Love, Conflict, and Cognitive Dissonance: Unlearning Paradigms with Lewis Raven Wallace
In this episode, Lewis Raven Wallace dives deep into their experiences as a journalist and highlights the value of going out in the world, talking to people, and reporting firsthand, rather than relying solely on online sources. We discuss the frustration within journalism regarding a lack of a unified theory on why journalists do what they do and how information impacts people. During our chat. Lewis challenge the notion that simply knowing something is enough to change minds or inspire action.
Lewis Raven Wallace
Lewis an independent journalist based in Durham, NC. He is the author and creator of The View from Somewhere, a book and podcast about the history of journalistic "objectivity" and how it has been used to uphold the status quo and exclude voices from oppressed communities. The book is now available from University of Chicago Press and the podcast is available. Lewis’ new book project, Radical Unlearning, is focused on the relationship between information, interconnection, and social change and is forthcoming from Beacon Press.
Lewis is currently a Ford Global Fellow and the Abolition Journalism Fellow at Interrupting Criminalization, an initiative led by researchers Mariame Kaba and Andrea J. Ritchie. The project aims to interrupt and end the growing criminalization and incarceration of women, girls, trans, and gender nonconforming people of color for criminalized acts related to public order, poverty, child welfare, drug use, survival and self-defense, including criminalization and incarceration of survivors of violence.
He values truth, rigor, curiosity and humility, and believes we make journalism to make meaning, build community and transform our surroundings. Lewis is also a poet and an accordion player, and writes a lot of real letters that sends in the mail.
Resources from the Episode
Mia Henry and Freedom Uplifted
Connect with Lewis
@lewispants on Twitter
Lewis Raven Wallace on Facebook
Image descriptions: teal background. Black and white text. Two end images have red leaf graphics in the left corner and a photo of an open journal on a white desk with a cup of coffee and pine cones nearby. Middle image has a red spiral in bottom right corner.