Participation Trophy
Participation Trophy
Podcast Description
Millennials have been handed a sh*t sandwich. We’ve been labeled lazy, entitled, and (just like our participation trophies) we’ve had everything handed to us. But Millennials are all grown up, and it turns out that this hard-working, purpose-driven generation is changing the world. Join host Topher Williams as he sits down with Millennial do-gooders and changemakers on an unfiltered and (extremely) unscientific quest to discover if participation trophies actually made Millennials unstoppable.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers topics such as activism, leadership, LGBTQ+ rights, and political engagement. Episodes feature specific themes, including gun violence trauma as discussed by Brandon Wolf in EP01 and the challenges young leaders face in politics highlighted in EP02, focusing on grassroots efforts and community-driven change.
Millennials have been handed a sh*t sandwich. We’ve been labeled lazy, entitled, and (just like our participation trophies) we’ve had everything handed to us. But Millennials are all grown up, and it turns out that this hard-working, purpose-driven generation is changing the world. Join host Topher Williams as he sits down with Millennial do-gooders and changemakers on an unfiltered and (extremely) unscientific quest to discover if participation trophies actually made Millennials unstoppable.
The fight for truth has never felt more urgent, and few know that better than political journalist Maritsa Georgiou. In this episode, she joins Topher Williams to talk about the realities of journalism in a fractured media landscape, the rise of disinformation, and the Montana roots that shaped her belief in community and integrity.
Maritsa shares how early influences, from her grandfather’s work as a TV meteorologist to watching the aftermath of 9/11 unfold on live television, set her on a path to reporting. Over the years, she’s interviewed Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama, covered wildfires, hurricanes, and high-profile tragedies, and seen firsthand how people rally together in moments of crisis. She reflects on the shift to independent media, the challenge of maintaining credibility when false narratives spread faster than facts, and the hope she holds onto that good will prevail.
From Montana newsrooms to national interviews, Maritsa’s path shows that journalism endures through persistence, curiosity, and the resolve to keep asking the questions others stop asking, even when the answers are uncomfortable or slow to surface, because truth rarely emerges without someone who refuses to let it go.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Media and Misinformation
00:32 Maritsa Georgiou
01:19 Changing the World: Raising Kind Kids
02:01 The Role of Journalists in Society
03:06 Launching the Grounded Podcast with Jon Tester
05:48 Inspiration to Become a Journalist
07:26 Optimism in Journalism and Advocacy
08:21 Community Resilience in Times of Tragedy
13:30 Iconic Interviews with Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton
17:07 Opportunities for Journalists in Montana
18:05 Transition to Independent Journalism
24:19 Navigating Disinformation in Modern Media
25:00 Why Diversifying News Sources Matters
Connect with Maritsa Georgiou:
Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou on Instagram
Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou on Substack
Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou on Spotify
Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou on Apple Podcasts
Grounded with Jon Tester & Maritsa Georgiou on YouTube
Connect with Topher Williams:
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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