{"podcast":{"title":"Political Gabfest","slug":"political-gabfest-500617","podcast_index_feed_id":500617,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/696568de9ab39048a63ed7f7","website_url":"https://slate.com/podcasts/political-gabfest","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/696568de9ab39048a63ed7f7/show-cover.jpg","author":"Slate Podcasts","episode_count":1114,"summary":"Voted “Favorite Political Podcast” by Apple Podcasts listeners. Stephen Colbert says \"Everybody should listen to the Slate Political Gabfest.\" The Gabfest, featuring Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz, is the kind of informal and irreverent discussion Washington journalists have after hours over drinks. Get more Political Gabfest with Slate Plus. Join to unlock weekly bonus episodes—plus ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Political Gabfest show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-19T06:21:00.389937+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/political-gabfest-500617"},"episode":{"title":"Gabfest Reads | The Real Succession","slug":"gabfest-reads-the-real-succession","published_at":"2026-03-21T07:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/political-gabfest-500617/gabfest-reads-the-real-succession","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/political-gabfest-500617","url":"https://shows.acast.com/political-gabfest/episodes/gabfest-reads-the-real-succession","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/696568de9ab39048a63ed7f7/e/69b83fd3cad04b6222cdc476/media.mp3","summary":"David Plotz talks with journalist Gabriel Sherman about his new book Bonfire of the Murdochs: How the Epic Fight to Control the Last Great Media Dynasty Broke a Family—and the World . Sherman, who also wrote the bestselling biography of Fox News chief Roger Ailes, spent 15 years reporting on the Murdoch empire. In this book he turns his lens on the family itself — the rivalries, the wounds, and the secret Nevada courtroom battle that finally forced Rupert's hand. Sherman sketches each of the three main Murdoch children: the shrewd and overlooked Elisabeth, the conservative golden child Lachlan, and the restless, brittle James. He explains how Rupert pitted each of his children against each other to consolidate his own power. He and Plotz explore the parallels between the Murdoch and Trump dynasties, debate whether a James-led Fox News could ever have been tethered to reality, and ask what happens to the empire once Rupert is gone. Sherman's prediction: Lachlan sells. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Nina Porzucki. Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","meta_description":"David Plotz talks with journalist Gabriel Sherman about his new book Bonfire of the Murdochs: How the Epic Fight to Control the Last Great Media Dynasty B…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1497,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/political-gabfest-500617/episodes/gabfest-reads-the-real-succession/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/political-gabfest-500617/gabfest-reads-the-real-succession.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}