple

Chris Whipple is one of America's foremost chroniclers of presidential power. A journalist, Emmy Award winner, and Peabody Award recipient, he spent years at 60 Minutes and Primetime Live before dedicating his career to documenting the inside of American government on tape and on the record. He is the author of The Gatekeepers, The Spymasters, and The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden's White House. His most recent book, Uncharted, covers the 2024 election — the wildest, he argues, since 1968. In December 2025, his Vanity Fair profile of Susie Wiles set Washington talking. Everything in it, he notes, is on tape.

Our Mission

True Journalism exists because facts still matter. The press is a watchdog — not a lapdog — and the American public deserves reporting that shines a light rather than throws a shadow. This is not a political show. We do not have a party. We have one principle: if it is not a verified fact, we will say so.

Hosts Richard Schreiber and Tom Martin sit down with newspaper veteran Steve Patterson — 40 years, 13 chains, former CEO of America's largest community newspaper group, and host of the Galveston Bay Bizcast — for a sober, hopeful conversation about what journalism was, what it has become, and where it goes next.

Recorded the day a federal judge tossed a $10 billion lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Anthropic invited 15 clergy to Silicon Valley to "give AI a conscience," this episode digs into why the moral ground print journalism fought two centuries to own is up for grabs again.

What you'll hear:

• The Wall Street Inflection Point — How the Washington Post going public alerted hedge funds to 40–50% margins, and how Ralph Ingersoll and Michael Milken's junk bonds cracked the door open to extractive ownership.
• Newsrooms as Islands — Why the wall between editorial and advertising worked, and what broke when investigative reporting became a "cost center."
• The Bezos Moment — Killing the Harris endorsement at WaPo, the LA Times following, and what happens when owners buy silence.
• Two Sources, On the Record — Steve's newsroom rule that kept him out of every libel case in 40 years — and why the WSJ won the Epstein case.
• Silicon Valley's Right Turn — Steve's eight-year view from the Palo Alto Rotary Club watching libertarian salons drift hard right.
• The Comeback — Substack, Midas Touch, Brian Tyler Cohen, and local podcasts as the new community press.
• Jailed Journalists — Ahmad Shahidan in Kuwait and the long Khashoggi shadow.

Steve's parting word: journalism isn't dying. It's just no longer delivered to your door.

About the Hosts

Richard Schreiber

Richard Schreiber is a strategic AI consultant, journalist, autism advocate, and fiction writer based in New York City. With a background spanning investigative reporting, technology consulting, and over 25 years in legal technology and procurement, Richard brings a rare combination of real-world experience and analytical depth to every conversation. He is the founder of a growing autism advocacy foundation and the author of multiple books, including Autism Care Revolution. His journalism is guided by one principle: facts first, always.

Tom Martin

Tom Martin is a veteran television news producer with more than 20 years at some of the most respected names in broadcasting. He got his start at the CBS News Washington Bureau in 1982 — where he witnessed history firsthand, including being in the room when Nixon delivered his infamous "I am not a crook" statement. The son of a legendary newspaper editor who helped launch USA Today, Tom grew up believing journalism is a sacred public trust. He carries that belief into every story he tells.

Our Mission

True Journalism exists because facts still matter. The press is a watchdog — not a lapdog — and the American public deserves reporting that shines a light rather than throws a shadow. This is not a political show. We do not have a party. We have one principle: if it is not a verified fact, we will say so.

We dive deep into the "Digital Mask"—a world where the Commander-in-Chief must call his generals to verify if war footage on his feed is real or a server-generated deepfake. We also tackle the systemic dismantling of the Fourth Estate, from the defunding of NPR and PBS to the corporate "defanging" of legacy institutions like 60 Minutes.

Drawing on the standards of the 1970s and 80s, Richard and Tom contrast the "News as a Public Service" era with today’s "Profit-at-all-Costs" model. This isn't just a news brief; it’s a briefing for your survival in the information war.

Topics Covered

• The "Nearly" Test: A breakdown of the April 10th ceasefire and how qualifiers are used to manufacture a sense of "Mission Accomplished."
• The $1.5 Trillion Pivot: Analyzing massive surges in defense spending paired with 10% cuts to healthcare and social services.
• The Deepfake Battlefield: How AI-generated disinformation is successfully deceiving the highest levels of government.
• The War on Access: A review of the federal court ruling against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth regarding the sequestering of Pentagon reporters.
• The Death of the Independent Newsroom: How corporate mergers and "Vulture Funds" have turned local news into syndicated propaganda machines.
• The 60 Minutes Overhaul: Discussion on the shift from investigative reporting to "cultural relevance" and punditry.

"Truth is not a preference; it is a foundation. Build your week on it."

About the Hosts

Richard Schreiber

Richard Schreiber is a strategic AI consultant, journalist, autism advocate, and fiction writer based in New York City. With a background spanning investigative reporting, technology consulting, and over 25 years in legal technology and procurement, Richard brings a rare combination of real-world experience and analytical depth to every conversation. He is the founder of a growing autism advocacy foundation and the author of multiple books, including Autism Care Revolution. His journalism is guided by one principle: facts first, always.

Tom Martin

Tom Martin is a veteran television news producer with more than 20 years at some of the most respected names in broadcasting. He got his start at the CBS News Washington Bureau in 1982 — where he witnessed history firsthand, including being in the room when Nixon delivered his infamous "I am not a crook" statement. The son of a legendary newspaper editor who helped launch USA Today, Tom grew up believing journalism is a sacred public trust. He carries that belief into every story he tells.

Our Mission

True Journalism exists because facts still matter. The press is a watchdog — not a lapdog — and the American public deserves reporting that shines a light rather than throws a shadow. This is not a political show. We do not have a party. We have one principle: if it is not a verified fact, we will say so.

In an era defined by the "Digital Mask," your eyes are no longer reliable witnesses to the truth. This week on True Journalism, veteran broadcasters Richard Schreiber and Tom Martin peel back the layers of a world where a server in a basement can tank global markets for less than fifty dollars. We are moving past "funny videos" and into the reality of financial warfare.

As traditional newsrooms are swallowed by conglomerates and local truths are diluted by private equity "vulture funds," we return to the bedrock of 1970s and 80s investigative standards. This episode dismantles the "Deepfake Economy," analyzes why current AI labeling laws are failing to keep pace with the speed of lies, and honors the legacy of the "Murrow Boys" through an exclusive look at the golden age of CBS News.

We don't give you what you want to hear; we give you what you need to know to stay grounded.

Topics Covered

•     The Digital Mask: How $50 in server time creates market-moving synthetic media.
•     "Google Zero": The AI "answer engines" starving traditional publishers of traffic.
•     Financial Warfare: Sophisticated deepfake traps targeting retirement accounts.
•     The 1996 Telecom Act: How corporate mergers turned newsrooms into entertainment cogs.
•     Vulture Fund Impact: Private equity’s role in creating propaganda-filled "news deserts."
•     Verification vs. Viralism: Using traditional discipline to cut through algorithmic outrage.
•     The CBS Legacy: Reflections on the "Murrow Era" standards with icons like Charles Kuralt.
•     AI Labeling Laws: Evaluating the new February 2026 federal mandates for synthetic media.
•     The Journalist’s Tool: Identifying "The Glitch"—finding flaws in the logic of a source.

About the Hosts

Richard Schreiber

Richard Schreiber is a strategic AI consultant, journalist, autism advocate, and fiction writer based in New York City. With a background spanning investigative reporting, technology consulting, and over 25 years in legal technology and procurement, Richard brings a rare combination of real-world experience and analytical depth to every conversation. He is the founder of a growing autism advocacy foundation and the author of multiple books, including Autism Care Revolution. His journalism is guided by one principle: facts first, always.

Tom Martin

Tom Martin is a veteran television news producer with more than 20 years at some of the most respected names in broadcasting. He got his start at the CBS News Washington Bureau in 1982 — where he witnessed history firsthand, including being in the room when Nixon delivered his infamous "I am not a crook" statement. The son of a legendary newspaper editor who helped launch USA Today, Tom grew up believing journalism is a sacred public trust. He carries that belief into every story he tells.

Guest: Henry Lenz

Henry Lenz is a veteran broadcast engineer and producer whose career at CBS spanned over four decades. From mixing the World Tonight to producing award-winning documentaries like the Bach 300th Anniversary special, Henry’s work defined the "Gold Standard" of audio journalism. He is a master of the analog craft and a witness to the evolution of the Fourth Estate.

Our Mission

True Journalism exists because facts still matter. The press is a watchdog — not a lapdog — and the American public deserves reporting that shines a light rather than throws a shadow. This is not a political show. We do not have a party. We have one principle: if it is not a verified fact, we will say so.

Together, they witness the end of an era as CBS News Radio announces its termination, while simultaneously dissecting the "manufactured optimism" of the current war with Iran. From the "razor blade" days of analog editing to the modern Deepfake X-ray crisis, this conversation explores why the pursuit of truth is becoming a lost art in an age of synthetic reality.

Topics Covered

• The End of CBS Radio: A "civic disaster" reflection on the shutdown of a century-old news institution.
• The Cronkite Standard: Henry Lenz shares a high-stakes story of editing Walter Cronkite’s script with a razor blade just seconds before air.
• Iran War Discrepancies: Contrasting the administration’s "precision strike" narrative with reports of 85,000 civilian sites destroyed.
• Deepfake Crisis: Examining AI-generated "medical x-rays" and synthetic videos of media figures that are undermining public trust.
• The 1989 Earthquake: A first-hand account of reporting live from the ruins of Candlestick Park with only one working phone line.
• DHS Shutdown: The reality of the 40-day government shutdown and its impact on national security and airport stability.
• The "Mind’s Eye": Why audio remains the most intimate and powerful medium for honest storytelling.

About the Hosts

Richard Schreiber

Richard Schreiber is a strategic AI consultant, journalist, autism advocate, and fiction writer based in New York City. With a background spanning investigative reporting, technology consulting, and over 25 years in legal technology and procurement, Richard brings a rare combination of real-world experience and analytical depth to every conversation. He is the founder of a growing autism advocacy foundation and the author of multiple books, including Autism Care Revolution. His journalism is guided by one principle: facts first, always.

Tom Martin

Tom Martin is a veteran television news producer with more than 20 years at some of the most respected names in broadcasting. He got his start at the CBS News Washington Bureau in 1982 — where he witnessed history firsthand, including being in the room when Nixon delivered his infamous "I am not a crook" statement. The son of a legendary newspaper editor who helped launch USA Today, Tom grew up believing journalism is a sacred public trust. He carries that belief into every story he tells.

Guest: Henry Lenz

Henry Lenz is a veteran broadcast engineer and producer whose career at CBS spanned over four decades. From mixing the World Tonight to producing award-winning documentaries like the Bach 300th Anniversary special, Henry’s work defined the "Gold Standard" of audio journalism. He is a master of the analog craft and a witness to the evolution of the Fourth Estate.

Our Mission

True Journalism exists because facts still matter. The press is a watchdog — not a lapdog — and the American public deserves reporting that shines a light rather than throws a shadow. This is not a political show. We do not have a party. We have one principle: if it is not a verified fact, we will say so.

Topics Covered

I. The Lead: Synthetic War Clouds

• The Propaganda: A White House briefing alleging an imminent Iranian "Tomahawk" strike.
• The Fact: Iran does not own Tomahawks; the administration swapped verified intel for a "feeling" to justify kinetic action.

II. The Wire: Rapid-Fire Truth

• National Security Purge: A 22-year-old intern appointed to lead a major DHS center—replacing institutional knowledge with total loyalty.
• Federal Student Aid Crisis: Analyzing the GAO report on the "illegal" firing of 50% of student aid staff under the guise of "streamlining."
• The CBS Shift: Barry Weiss’s arrival at CBS News and the potential "neutering" of 60 Minutes’ investigative core.

III. The Feature: Access vs. Integrity

• The Wiles Tapes: How journalist Chris Whipple used 11 months of recordings with Trump’s Chief of Staff to protect the truth against "hit job" allegations.
• The Journalist's Tool: Verification and the "receipts"—why recording every second is the only defense in 2026.

IV. The AI & Information War

• Dystopian Noise vs. Reality: Contrasting AI "fearmongering" with its actual breakthroughs in autism research and education.
• Battlefield Deception: How recycled footage from old wars is being digitally altered to manipulate public perception of the current Iranian conflict.

About the Hosts

Richard Schreiber

Richard Schreiber is a strategic AI consultant, journalist, autism advocate, and fiction writer based in New York City. With a background spanning investigative reporting, technology consulting, and over 25 years in legal technology and procurement, Richard brings a rare combination of real-world experience and analytical depth to every conversation. He is the founder of a growing autism advocacy foundation and the author of multiple books, including Autism Care Revolution. His journalism is guided by one principle: facts first, always.

Tom Martin

Tom Martin is a veteran television news producer with more than 20 years at some of the most respected names in broadcasting. He got his start at the CBS News Washington Bureau in 1982 — where he witnessed history firsthand, including being in the room when Nixon delivered his infamous "I am not a crook" statement. The son of a legendary newspaper editor who helped launch USA Today, Tom grew up believing journalism is a sacred public trust. He carries that belief into every story he tells.

Our Mission

True Journalism exists because facts still matter. The press is a watchdog — not a lapdog — and the American public deserves reporting that shines a light rather than throws a shadow. This is not a political show. We do not have a party. We have one principle: if it is not a verified fact, we will say so.

Topics Covered

• The Propaganda of "Epic Fury": How the administration uses high-def curation to hide military casualties and the reality of the war.
• The Press Office vs. The Truth: Analyzing the confrontation between Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt and CNN’s Kaitlyn Collins over suppressed coverage.
• The Resignation of Mary Walsh: Why a 46-year CBS veteran quit rather than push a mandated political agenda.
• The "Secretaries of War": The Pentagon’s move to evict independent reporters and replace them with "handpicked loyalists."
• The Venezuela Blueprint: Is the recent amnesty deal a genuine win or a strategic move to stabilize oil prices before the Iran strike?
• Quid Pro Quo Allegations: Examining the $106M campaign contribution linked to U.S. intervention strategies.
• The Tabloidization of Congress: How hearings for Christie Noem, Pam Bondi, and the Clintons have traded fact-finding for character assassination.
• Legacy Media’s Identity Crisis: Why seeing the UFC’s Dana White on CBS Sunday Morning signals the death of traditional news values.
• Finding the Foundation: A call for listeners to use verification tools to break through algorithmic polarization and state-run spin.

About the Hosts

Richard Schreiber

Richard Schreiber is a strategic AI consultant, journalist, autism advocate, and fiction writer based in New York City. With a background spanning investigative reporting, technology consulting, and over 25 years in legal technology and procurement, Richard brings a rare combination of real-world experience and analytical depth to every conversation. He is the founder of a growing autism advocacy foundation and the author of multiple books, including Autism Care Revolution. His journalism is guided by one principle: facts first, always.

Tom Martin

Tom Martin is a veteran television news producer with more than 20 years at some of the most respected names in broadcasting. He got his start at the CBS News Washington Bureau in 1982 — where he witnessed history firsthand, including being in the room when Nixon delivered his infamous "I am not a crook" statement. The son of a legendary newspaper editor who helped launch USA Today, Tom grew up believing journalism is a sacred public trust. He carries that belief into every story he tells.

Our Mission

True Journalism exists because facts still matter. The press is a watchdog — not a lapdog — and the American public deserves reporting that shines a light rather than throws a shadow. This is not a political show. We do not have a party. We have one principle: if it is not a verified fact, we will say so.

In this inaugural edition of True Journalism, veteran broadcasters Richard Schreiber and Tom Martin strip away the synthetic noise of the digital age to examine the "Deepfake Economy" and the erosion of the traditional newsroom. Recorded on February 20, 2026, this episode serves as a manifesto for the "Source of Truth" in a world dominated by "Source: Trust Me, Bro."

The duo contrasts the historical era of journalism as a "loss leader"—where networks ran news for prestige and public service—against the modern "profit-at-all-costs" model that rewards algorithmic outrage and corporate sycophancy. From the implications of the 1996 Telecommunications Act to the rise of AI-cloned news anchors, Richard and Tom provide the "Red Flag" tests every citizen needs to verify reality before the "Digital Mask" costs them their paycheck or their peace of mind.

Topics Covered

• The Lead: The New State Media Model – Analyzing the acquisition of CBS and CNN by private groups with direct ties to the White House and what it means for editorial independence.
• The Wire: Rapid-Fire Briefing – Fact-checking the February 11th AI Mandate, the "Ad-Geddon" brand crisis, and the privacy implications of the NYC Smart-Grid.
• The Feature: The Deepfake Economy – How "digital masks" have evolved from funny videos into sophisticated tools for financial warfare and market manipulation.
• 1945 vs. 2026: The Monopoly on the Mind – Contrasting the post-WWII era of media regulation with today’s "Vulture Fund" impact and the rise of local news deserts.
• The Death of the Fairness Doctrine – How the 1987 repeal shifted American media from public service broadcasting to an era of polarized demagoguery.
• Journalistic Red Flags – Three essential verification techniques to spot "The Glitch" in both digital media pixels and the underlying logic of a story.
• The "Google Zero" Crisis – Investigating how AI-generated search summaries are starving original news creators of 40% of their traditional revenue.
• The Tiger Closing – Why distinguishing fact from fabrication is the ultimate requirement for human freedom.

About the Hosts

Richard Schreiber

Richard Schreiber is a strategic AI consultant, journalist, autism advocate, and fiction writer based in New York City. With a background spanning investigative reporting, technology consulting, and over 25 years in legal technology and procurement, Richard brings a rare combination of real-world experience and analytical depth to every conversation. He is the founder of a growing autism advocacy foundation and the author of multiple books, including Autism Care Revolution. His journalism is guided by one principle: facts first, always.

Tom Martin

Tom Martin is a veteran television news producer with more than 20 years at some of the most respected names in broadcasting. He got his start at the CBS News Washington Bureau in 1982 — where he witnessed history firsthand, including being in the room when Nixon delivered his infamous "I am not a crook" statement. The son of a legendary newspaper editor who helped launch USA Today, Tom grew up believing journalism is a sacred public trust. He carries that belief into every story he tells.

Our Mission

True Journalism exists because facts still matter. The press is a watchdog — not a lapdog — and the American public deserves reporting that shines a light rather than throws a shadow. This is not a political show. We do not have a party. We have one principle: if it is not a verified fact, we will say so.

But here’s the reality: That man was never at the podium. That speech never happened. The entire "news event" was generated by a server in a basement 3,000 miles away for less than $50.

Welcome to the era of the Digital Mask. In a world dominated by social media algorithms and "viral" outrage, our eyes are no longer reliable witnesses to the truth. If you can’t tell the difference between a person and a program, you aren’t just being misled—you’re being controlled.

The 30-Minute Broadcast Clock

1. The Lead (4 Mins): A "Cold Open" contrasting a current piece of spun news or a deepfake against a traditional investigative angle.
2. The Feature (12 Mins): A deep dive into "The Death of the Independent Newsroom," exploring how conglomerate takeovers and private equity have impacted local truth.
3. The Wire (8 Mins): Rapid-fire current events where we identify the Propaganda/Spin vs. the Verified Fact.
4. The Filter (4 Mins): "The Five Most Egregious Statements of the Week"—a fact-check litmus test of the most dishonest claims made in the press, regardless of political affiliation.
5. The Closing (2 Mins): A definitive sign-off connecting the pursuit of truth to human legacy and freedom.

"Truth is not a preference; it is a foundation. Build your week on it."

Join Richard and Tom every week as they cut through the synthetic noise to bring you back to the facts. Because losing the truth is the first step toward losing our freedom.

Subscribe to True Journalism on Substack and all major podcast platforms.

About the Hosts

Richard Schreiber

Richard Schreiber is a strategic AI consultant, journalist, autism advocate, and fiction writer based in New York City. With a background spanning investigative reporting, technology consulting, and over 25 years in legal technology and procurement, Richard brings a rare combination of real-world experience and analytical depth to every conversation. He is the founder of a growing autism advocacy foundation and the author of multiple books, including Autism Care Revolution. His journalism is guided by one principle: facts first, always.

Tom Martin

Tom Martin is a veteran television news producer with more than 20 years at some of the most respected names in broadcasting. He got his start at the CBS News Washington Bureau in 1982 — where he witnessed history firsthand, including being in the room when Nixon delivered his infamous "I am not a crook" statement. The son of a legendary newspaper editor who helped launch USA Today, Tom grew up believing journalism is a sacred public trust. He carries that belief into every story he tells.

Our Mission

True Journalism exists because facts still matter. The press is a watchdog — not a lapdog — and the American public deserves reporting that shines a light rather than throws a shadow. This is not a political show. We do not have a party. We have one principle: if it is not a verified fact, we will say so.

Episode 1: Maiden Voyage  |  February 13, 2026

Hosts: Richard Schreiber & Tom Martin  |  Format: Conversational / Investigative Discussion

Episode Description

Two seasoned journalists launch True Journalism — a podcast dedicated to fact-based, truth-driven reporting in an era of rampant opinion, propaganda, and media polarization. No spin, no agenda — just honest conversation rooted in decades of real journalism experience. From the erosion of the Fairness Doctrine to the spectacle of congressional hearings, Richard and Tom cover the state of American media with the kind of candor you rarely hear anymore. Two veterans, sitting down, telling the truth, and daring you to think for yourself.

About the Hosts

Richard Schreiber

Richard Schreiber is a strategic AI consultant, journalist, autism advocate, and fiction writer based in New York City. With a background spanning investigative reporting, technology consulting, and over 25 years in legal technology and procurement, Richard brings a rare combination of real-world experience and analytical depth to every conversation. He is the founder of a growing autism advocacy foundation and the author of multiple books, including Autism Care Revolution. His journalism is guided by one principle: facts first, always.

Tom Martin

Tom Martin is a veteran television news producer with more than 20 years at some of the most respected names in broadcasting. He got his start at the CBS News Washington Bureau in 1982 — where he witnessed history firsthand, including being in the room when Nixon delivered his infamous "I am not a crook" statement. The son of a legendary newspaper editor who helped launch USA Today, Tom grew up believing journalism is a sacred public trust. He carries that belief into every story he tells.

Topics Covered

•        The repeal of the Fairness Doctrine under Reagan and its lasting damage to fact-based reporting

•        Watergate, Woodward & Bernstein, and how one story permanently changed the media landscape

•        Roger Ailes: from executive producer of the Tom Snyder Tomorrow Show to architect of Fox News

•        Trump as a media presidency — marketing genius, fear tactics, and unmatched social media mastery

•        Jeffrey Epstein's survival across five presidential administrations without prosecution

•        Cash Patel pleading the Fifth before Congress; Pam Bondi's contentious congressional testimony

•        Epstein file names — Musk, Gates, Chopra — and the critical context of what that does and doesn't mean

•        The unredacted release of victims' names and foreign dignitaries while American figures stayed protected

•        Larry Ellison's acquisition of CBS News and the FCC's diminished authority over media consolidation

•        AI as a potential equalizer for bias in news sourcing — and the real limits of that optimism

•        Polarization, social media tribalism, and whether true journalistic neutrality is even possible

•        Arnold Schwarzenegger as a model of principled bipartisanship — and America as a nation of immigrants

Our Mission

True Journalism exists because facts still matter. The press is a watchdog — not a lapdog — and the American public deserves reporting that shines a light rather than throws a shadow. This is not a political show. We do not have a party. We have one principle: if it is not a verified fact, we will say so.