Episode 204 with Ken Klippenstein
We are proud to share the following exclusive interview with investigative reporter Ken Klippenstein, who’s been responsible for putting a lot of important info about the United Healthcare CEO’s killing into public circulation. In our conversation with Ken, he covers the basics of this rapidly unfolding case, unpacks the media response, and takes us to the heart of why the desperate act of killing Brian Thompson has resonated with many Americans driven to the edge by our private healthcare system. Watch below:
This week, Ken went on Breaking Points to explain his rationale regarding the choice to share Luigi Mangione’s manifesto via his Substack. Ken released this document on December 10, just three days ago, with a very revealing commentary about the other news outlets that have access to it but have so far refused to publish it.
Major media outlets are also in possession of the document but have refused to publish it and not even articulated a reason why. My queries to The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN and NBC to explain their rationale for withholding the manifesto, while gladly quoting from it selectively, have not been answered.
The reticence of big publications like WaPo and the NYT, and of major news channels like CNN and NBC, to do any more than lightly quote the manifesto points to their concern about how a desperate public might be moved by Mangione’s argument and sympathize with his position. The increasing amount of info we have about Luigi Mangione’s motives — the back pain that led to a serious surgery, his disappearance earlier this year from his social circles — indicates a level of suffering caused by our for-profit healthcare system that we know many Americans are no stranger to. In fact, a 42-year-old mom from Florida is currently sitting in jail simply because she quoted “delay, deny, depose” to Blue Cross Blue Shield on the phone. Those in power have good reason to be scared because of the pain and privation that they have caused.
In our interview with Ken, we cover everything we know about Luigi Mangione so far and the media’s fascinating, highly telling reaction to every new revelation about the case. Ken published a separate article about how the Times, for example, has made a point of publishing pictures of Mangione’s face less often in their coverage of the case — anyone on Twitter the last few days will understand why. All of this points to the importance of the media’s role in managing public perception of significant events like the UnitedHealthcare CEO’s shooting, and we’re glad to have Ken with us to explain that importance and help us understand how the mainstream media is wielding it. You can listen to this episode when it’s released as a podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms this Saturday.
