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Former Israel UN spokesperson launches podcast to take on media ‘outrage’
UNSCRIPTED with Jonathan Harounoff will feature world leaders and trailblazers, with historian Simon Sebag Montefiore among its first guests
Journalist and former Israel at the UN spokesperson Jonathan Harounoff is launching a new podcast aimed at moving difficult conversations away from outrage and political point-scoring.
UNSCRIPTED with Jonathan Harounoff, which launches on Monday, will bring together figures from politics, journalism, business, academia and entertainment for in-depth conversations on difficult and divisive subjects.
The series, which counts Jewish News among its partners, will open with bestselling historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East.
Billionaire fashion designer Elie Tahari will be the second guest, discussing how he arrived in America with less than $100, slept on park benches and went on to build the fashion brand bearing his name.
Speaking exclusively to Jewish News, Harounoff said the idea grew from repeatedly seeing difficult conversations descend into opposing camps.
“I’ve sat in enough rooms and done enough interviews over the years to see the same pattern play out again and again: the moment a conversation gets genuinely difficult, people retreat into their camps, and nothing actually gets resolved or understood.
“That’s really what pushed me to launch ‘UNSCRIPTED’ now. Too many shows today measure success by how much outrage they generate and the clicks that follow, rather than by what the audience actually walks away knowing.”
Harounoff said he wanted people to finish an episode having learnt something rather than simply becoming more entrenched in their existing views.
“I wanted to build something where the goal is the opposite – that you finish an episode having learned something about a region, a divisive issue, or a profession, and maybe walk away seeing it a little differently than when you started.”
Guests will come from across the political spectrum and a range of backgrounds, with Harounoff saying he wants disagreements to be explored without either side having to emerge as the winner.
“What I’m determined to do differently with UNSCRIPTED is bring on people of all political stripes, all backgrounds, and a genuine array of viewpoints, and have the conversation respectfully, constructively, without either side needing to “win”.”
Future episodes will also feature journalists who Harounoff said have been the targets of “brazen assassination plots” but have continued reporting, alongside guests from comedy, academia, politics and business.
Harounoff said he ultimately wants audiences to leave the podcast better informed rather than divided.
“Maybe it’s an unpopular opinion, but for me, I want to learn from podcasts I listen to and not just leave agitated and further entrenched in any positions I hold. That’s what I’m looking to shake off, and I can’t wait to share what we’re building with the world.”
UNSCRIPTED with Jonathan Harounoff launches on YouTube on Monday 28 September. Its partners include Jewish News, the Centre for Jewish History, American Sephardi Federation, Noff Media and Odd One Out Studios.
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