Slow Burn: "Introducing SNAFU with Ed Helms"
Podcast: Slow Burn (Slate Podcasts)
Featured Episode: SNAFU, Season 2: Medburg, Episode 1
Host: Ed Helms (SNAFU), guest intro by Josh Levine (Slow Burn)
Date: December 11, 2024
Brief Overview
This special Slow Burn episode introduces listeners to SNAFU Season 2: "Medburg," hosted by Ed Helms. The season explores the dramatic 1971 break-in at the FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania—a heist conducted by everyday citizens aiming to expose the FBI’s covert surveillance and intimidation operations under J. Edgar Hoover. The episode dives into the context of this heist, its far-reaching impact, and the cultural myths surrounding the FBI, all told with suspense, humor, and insights from journalist Betty Medsger, the first to receive the stolen files.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Setting the Scene: The Night of the Heist
[01:38 - 05:12]
- Historic Distraction: The heist took place March 8, 1971, the night of the "Fight of the Century"—Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier. The event captivated the world, allowing the burglars to act with minimal attention.
- Perfect Timing: Media, PA was empty and unguarded, making it the opportune moment for the break-in.
2. Journalist Betty Medsger’s Discovery
[05:12 - 10:22]
- Mysterious Envelope: Two weeks post-heist, Betty Medsger at The Washington Post receives an envelope from the "Citizens Commission to Investigate the FBI."
- The Leak: The envelope contains 14 FBI files revealing widespread, illegal surveillance targeting political dissenters, college students (especially Black students), and activists.
- Immediate Shock: The files show the FBI's agenda to fuel paranoia and the depth of their informant network—including university staff and mail carriers.
“The first one was pretty shocking. It was a document urging agents to increase interviews with dissenters and... enhance the paranoia endemic in these circles...that there is an FBI agent behind every mailbox.”
— Betty Medsger, [08:50]
3. The FBI’s Public Image vs. Reality
[10:50 - 13:22]
- Media Myth: The mid-century American perception of the FBI was carefully curated by J. Edgar Hoover, supported by movies (e.g., The FBI Story), radio shows, and television.
- FBI’s Hollywood Involvement: Hoover edited scripts, suggested storylines, and investigated casts, cementing the FBI’s G-man persona.
“He was a small man, but terrifyingly intimidating. So buttoned up that he made Beaver Cleaver look like a Hell’s Angel.”
— Ed Helms (on Hoover), [12:32]
4. Crossroads at The Washington Post
[15:03 - 19:19]
- Internal Debate: Publishing government documents stolen by citizens was unprecedented. The Post’s publisher, Katharine Graham, feared legal reprisals—under pressure from the Nixon administration and the Attorney General, John Mitchell.
- Editorial Integrity: After debate and government threats, the Post publishes the story, driven by the public’s right to know.
“It was the first time that the publisher had been asked by the administration to suppress a story they didn’t want the public to know.”
— Betty Medsger, [18:50]
5. Public Impact and the FBI’s Reaction
[20:34 - 23:98]
- Front Page News: The exposé shocks America, revealing a clandestine world of surveillance, betrayal, and paranoia.
- FBI Retaliation: Medsger herself becomes a target—subjected to phone taps, intimidation, and surveillance.
“Here, apparently, was an effort to make me paranoid and know that there was an FBI agent behind my phone.”
— Betty Medsger, [22:27]
6. Ongoing Secrecy and Suspense
[24:49 - 27:43]
- Further Leaks: More files arrive, and Betty tries to gain access to the full trove.
- Distrust Within: Fellow reporter Ken Claussen’s pushy involvement raises suspicions—eventually, it emerges he’s close to the FBI and later works for Nixon’s White House, with a signed Hoover photo on his desk.
“I somehow graciously got out of the conversation… I had to make that assumption that he was so close to the FBI that if we went and actually found where the documents were, that the FBI might be there, too.”
— Betty Medsger, [26:59]
7. Teasing What’s to Come
[28:01 - 31:04]
- The Citizens Commission: Listeners are primed to learn about the identity and motivations of the citizen burglars, how they orchestrated the heist, and the ensuing nationwide reckoning for the FBI.
“I just felt like I was living in the heart of the dragon and it was just my job to stop the fire. And this seemed like a way to do it. I was just really angry. I was really… And I thought, here's something that might just make a great big difference.”
— Citizen Activist/Burglary Participant, [30:10]
"Holy shit. We are really here. This is dynamite stuff."
— Ed Helms, [30:27]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the paranoia campaign:
“The FBI was operating something that was very much like the Stasi was operating in East Germany.” — Betty Medsger, [10:22] -
On journalistic courage:
“I realized I needed to think about what I was doing. I needed to think about the personal implications of it.” — Betty Medsger, [15:53] -
On the cultural reach of the FBI myth:
“FBI myth making was pretty much its own genre of entertainment in the mid 20th century.” — Ed Helms, [11:52]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [01:38] — Ed Helms sets the stage: the Ali-Frazier fight and the perfect alibi for the heist.
- [05:12] — Betty Medsger discovers the files.
- [08:50] — The files detail FBI methods of paranoia and surveillance.
- [12:32] — The crafting of the FBI image by Hoover.
- [17:56] — The Post’s editorial crisis over publishing stolen documents.
- [19:46] — Headline: The Post publishes the explosive story.
- [22:27] — Betty Medsger experiences personal intimidation.
- [26:59] — Distrust and internal drama at the Post.
- [30:10] — Voices of the citizen burglars on their motivations.
Flow and Tone
Ed Helms brings warmth, humor, and drama while Betty Medsger’s narration is measured and deeply personal. The episode combines suspenseful storytelling with insightful commentary on press responsibility, government overreach, and the enduring power of myth in American society.