Amanda Montell is a a writer, linguist, and podcast host living in Los Angeles. She is the author of the book Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism and co-host of the Spotify Top 20 podcast, “Sounds like a cult.”

David G. Bromley is a professor of sociology at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. He specializes in sociology of religion, with a particular emphasis on the study of New Religious Movements and the anti-cult movement. He is co-editor of Cults, Religion, and Violence.    

James W. Pennebaker is a professor in the department of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. He wrote Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions and Writing to Heal: A Guided Journal for Recovering From Trauma and Emotional Upheaval.

Andi Egbert is a senior research associate at APM Research Lab. Through its ongoing Color of Coronavirus project, the research lab is analyzing the inequalities among COVID-19 deaths. Send interview requests to Kelly Reller.

Kevin B. Wright is a George Mason University professor who studies health communications and is the co-author of several books, including Health Communication in the 21st Century and Computer-Mediated Communication in Personal Relationships.

Zeynep Tufekci is a sociology professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She wrote “Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest.”

David Snyder is the executive director of the First Amendment Coalition. He comments on free speech issues.

Darren Linvill is a Clemson University professor who researches disinformation on social media.