Reveal - "A Decade of Reveal"

Podcast Summary

Host: Al Letson
Producers: The Center for Investigative Reporting & PRX
Release Date: December 27, 2025

Episode Overview

This special episode marks Reveal's 10th anniversary, reflecting on the show's origins, evolution, and some of its most impactful investigative stories. Through staff and listener voices, the episode explores how Reveal has combined deep reporting, storytelling, and public accountability to create lasting change—and what it takes to keep going as journalism faces heightened threats in America.

Key Themes and Insights

1. Origins and Evolution of Reveal (00:42–11:17)

• The Podcast's Genesis: Al Letson is invited to host an experimental pilot for a new investigative radio show, fusing narrative storytelling with hard-hitting journalism.
  • Quote: "I wasn't Tom Brokaw or Edward R. Murrow. I didn't even see myself as a journalist. I was a storyteller who worked with journalists." (02:32, Al Letson)
• Team Chemistry: Original CIR director Robert “Rosie” Rosenthal describes taking risks, bringing in a diverse and creative team, and redefining what investigative reporting on radio could be.
• First Major Investigation: Reporter Aaron Glantz’s exposé on the opioid overprescription crisis at the Department of Veterans Affairs, built with a decade of prescription data, shined a new light on veterans’ struggles and government responsibility.
  • Quote: "There had been a huge 270% increase in the number of opioids prescribed by the VA since 9/11, and ... their patients were dying at twice the rate of the national average from overdose." (08:34, Aaron Glantz)
  • Impact: Led to Congressional hearings and VA policy changes; won a Peabody Award.

2. The Reveal Approach: Accountability Through Storytelling (11:18–24:17)

• Building the Show: Skepticism about whether a weekly investigative radio show could work was met by persistent teamwork and creative storytelling.
  • Quote: "There is no way you can do a weekly investigative radio show for public radio ... But clearly we did." (16:20, Kevin Sullivan)
• Notable Moments: Stories ranged from confronting police misconduct to environmental scandals—sometimes packing three major investigations into a single episode.
• Landmark Interview: Al Letson’s intense, direct conversation with white supremacist Richard Spencer post-2016 election served as a turning point for the show’s reach and credibility.
  • Quote: "Your ideas sound just like [the Klan], except you wear a nice suit and you can speak to me directly." (22:34, Al Letson)

3. Listener Voices and National Impact (24:18–28:00)

• Audience Testimonials: Listeners from across the nation and the world call in to express Reveal’s value in their lives, spotlighting the show's integrity and courage.
  • Quote: "I absolutely love and depend on Reveal for its unflinching courage in tackling important stories." (26:44, Elena Claver, listener)

4. Investigations That Changed Laws and Lives (28:01–46:12)

• Climate Accountability: Katherine Moskowski recounts "The Wet Prince of Bel Air" story, which exposed extreme water waste by wealthy Californians during a historic drought.
  • Quote: "We found this house that used 11.8 million gallons of water in one year, which is like 90 families... That outrage motivated the California state legislature to do something." (32:08, Katherine Moskowski)
  • Result: Led to new laws and public accountability for egregious water use.
• Labor Abuse in the Dominican Republic: A decades-long saga on forced labor in the sugarcane fields leads to a U.S. import ban and federal investigations.
  • Quote: “We have evidence of forced labor ... this was sugar coming into supply chains of brands we all know ... Domino, Florida Crystals, Hershey.” (41:22, Michael Montgomery)

5. Chronicling the Unseen: “American Rehab” and Systemic Injustice (46:13–57:35)

• American Rehab: Investigating supposedly therapeutic programs that profited from the unpaid labor of people seeking drug treatment, the serial uncovers a legacy stretching back to Synanon and Ronald Reagan-era policies.
  • Quote: "People were going to what they thought was an addiction treatment program ... being made to work but not getting paid. So the work is the treatment." (48:11, Laura Starcheski)
  • Memorable Character - Candy Ladson: His harrowing life and journey through addiction are brought to life in an emotional retelling, emblematic of the complex issues at play.
    • Quote: "He could really sell it... you get lucky once in a while. Like once in a lifetime." (54:01, Laura Starcheski)
  • Impact: Led to canceled contracts, program shutdowns, and a $1.1M back-wages ruling for affected workers.

6. Race, Justice, and Historical Reckoning (57:36–1:18:15)

• Mississippi Goddam: The Ballad of Billy Joe: An investigative series exploring the suspicious death of a Black high school star in Mississippi, set against a backdrop of systemic injustice and collective trauma.
  • Quote: "Dying as a young black man in the Deep South in police custody carries the weight of history." (1:06:00, Al Letson)
  • Broader Resonance: Listeners share how deeply these stories connect with their own experiences and understanding of America.
• 40 Acres and a Lie: A historical investigation into the broken promises of Reconstruction, tracing how Black Americans were briefly given land—only to have it stripped away.
  • Quote: “Did they not have land? They meaning black people? Yeah, they had it, and then it was taken away.” (1:14:20, Jenks (landowner))
  • Emotional Moment: The team visits Charleston’s McLeod Plantation and glimpses children’s fingerprints in ancient bricks—an indelible mark of enslavement.
    • Quote: "There were small fingerprints in the brick ... and they had found out that those were the fingerprints of small children." (1:16:41, Nadia Hamdan)

7. Journalism’s Precarity & Mission in a New Era (1:18:16–End)

• Industry Challenges: Reveal faces an uncertain future as public media loses federal funding and press freedoms are under fresh attack. Still, the team recommits to speaking truth to power.
  • Quote: “Investigative journalism is really a hopeful enterprise. Yes, we uncover bad things, but we do it with the hope that the knowledge will create change.” (1:21:35, Al Letson quoting a former editor)
• Closing Reflections: The episode ends with dedications to the staff and listeners, a call to continue revealing the truth, and reminders that investigative journalism remains critical for democracy.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Al Letson:
  • "I wasn't Tom Brokaw or Edward R. Murrow ... I was a storyteller who worked with journalists." (02:32)
  • "Your ideas sound just like [the Klan], except you wear a nice suit and you can speak to me directly." (22:34)
  • "Dying as a young black man in the Deep South in police custody carries the weight of history." (1:06:00)
• Aaron Glantz:
  • "There had been a huge 270% increase in the number of opioids prescribed by the VA since 9/11." (08:34)
• Katherine Moskowski:
  • "We found this house that used 11.8 million gallons of water in one year, which is like 90 families." (32:08)
• Michael Montgomery:
  • "We have evidence of forced labor ... this was sugar coming into supply chains of brands we all know ... Domino, Florida Crystals, Hershey." (41:22)
• Laura Starcheski:
  • "People were going to what they thought was an addiction treatment program ... being made to work but not getting paid." (48:11)
• Jenks (Edisto Island landowner):
  • “Did they not have land? They meaning black people? Yeah, they had it, and then it was taken away.” (1:14:20)
• Nadia Hamdan:
  • "There were small fingerprints in the brick ... they had found out that those were the fingerprints of small children." (1:16:41)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• The VA Opioids Investigation: 05:20–11:17
• The Reveal Team Plots Weekly Show: 14:20–16:20
• Confronting White Supremacy Post-2016: 21:25–24:17 and 26:44–28:00
• Extreme Water Use in California: 28:01–34:00
• Labor Conditions in the Dominican Republic: 39:03–46:12
• American Rehab Series: 46:13–57:35
• Mississippi Goddam: Billy Joe Johnson: 59:20–1:10:00
• 40 Acres and a Lie: 1:10:01–1:18:15
• Reflections on Journalism’s Next Chapter: 1:18:16–end

Tone and Language

Reveal’s tone is at once earnest, determined, and personal—mixing rigorous investigative reporting with empathy and a sense of accountability. The host and reporters strive to be transparent about their motivations and limitations, and the episode echoes both grit and hopefulness about journalism’s enduring purpose.

Conclusion

“A Decade of Reveal” is a heartfelt and substantive retrospective—demonstrating how investigative journalism, when combined with storytelling and a drive for justice, can create ripples across society, policy, and individual lives. Through its greatest hits and the voices of those affected, the episode both celebrates past impact and recommits to shining a light on hidden truths, especially in an era of growing challenge. The message is clear: There is always more to the story.