Episode 238: The Fictional, Racist, Paranoia-Sowing "Sleeper Cell" Media Construction
Citations Needed
Citations Needed
4.8 • 4.1K Ratings
🗓️ 20 May 2026
⏱️ 91 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode, we detail the vague, baseless racism-sowing media coverage and pop culture obsession with so-called "sleeper cells," a construction that has consumed post-9/11 America but suffers from one major problem: there's no evidence it exists.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is Citations Needed with Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson. |
| 0:08.6 | Welcome to Citations Needed, a podcast on the media, power, PR, and the history of bullshit. |
| 0:14.3 | I am Nima Shirazi. |
| 0:15.5 | I'm Adam Johnson. |
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| 0:46.7 | Before we get to our episode today, I also want to note that Adam's book, How to Sell a Genocide, is now out. |
| 0:54.9 | So please, if you have not already gone to pick it up, go to your local bookshop and ask for the book. |
| 1:02.5 | You could also, of course, order it direct from Pluto Press or, of course, any of the sinister or less sinister book-selling websites that are on the internet. But congratulations, Adam, on publishing the book. Yeah, it's out. 100% of the royalties do go to the Middle East Children's Alliance, which is a wonderful group that does really important work. And on the 21st of May, doing an event with Steve Thrasher at Pilsen Community Books, it'll be a co-event. We will discuss his book, The Overseer Class, which is excellent. I just started reading it. And that is May 21st. And then I'll be in Baltimore at Red Emmas on May 23rd with Friend of the Pod, Max Alvarez. And then we're doing an event in D.C. on the 22nd details forthcoming. That's right. So check out Adam's book tour and definitely check out the book |
| 1:45.1 | How to Sell a Genocide. Chasing the Sleeper Cell. It was the title of a multi-part |
| 1:53.6 | Frontline and New York Times series in October 2003. Sleeper cells waiting to strike, askeded a CBS news report in June 2005. And immediately |
| 2:04.8 | following the Israeli-U.S. attack on Iran this year, we saw many of these headlines return |
| 2:09.9 | in early March, 26. Hezbollah Hamas sleeper cell fears raised amid Iran strikes, alerted Fox business, Iran's threats on U.S. soil, |
| 2:21.7 | sleeper cells, lone wolves, cyber attacks, and eerie numbers code, warned the Los Angeles Times. |
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