A Government Whistleblower Trusts a Newsroom, Ends Up in Prison
Published on Nov 6, 2025, 4:00:00 AM
Total time: 00:38:17
Published on Nov 6, 2025, 4:00:00 AM
Total time: 00:38:17
When NSA contractor Reality Winner leaked proof that Russia had tried to break into the U.S. election system, she thought she was helping her country. Instead, she got the longest federal prison sentence ever for giving information to the press. While prepping for her trial, she found out that the journalist she had trusted with the leaked document, accidentally exposed her. The Intercept, once known for protecting sources like Edward Snowden, bungled their vetting process in a way that led investigators straight to Reality’s front door.
As Reality releases her new memoir, “I Am Not Your Enemy,” This American Life host Ira Glass joins her in a live conversation, where she explains what happened and how the media turned her life into fodder for tabloid TV.
“Question Everything” is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter.
Guests:
Reality Winner, government whistleblower
Ira Glass, host of This American Life
Show Notes:
During Reality’s conversation with Ira Glass, she said she thought the world record for holding an abdominal plank position is around 18 hours. According to Guinness World Records, the record is 9 hours 38 minutes 47 seconds.
Propagandist? Truth teller? Influencer? Question Everything unravels the contested work of journalists and the moral complexities surrounding the stories that impact us all.