Hey, Prime Members, you can listen to American Scandal ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the app today.

From Wondry, I'm Lindsay Graham and this is American Scandal.

Today we have a special interview about the media and its troubled relationship with artists and celebrities.

Since the founding of the United States, the press has been a central pillar of our democracy.

The freedom of the press is guaranteed by the US Constitution and the news media called the 4th Estate,

as often said to be as important as the three branches of the federal government.

But while the press is guided by idealistic principles, sometimes the media doesn't live up to its own high standards.

News stories can gain steam not because they serve the public's interest, but because they're good for business.

It's a problem that can be especially true in the case of celebrity news, and sometimes the consequences can be deadly.

My guest today is Jake Brennan. He's the host of Disc Race Land, a podcast about musicians who've had trouble with the law.

Brennan also co-founded Double Elvis Productions, a company with a slate of podcasts about entertainment, crime, and American history.

Brennan has spent a lot of time discussing the problematic relationship between celebrities and the media.

It's a big part of the story about Britney Spears, the pop star who's currently the subject of a heated debate about mental health in the press.

And in his new two-part series on Disc Race Land, Brennan considers the media's problematic relationship with a notorious B.I.G.,

a legendary hip-hop artist who died tragically.

In our conversation today, we'll discuss celebrities who've seen their lives unravel in the face of predatory coverage by the media.

We'll also look at who ultimately bears responsibility for these meltdowns. Here's our conversation.

Hi there, one-dry listeners. Hannah and Sruti here from TrueCram.pokossRedhanded.

We just wanted to say how excited we are to be included in Amazon Music and Wondry's best podcasts of the year as chosen by their listeners, which is you.

So thank you so much to everyone who listened to us voted for us, all the things you do for us.

Any of you out there who haven't checked out Redhanded, what are you doing? What are you waiting for?

It's a weekly show where we deep dive into the most talked about cases like the Delphi murders, and also those you might never have heard of like the Nathari Child Sacrifices in Delhi.

...