by Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas, hosts of the country’s #1 downloaded podcast MEIDASTOUCH
Meet Ben Meiselas, co-creator with brothers Brett and Jordy of MeidasTouch, currently the most downloaded podcast in the country. Ben Meiselas is at Flintridge Bookstore to sign the brothers’ just released book WTF America?!: The Way Out of this Hell and Back to Democracy (Grand Central Publishing), which has already gone to reprint and is now the #3 overall non-fiction bestseller on Audible.
From the founders of MeidasTouch, the independent news network that helped redefine how millions of people consume news, WTF America?! is an unflinching look at how the United States and the world arrived at this dangerous moment―with authoritarian movements gaining ground and democratic institutions under relentless attack―and, more importantly, how we can fight our way back and reclaim the future.
The present situation here and abroad has been decades in the making, fueled by powerful interests, weakened democratic institutions, and a media ecosystem that too often chose access and complicity over accountability.
WTF America?! confronts the defining questions of our time: How did we get here? Why did so many institutions fail when they were needed most? And what must we do now to defend democracy before it is too late?
The origin story of MeidasTouch started with a private text chain between brothers Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas during the COVID pandemic. This exchange grew into something no one imagined. Without careers in traditional journalism or the backing of an established news organization, the brothers challenged the conventional wisdom about how news could be reported, distributed, and consumed. MeidasTouch proved that independent journalism, direct engagement, and an unwavering commitment to facts, and democratic values could reach millions of people and reshape the social and media landscape.
MeidasTouch is the fastest growing independent news network in the world, and its creators are unapologetically pro-democracy. Their book WTF America?! ultimately offers a hopeful vision for rebuilding trust, strengthening democratic institutions, and reminding readers that history is not written by authoritarians alone. It is written by people who refuse to surrender the truth.
About the authors: Ben Meiselas is a lawyer and former civil rights attorney who represented clients in some of the nation’s most consequential cases, and he now brings that legal eye to holding the powerful accountable. Brett is an Emmy-Award-winning video editor who oversees the network’s creative vision and storytelling. Jordy is an award-winning marketer and brand strategist who built campaigns for major global companies before shaping MeidasTouch’s business model and growth.