Andy Mills: Quitting The New York Times and Making The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling

Reason Podcasts

This week's guest is Andy Mills, the co-creator of Reflector, a new documentary podcast. Reflector's early episodes delve into controversial treatments for alcoholism and the free speech implications of the trial of rapper Young Thug, whose lyrics are being used by prosecutors to build a RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) case. Mills is a legend in podcasting circles. He helped create The New York Times podcast The Daily, one of the most listened-to shows on the planet, and he produced the wildly popular and controversial The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling for The Free Press. Reason's Nick Gillespie and Mills discuss why podcasting is having such a moment, his tumultuous tenure at the Times (which ended with his resignation in 2021), and whether there is a market for investigative journalism that isn't done in the service of partisan politics. 0:00—Introduction 1:03— Reflector: Andy Mills' new podcast 3:47— Reflector Episode 1: Naltrexone for alcoholism 7:00— Reflector Episode 2: Drill rap on trial 18:16— Economics of podcasting 22:22— Has the podcast era peaked? 25:28— Starting The Daily at The New York Times 29:06— Spotify's bad Meghan Markle bet 31:04— The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling 37:15— Caliphate controversy and The New York Times part 1 41:06— Ad: Lumen 43:09— Caliphate controversy and The New York Times part 2 45:33— What does healthy media consumption look like? 47:46— Andy Mills' rural Christian upbringing 52:50— 'Wokeness' at The New York Times 1:00:24— Q&A Today's sponsors: Students for Liberty Lumen is the world's first handheld metabolic coach. It's a device that measures your metabolism through your breath. On the app, it lets you know if you're burning fat or carbs, and it gives you tailored guidance to improve your nutrition, workouts, sleep, and even stress management. All you have to do is breathe into your Lumen first thing in the morning, and you'll know what's going on with your metabolism, whether you're burning mostly fats or carbs. Then, Lumen gives you a personalized nutrition plan for that day based on your measurements. You can also breathe into it before and after workouts and meals, so you know exactly what's going on in your body in real time, and Lumen will give you tips to keep you on top of your health game. Your metabolism is your body's engine—it's how your body turns the food you eat into fuel that keeps you going. Because your metabolism is at the center of everything your body does, optimal metabolic health translates to a bunch of benefits, including easier weight management, improved energy levels, better fitness results, better sleep, etc. Lumen gives you recommendations to improve your metabolic health. It can also track your cycle as well as the onset of menopause, and adjust your recommendations to keep your metabolism healthy through hormonal shifts, so you can keep up your energy and stave off cravings. So, if you want to take the next step in improving your health, go to lumen.me/INTERVIEW to get $100 off your Lumen.