Podcast Summary: "Q&A: Is social media amplifying society's most extreme voices?"

Podcast: Christiane Amanpour Presents: The Ex Files
Hosts: Christiane Amanpour & Jamie Rubin
Date: September 24, 2025
Episode Type: Q&A Special (recorded during UN General Assembly week in New York)

Episode Overview

This Q&A special brings Christiane Amanpour and Jamie Rubin—both seasoned in international affairs and journalism—together in New York during the annual UN General Assembly. In the context of a "Be Hope" podcast takeover (highlighting hope amid global chaos), they tackle listener questions on the state of journalism, the health of democracy, US foreign policy, the impact of social media, and the worrying rise of authoritarianism. The episode is candid, unscripted, and infused with signature humor and honesty as the hosts draw from decades of inside experience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Where Can We Find Hope in a Fractured World?

(00:09 – 04:37)

• Amina Mohamed (Deputy Secretary General, UN) asks where hope persists for multilateralism in a divided world.
• Christiane and Jamie acknowledge that while the UN often fails on big political crises (e.g., Russia’s veto on Ukraine), it still delivers through key agencies like UNICEF, UNDP, and UNHCR.
• Jamie Rubin:

  "The trick with the UN, it seems to me, is picking and choosing where it can work... what you can’t do is expect it to solve the world’s problems because we don’t have a world government, and countries sometimes are the cause of the problems." (03:37)

• Faith in multilateral solutions endures, but effectiveness varies. Sometimes legitimacy can exist outside formal legal structures, as with Kosovo.

2. The State of Truth: Journalism’s Evolving Role

(04:38 – 07:39)

• Listener "Carlos" asks if journalism now means defending facts more than simply reporting.
• Both hosts lament an era where facts are under siege, referencing "alternative facts" and the erosion of trust.
• Christiane Amanpour:

  "Most of what we read... started from some investigative journalist finding something out. And so I think people forget that while we're arguing over the politic of facts... journalists do their work and we come to expect it." (06:37)

• Despite challenges, rigorous investigative journalism remains a cornerstone for uncovering truth, even when later reinterpreted by the public or on social media.
• Jamie notes restrictive new policies affecting journalists’ access (e.g., Pentagon’s credential threats).

3. The US at a Crossroads: Preventing a Descent into Autocracy

(07:42 – 11:10)

• Listener "Joy" wonders how the US can avoid sliding into autocracy given institutional fragility and the apparent failure of checks and balances.
• Jamie Rubin:

  "Our system isn’t working very well right now. Fear has taken over leaders of our corporations, especially the ones that run media organizations... And when you’re afraid, you do things that you’re gonna be ashamed of." (08:31)

• Jamie underscores the need for personal bravery among officials and citizens and highlights upcoming Supreme Court decisions as potential tipping points for rule of law.
• Christiane suggests collective action within professions as a model for resilience:

  "Band together... The power of numbers, the power of... having a mission, a defensive posture, I think that’s really, really important." (10:33)

4. Economic Fallout: The Hyundai ICE Raids & International Investment

(11:10 – 13:57)

• Listener "Deborah" asks about diplomatic/economic consequences of recent ICE raids at Hyundai.
• Jamie observes "livid" reactions in South Korea; uncertainty is unsettling international investors.
• Christiane Amanpour:

  "Sometimes you feel that in the Trump administration, people have been empowered to do things with no clarity. It’s like a band of bozos who are trying to do things, one guy’s doing one thing and the other guy’s doing another..." (12:16)

  "America is unique because it’s the first country in the world that’s based on an idea, not an ethnicity—the idea of freedom and democracy... And President Trump and his administration... are just destroying the basic idea of America." (13:40)

• The hosts highlight that anti-immigration rhetoric undermines America’s foundational identity and risks its economic edge.

5. Social Media’s Impact: Amplifying Extremes

(14:21 – 19:03)

• Listener "Adam" asks: Is social media worsening polarization—or just amplifying noisy minorities?

• Jamie: The amplification itself is deeply dangerous, as tech platforms are structurally incentivized to promote divisive, extreme voices.

  "Anger is clicks and clicks means money. And unfortunately, this is what’s happening... what they see is that benefit [of social media] is rapidly being outperformed by the malevolence..." (15:28)

• Christiane compares current digital echo chambers to old-style organizing:

  "In the old days when there were angry men or angry women, they had to meet physically... but now, because of social media, that happens globally." (16:11)

• She urges for "leaders who teach their countrymen... and parents who teach their children to disagree agreeably," referencing John McCain as a model.

  "Donald Trump doesn't do that. And... the current leadership of the Republican Party doesn't do as much as the leadership of the Democratic Party to tell their people to disagree agreeably and instead calls for violence." (17:55)

• Christiane calls out Elon Musk for destructive influence, especially when amplifying hate and violence.

6. Why the Drift Toward Authoritarianism?

(19:03 – 21:05)

• Listener "Marta" on Instagram: "Why is the world shifting away from democratic governance and toward authoritarian approaches?"
• Jamie notes the disappearance of political civility, citing George W. Bush urging not to treat opponents as enemies.
• Christiane Amanpour:

  "[In Costa Rica,] when you’re graduating the equivalent of high school, you have to get a certificate or pass a test in civility... It’s probably one of the reasons why the people in Costa Rica are uniquely civil to each other and makes it a wonderful country. So let’s promote the idea of civility." (20:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "If the Supreme Court doesn’t uphold those words in the Constitution, then I will no longer be able to say that our country is governed by the rule of law to the extent I thought it was."
  — Jamie Rubin (09:46)
• "America is unique because it’s the first country in the world that’s based on an idea, not an ethnicity."
  — Christiane Amanpour (13:23)
• "Anger is clicks and clicks means money... what they see is that benefit [of social media] is rapidly being outperformed by the malevolence..."
  — Jamie Rubin (15:33)
• "We need desperately... leaders who teach their countrymen and parents who teach their children to disagree agreeably and agree that someone who disagrees with you isn’t a bad person."
  — Christiane Amanpour (16:55)
• "May God lead America towards civility."
  — (quoting George W. Bush, via Jamie Rubin) (19:57)
• "In Costa Rica... you have to get a certificate or pass a test in civility, not civics... let’s promote the idea of civility."
  — Christiane Amanpour (20:15)

Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:09 – Introduction, UNGA context, special guest question
• 01:28 – Amina Mohamed asks: Where can we find hope in multilateralism?
• 04:39 – Carlos: Has journalism’s role shifted to defending facts?
• 07:42 – Joy: How can the US avoid autocracy?
• 11:10 – Deborah: After ICE raids, is US investment at risk?
• 14:21 – Adam: Is social media amplifying extremes?
• 19:03 – Marta: Why is democratic governance faltering globally?

Tone & Style

Candid, wry, and urgent—with deep disappointment over failures of leadership, but persistent hope in resilience, cooperation, and the transformative power of civility. The conversation is peppered with vivid anecdotes, direct criticism of current leaders, real-world solutions, and calls for individual and collective responsibility.

Summary Table

| Time | Topic | Key Insight/Quote | |--------|-----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:28 | Multilateral Hope | "The trick is picking and choosing where [the UN] can work." | | 04:39 | Journalism & Truth | "Most of what we read... started from some investigative journalist." | | 07:42 | US Autocracy Fears | "Our system isn’t working very well right now. Fear has taken over..." | | 11:10 | Hyundai ICE Raids/Economic Fallout | "This idea that somehow foreigners are bad, where did this come from?" | | 14:21 | Social Media Extremism | "Anger is clicks and clicks means money..." | | 16:11 | Digital Echo Chambers | "Now... you can scream and yell into your phone..." | | 19:03 | Authoritarianism/Civility | "May God lead America towards civility." | | 20:15 | Costa Rica Example | "You have to get a certificate or pass a test in civility..."|

Bottom Line:
This episode offers smart, unsparing, and deeply personal analysis on key global issues, with a sustained warning about the perils of social media and polarization—and a plea for the recovery of civility, fact-based discourse, and courage among both leaders and ordinary citizens.