By Julia B. Chan, Reveal, Image: Anna Vignet for Reveal
This year on Reveal, we’ve dug into issues that affect people’s lives across the country. We told stories about worker abuse, toxic schools, women’s sports and private prisons. So we decided to round out this season with something different: This hour, we look back at stories you, our listeners, told us were the most memorable.
One of the most popular episodes from 2016 you’ll hear is “Russia’s New Scapegoats.” And understanding what’s going on in Russia has become more relevant now that the FBI and CIA agree the country interfered with the U.S. election to help Donald Trump win the White House.
There are other connections: Since the election, white supremacists have come forward praising both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. They say one reason they like Putin is because he’s an aggressive protector of traditional Christian values.
Putin never has promoted white supremacy, but he has targeted minority groups, including the LGBT community. Many people who know Putin say he’s not homophobic, but he’s used an anti-gay agenda to manipulate the Russian public and suppress political dissent.
But we don’t need to go halfway around the world to find intolerance – we can find it in our own backyard.
By far, the one story that listeners found most memorable was an interview our host Al Letson did the day after Election Day. It was with the man who coined the term “alt-right,” Richard Spencer. On the broadcast that week, we had time to play only part of the conversation, but because so many of you asked for it, this time, we’ll play the whole thing.
From everyone at The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, we thank you for listening this year, and stay tuned – we’ve got more stories to reveal in the new year.
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Reveal is a weekly radio program produced by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX. For more, check out our website and subscribe to our podcast.
