Podcast / The Time of Monsters / Sep 8, 2025

Dark Money Invades Social Media

On The Time of Monsters: Taylor Lorenz on the shadowy groups backing some big Democratic influencers.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Dark Money Invades Social Media | The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
byThe Nation Magazine

On August 27, journalist Taylor Lorenz reported for Wired on a dark-money project funded by

anonymous Democratic Party donors to shape social media. Her article documented that,

"In a private group chat in June, dozens of Democratic political influencers discussed whether to

take advantage of an enticing opportunity. They were being offered $8,000 per month to take

part in a secretive program aimed at bolstering Democratic messaging on the internet.

But the contract sent to them from Chorus, the nonprofit arm of a liberal influencer marketing

platform, came with some strings. Among other issues, it mandated extensive secrecy about

disclosing their payments and had restrictions on what sort of political content the creators

could produce."

I talked to Taylor about her article and the considerable backlash it provoked from the people

she wrote about. We also discussed why Republicans have done so well on social media and

why this latest effort is both morally dubious and ineffective.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

(Catherine Falls Commercial)

On August 27, journalist Taylor Lorenz reported for Wired on a dark-money project funded by anonymous Democratic Party donors to shape social media. As she wrote:

In a private group chat in June, dozens of Democratic political influencers discussed whether to take advantage of an enticing opportunity. They were being offered $8,000 per month to take part in a secretive program aimed at bolstering Democratic messaging on the internet. But the contract sent to them from Chorus, the nonprofit arm of a liberal influencer marketing platform, came with some strings. Among other issues, it mandated extensive secrecy about disclosing their payments and had restrictions on what sort of political content the creators could produce.

I talked to Taylor about her article and the considerable backlash it provoked from the people she wrote about. We also discussed why Republicans have done so well on social media and why this latest effort is both morally dubious and ineffective.

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/podcastsubscribe.

The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer

The Time of Monsters podcast features Nation national-affairs correspondent Jeet Heer’s signature blend of political culture and cultural politics. Each week, he’ll host in-depth conversations with urgent voices on the most pressing issues of our time.

Palestine and the Iran War w/ Yousef Munayyer
byThe Nation Company LLC

As negotiations proceed in ending the Iran War, the question of the relationship between

the US and Israel becomes more salient. I spoke with Middle East expert Yousef

Munayyer on the agenda of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose interest

in a securing his country’s hegemony in the region is now in conflict with efforts to end

the war.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

Jeet Heer

Jeet Heer is a national affairs correspondent for The Nation and host of the weekly Nation podcast, The Time of Monsters. He also pens the monthly column “Morbid Symptoms.” The author of In Love with Art: Francoise Mouly’s Adventures in Comics with Art Spiegelman (2013) and Sweet Lechery: Reviews, Essays and Profiles (2014), Heer has written for numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, The American Prospect, The GuardianThe New Republic, and The Boston Globe.

More from The Nation

How Unionization Can Solve the Crisis in College Football 

How Unionization Can Solve the Crisis in College Football  How Unionization Can Solve the Crisis in College Football 

Jason Stahl joins Edge of Sports to talk about the campaign to unionize college football.

Dave Zirin

An AI-generated video of London in decline, shared on the social media site X.

Take a Break From the Feed—With Amanda Mull Take a Break From the Feed—With Amanda Mull

Paris Marx talks with Amanda Mull to discuss the effects of constantly “monitoring the situation,” including spiking anxiety and disconnection, and what can be done to recalibrate...

Paris Marx

Protesting the World Cup (and a Cinematic Easter Egg)

Protesting the World Cup (and a Cinematic Easter Egg) Protesting the World Cup (and a Cinematic Easter Egg)

Daniel Noroña and Ajamu Baraka join Edge of Sports to discuss practicing dissent in the face of the upcoming World Cup, and we have a bonus movie conversation.

Dave Zirin

International Olympic Committee IOC President Kirsty Coventry is pictured during the closing ceremony of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Verona Olympic Arena in Verona, Italy, Feb. 22, 2026.

Emergency Pod: IOC Ruling on Banning Trans Athletes Emergency Pod: IOC Ruling on Banning Trans Athletes

Trailblazing former pro hockey player Harrison Browne joins Edge of Sports to talk about the recent IOC ruling.

Dave Zirin

A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces poses as she rides on top of a bus during the Las Vegas Aces WNBA championship victory parade and rally on Las Vegas Boulevard on October 17, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The WNBA Union Scores a Win, and Iftar With Mayor Mamdani The WNBA Union Scores a Win, and Iftar With Mayor Mamdani

Maya Goldberg-Safir joins Edge of Sports to talk about the new WNBA deal, and we discuss Mohamed Diawara spending Iftar with Zohran Mamdani.

Dave Zirin

A scene from

In Conversation: “The Battle of Algiers” and “Gung Ho” In Conversation: “The Battle of Algiers” and “Gung Ho”

Arya Shirazi joins Edge of Sports to discuss two films about revolution and resistance.

Dave Zirin

x