Episode Breakdown

00:00-02:00 Introduction: Jesse Eisinger

02:00 Why do you think the SEC hasn’t done a more comprehensive job investigating banks like Citibank and why they are off the hook?

05:00 How is it possible that you are able to write about what went on and why is the SEC involved in letting people off the hook? Why has the SEC done such a poor job of being able to indict anybody?

07:00 Does the SEC say “we are doing what we can, we are fining these companies”?

09:00 Isn’t the SEC responsible for gathering evidence in order to indict? Are they providing information to the Dept of Justice to prosecute?

11:00 In terms of the cases being complex litigation, in terms of the DOJ do you think that politics are entering into it? The president talked a lot about coming down on Wall street with regulations when he was elected. What is the relationship there?

13:00 Is the assumption that it would be too complex for the DOJ to prosecute, also, are they abandoning Obama? Do you think he has given up on regulation and he is systematically moving back on his campaign?

18:00 Was it implemented correctly in regards to sweeping change on Wall Street?

22:00 What kind of stories have been the most misleading about the financial crisis that have gained the most traffic? What stories have been the most damaging/untrue?

24:00 Can you let the viewers know what would be the best resource for understanding TARP, the bailout, the stimulus? (sig tarp reports)

28:00 From your own writing you are saying the SEC hasn’t done a complete investigation. Should the public be asking these questions as well like “why isn’t the SEC looking into this?”

31:00 Basically we have a SEC holding very few accountable, and a DOJ that doesn’t want to prosecute anyone unless it can win. Is there anything anyone can do? Will the protests effect it? Is it hopeless?

34:00 Looking at the recent NYT poll of inequality of rich vs poor. Were you surprised by the reaction to this poll in mainstream media? What did you think of the initial coverage of the Wall Street demonstrations?

40:00 Mainstream media came really late to the fact that their were demonstrators. Have you been surprised at how alone you have been in trying hold these banks accountable? Were you surprised at how long it’s taken the mainstream media to cover the protests and even the financial meltdown?

41:00 Do you think something bad has to happen in order for the media to go down there and get coverage?

44:00 You started off covering Wall Street when others were backing away from the story. Was it surprising you were out there on your own?

47:00 What do you think of the coverage of other publications? Many headlines promise an article with more content than is actually there…what are your thoughts on that?

50:00 Do you think there are other places besides ProPublica and NYT that are asking the broader questions? Are Americans beginning to dislike the short, blurby,“let’s not look back” kind of news?

52:00 Seems the discussion has shifted from “what is going on, how do we fix it?” to “what happened/how did we get here?”

53:00 Where would people be able to write to you in order to contact you?

(jesse@propublica.org. you can contact anonymously…I try to look at everything i get)

54:00 Are you beginning to look forward? and what is next that the citizens should be looking at in order to fix the future? Can the public put the pressure on Wall Street to make some changes? Is it political?

57:00 What do you say would be the best way for other journalists to move forward to cover the continuing crisis?

58:00 You can read Jesse’s work at Propublica.

60:00 Show wrap up