Bundyville

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For the town, see Bundyville, Arizona.

Bundyville
Presentation
Hosted byLeah Sottile
GenrePolitical podcast
FormatInvestigative journalism
LanguageAmerican English
Length25-45 minutes
Production
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes14
Publication
Original releaseApril 25, 2018 –
July 15, 2019
Provider
Related
Websitelongreads.com/bundyville/

Bundyville is a non-fiction true crime podcast created by Leah Sottile based on nine longform stories written and reported by Sottile. The series ran for two seasons and was produced by Longreads in partnership with Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Background[edit]

The show is a true crime podcast hosted by Leah Sottile and produced by Longreads and Oregon Public Broadcasting with episodes available on NPR One.[1][2] Production was done by Ryan Haas.[3] Leah Sottile was the writer and host of the show. It was co-written by Ryan Haas, Peter Frick-Wright and Robbie Carver. Carver created the music for the show. Anna Griffin of OPB and Mike Dang of Longreads provided creative oversight.[4] Sottile spent over two years reporting on the Bundy family. The podcast has limited audio design and is instead focused on reporting.[5]

Season one[edit]

The first season of the podcast is seven episodes long and focuses on Cliven Bundy and his family. The Bundy family are notorious Western ranchers that fought the government twice and won both times. The first episode of the season introduces the Bundy family from the perspective of national media and discusses the family's conflict with the Federal government of the United States over grazing fees.[6]

The second episode discusses how the US government tested nuclear bombs at the Nevada Test Site in the 1950s.[7][8]

The podcast discusses how Cliven Bundy owed grazing fees to the Bureau of Land Management for grazing his cattle on federal land. In 2014, Cliven Bundy lead the Bundy standoff because Cliven argued that the federal government cannot legally own land and therefore cannot charge him grazing fees. Cliven stood trial for the standoff, but the case ended as a mistrial because the judge decided the prosecution withheld evidence. Ammon and Ryan followed their father's example two years later. The Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016 was more thoroughly covered in the news so the average American became aware of the Bundys. The occupation was led by Ammon Bundy and Ryan Bundy with support from the sovereign citizen movement. The 40 day occupation culminated with a standoff and shootout with the police. One of the members of the occupation, LaVoy Finicum, was shot by police while reaching for a gun. In the end, 27 people were arrested, including Ammon and Ryan. During the occupation, the occupying force desecrated sacred artifacts belonging to the Burns Paiute Tribe and caused $6 million in damages to the Wildlife Refuge. After the occupation, Ammon and Ryan convinced the jury that they were peaceful protestors and were acquitted and set free. Once the occupation and subsequent trial ended the Bundy family have largely been absent from national news.[1]

Sottile and Haas traveled to the abandoned town of Bundyville to explore the family's history.[1] The podcast discusses how the Bundy family ancestors moved to the American West where they established the town of Bundyville in the 1890s to escape the persecution of Mormons.[9] The Bundy family claim they have legal rights to the land because the land has been in the family for generations, but Sottile was unable to find any evidence that the land is the inheritance of Cliven Bundy.[10] The podcast addresses the fact that the family's religious beliefs are based on the White Horse Prophecy—a fringe Mormon belief that is not officially recognized by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[11] The show suggests that the religious beliefs of the family are cult-like, radical, and obsessive. The show discusses how the Bundy family came to their extremist views and how their ideology is rooted in white supremacy and the historical omission of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas who lived on the land before the Bundy family. The show also addresses the family's white supremacist beliefs directly by mentioning direct quotes from Cliven and Ryan. In 2014 Cliven said "[black people] abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton," and in 2016 Ryan said "Native Americans had the claim to the land, but they lost that claim... the current culture is the most important." The show addresses how the Bundys' claim they are representative of rural ranchers in America but demonstrates that they are not.[1]

Journalism since the 2016 presidential election has attempted to understand current events and needlessly sympathizes or justifies terrible people. The show tries to understand why the Bundy family would do what they do but does not excuse or justify their actions. Sottile spent two years reporting on the family and extensively researched the Bundy family ideology, and when Sottile interviews Cliven and Ryan they confirm Sottile's research. The show requires an intimate look at the Bundy family and attempts to balance between explaining extremism and unintentionally providing a sympathetic light for the Bundy family. For instance, Sottile compares Cliven to a grandfather that you might feel affection for during her interview with him. The quotes from Cliven and Ryan help balance the reporting. However, Ann-Derrick Gaillot from The Outline criticizes the podcast for how much Sottile focuses on the Bundy's side of things claiming that Sottile inadvertently humanized the family.[1]

The podcast argues that the success of the Bundy standoff and the Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge were not accidents or coincidence but are the sign of shifting perspectives on public land and protests. The show anticipates that bad things will happen if people like the Bundys continue to gain political power.[1]

Season two[edit]

Season two was a seven part series.[12] The second season was released in July 2019.[13] Season two explores anti-government extremism more broadly.[14] Sottile notes that the patriot movement contributed to the 2021 United States Capitol attack.[15]

Episodes[edit]

Season trailers[edit]

TitleRunning
time		Original release date
"Bundyville Trailer"2:16March 25, 2018 (2018-03-25)
"Bundyville: The Remnant Trailer"2:11June 26, 2019 (2019-06-26)
"Bundyville Live Q&A, July 2019"60:34August 7, 2019 (2019-08-07)
"Cat People - A new podcast from Longreads"3:37January 31, 2020 (2020-01-31)
"Timber Wars: A New Podcast for Bundyville Fans"31:54November 19, 2020 (2020-11-19)

Season one: Bundyville[edit]

No.TitleRunning
time		Original release date
1"The Battle"43:24May 14, 2018 (2018-05-14)
This episode discusses the Waco siege and the Ruby Ridge siege
2"The Bomb"25:09May 14, 2018 (2018-05-14)
This episode discusses how the US government tested nuclear bombs at the Nevada Test Site in the 1950s. The episode also discusses Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City bombing.
3"The Prophecy"24:08May 14, 2018 (2018-05-14)
This episode discusses the Bundy family's faith in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the White Horse Prophecy.
4"The Living Room"29:45May 14, 2018 (2018-05-14)
This episode includes an interview with Cliven Bundy at his home in Bunkerville, Nevada.
5"The Followers"25:29May 14, 2018 (2018-05-14)
In this episode Sottile and Haas travel to the abandoned town named Bundyville to discuss the Bundy family history.
6"The Murders"25:06May 14, 2018 (2018-05-14)
This episode discusses the consequences of the conflicts involving the Bundy family.
7"The Future"32:00May 14, 2018 (2018-05-14)
This episode discusses Ryan C. Bundy and why he ran for governor in the 2018 Nevada gubernatorial election.

Season two: The Remnant[edit]

No.TitleRunning
time		Original release date
1"The Explosion"27:43July 15, 2019 (2019-07-15)
This episode discusses a 2016 bombing that occurred in Panaca, Nevada.
2"The Bomber"35:56July 15, 2019 (2019-07-15)
This episode discusses the 2016 bombing of a Bureau of Land Management cabin. The episode also discusses how the bombing was connected to the patriot movement.
3"The Martyr"31:57July 15, 2019 (2019-07-15)
This episode discuss how LaVoy Finicum became a martyr for the patriot movement.
4"The Homeland"23:31July 15, 2019 (2019-07-15)
This episode discusses how Stevens County, Washington has a history of white supremacist and anti-government violence.
5"The Politician"24:42July 15, 2019 (2019-07-15)
This episode discusses how extremist language has been adopted by politicians such as Matt Shea.
6"The Preachers"38:33July 15, 2019 (2019-07-15)
This episode discusses Marble Community Fellowship in Stevens County and their millenarianist eschatology.
7"The Bombshell"38:10July 15, 2019 (2019-07-15)
This episode discusses how the 2016 bombing in Panaca was connected to the patriot movement.

Reception[edit]

The podcast had over one million listens in early October 2019 and three million listeners by late October 2019.[16][17]

Nicholas Quah wrote in Vulture that the show was "tenacious, shedding light on an unsettling, often under-covered slice of American society" and the findings of the show were "surprising and surreal."[18][19] Toby Ball wrote in Vulture that the show was a "fascinating and harrowing listen."[20] Mitch Ryals wrote in Inlander that the show was "deeply reported and totally bingeable."[21] Angela K. Evans wrote in Boulder Weekly that the show is a "long-winding journey of discovery, ending with prescient questions and observations" that are relevant to current events.[22] Laura Jane Standley and Eric McQuade wrote in The Atlantic that "the podcast succeeds as an indispensable document on the clashes between ranchers and the feds."[23] Laura Krantz commented on the podcast saying that Sottile "is a great storyteller [who] goes in and has conversations that are hard to have."[24]

Awards[edit]

Award Date Category Result Ref.
Society of Professional Journalists 2019 Reporting Series Runner-up [25]
Online Journalism Award 2018 Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling, Small Newsroom Finalist [26]
National Magazine Awards 2019 Podcasting Finalist [27]
National Magazine Awards 2020 Podcasting Finalist [28]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Gaillot, Ann-Derrick (May 30, 2018). "'Bundyville' Doesn't Need You to Sympathize With the White Supremacists in Order to Understand Them: The New Podcast is Forward-Thinking in Its Exploration of the Controversial Family". The Outline. Bustle. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  2. ^ Leadingham, Scott (December 11, 2018). Garner, Zachary (ed.). "'Bundyville' Tells a Story of Anti-Government Extremism Set in the Rural West, Says Podcast Host". Northwest Public Radio. Washington State University. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  3. ^ Dalton, Meg (June 7, 2018). Pope, Kyle (ed.). "With Bundy Story, the National Media Slowly Learns How to Cover the American West". Columbia Journalism Review. Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. ISSN 0010-194X. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  4. ^ Sottile, Leah (July 18, 2018). "How We Made the "Bundyville" Podcast and Series: How My Solo Project Became a Cross-Institutional Quest". OpenNews.org. CommunityPartners.org. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  5. ^ George, Eric (March 6, 2020). "Podcasts: Bundyville and the Rise of Homegrown Terrorism in America's West". The Australian. News Corp Australia. ISSN 1038-8761. Archived from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  6. ^ Harrison, Phil (May 25, 2018). "Bundyville: A Modern American Siege – Podcasts of the Week: A New Series Examines the Story of an Anti-State Ranchers, and Frank Ocean's Channel Orange and Blonde Are Put Under the Microscope". The Guardian. ISSN 1756-3224. OCLC 60623878. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  7. ^ Odland, Lars (May 23, 2018). "Bundyville Podcast Review: Behind the Bundy Family's Beliefs and Justifications". Podcast Review. Los Angeles Review of Books. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  8. ^ Charity, Justin (May 24, 2018). "The Podcast That Explains Trump's America: Welcome to 'Bundyville,' Home to Sovereign Citizen Activists and the Corroded Mystique of American Western Individualism". The Ringer. Spotify. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  9. ^ Riederer, Rachel (June 15, 2018). "The New Yorker Recommends: A Revealing Podcast About the Bundy Family". The New Yorker. Condé Nast. ISSN 0028-792X. OCLC 320541675. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  10. ^ Jackson, Steve (May 14, 2018). "New Podcast Examines Bundy Revolution". Spokane Public Radio. NPR. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  11. ^ Nailen, Dan (June 23, 2022). "Author Leah Sottile Discusses Her Deep Dive Into Two Dead Children in Idaho, and Where Extreme Religion Meets Extreme Conspiratorial Fervor". The Pacific Northwest Inlander. OCLC 42317316. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  12. ^ Dvorak, Alanna (December 20, 2019). "From the Collapse of Theranos to Behind the Scenes of "Cops," Here Are 2019's Best New Podcasts". poynter.org. Poynter Institute. ISSN 1949-968X. OCLC 398233345. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  13. ^ Quah, Nicholas (August 6, 2019). "A Unique Collaboration Lets the Bundyville Podcast Tell Stories of Anti-Government Extremism in the American West". Nieman Lab. Nieman Foundation for Journalism. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  14. ^ "Dom Flemons | Bundyville | Roger Guenveur Smith | Low Bar Chorale | Las Chuntá". KUOW-FM. University of Washington. August 5, 2019. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  15. ^ Sottile, Leah (June 29, 2022). "Out West, We Know the Right-Wing Extremist Threat Just Keeps Rising". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 2269358. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  16. ^ Erickson, David (October 6, 2019). "Bundyville: University of Montana Professor's Podcast on Armed Standoffs Has One Million Listens". Missoulian. Lee Enterprises. ISSN 0746-4495. OCLC 10049426. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  17. ^ "Watch: Award-Winning Journalist and Pollner Professor Leah Sottile on "Stories of the Wild, the Innocent and the Downright Disregarded"". University of Montana School of Journalism. University of Montana. October 8, 2019. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  18. ^ Quah, Nicholas (December 5, 2019). "The Best Podcasts of 2019 in a Noisy Year for the Medium, Some of the Best Projects Turned Out to Be Personal, Individualistic, and Quiet". Vulture. New York Magazine. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  19. ^ Quah, Nicholas (December 20, 2018). "The 10 Best True-Crime Podcasts of 2018: Believed, Thunder Bay, Bear Brook, and More". Vulture. New York Magazine. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  20. ^ Ball, Toby (July 18, 2019). "This Week in True-Crime Podcasts: Irish Mystery, Missing Journalists, and More". Vulture. New York Magazine. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  21. ^ Ryals, Mitch (May 24, 2018). "Former Inlander Staffer Delves Into Bundyville". The Pacific Northwest Inlander. OCLC 42317316. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  22. ^ Evans, Angela K. (January 21, 2021). "What to Do When There's 'Nothing' to do..." Boulder Weekly. OCLC 62674422. Archived from the original on June 22, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  23. ^ Standley, Laura Jane; McQuade, Eric (December 23, 2018). "The 50 Best Podcasts of 2018: The Shows That Kept Listeners Refreshing Their Apps This Year". The Atlantic. Emerson Collective. ISSN 2151-9463. OCLC 936540106. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  24. ^ Kornelis, Chris (July 2, 2021). "Podcasts and Audiobooks for Your Summer Road Trip: From Jamie Lee Curtis's Family-Friendly 'Letters From Camp' to a Podcast for War Buffs Called 'The Line,' Here Are Several Titles to Listen to This Weekend". The Wall Street Journal. News Corp. ISSN 0099-9660. OCLC 781541372. Archived from the original on July 3, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  25. ^ "2019 Northwest Excellence in Journalism Contest Winners". SPJ Oregon Pro Chapter. Society of Professional Journalists. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  26. ^ Knoblich, Trevor (2018). "2018 Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling, Small Newsroom—Finalist: Bundyville". Online Journalism Awards. Online News Association. OCLC 45955761. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  27. ^ "Ellies 2019 Finalists Announced: National Geographic, New York Magazine and New Yorker Top List of Nominees; Annual Awards Presentation Moves to Brooklyn Music Venue". American Society of Magazine Editors. National Magazine Awards. February 7, 2019. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  28. ^ "The American Society of Magazine Editors Announce Finalists for 2020 National Magazine Awards: The New York Times Magazine, New York, National Geographic Top List With Most Nominations for Coveted Ellie Awards". American Society of Magazine Editors. National Magazine Awards. February 6, 2020. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.

External links[edit]

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