The Gateway podcast follows Jennings’ reporting on Teal Swan. It is available wherever you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Coverage of The Gateway
“Teal Swan, an elusive YouTuber, is at the center of this compelling podcast from Gizmodo. Swan's feed is full of strangely hypnotic videos that explore mental health. We mean ‘hypnotic’ almost literally—she's amassed a following of supporters who translate their appreciation from the screen to the real world. Many have followed her to the spiritual startup she founded in Costa Rica. The Gateway looks at the intersection of influencer culture and dark charisma.” - Refinery29
“In the sixth episode of The Gateway, Teal Swan tells Brown that she is X-raying his body while they speak. ‘I’m watching the blood going through your veins. I’m watching the way your heart is pumping. I’m watching your digestive system. I can see your bones. If I zoom in, I can look at specific genetics if you’d like me to.’ I gasped in horror when I heard her say this. (I also gasped in horror when a follower spoke in tongues and Teal said she understood him perfectly. Seriously, you’ve got to listen to this podcast.)” - New York magazine
“Through speaking with loved ones of fervent fans (including one who took her own life), a visit to her Costa Rica retreat, and interviews with Swan herself, Brown creates a riveting portrait of a magnetic person with an unsettling power of influence.” - O: The Oprah Magazine
“The Gateway is only two episodes in, but I’m already hooked.” - The Guardian
“The Gateway [is] a six-part podcast that explores the world of Swan, and how self-described ‘gurus’ can use today's digital tools and platforms to reach massive audiences, and sometimes vulnerable people.” - Mashable
“Brown said Swan’s online community is as active as ever—still growing at about the same rate. He says his biggest takeaway was that young, controversial figures who make big promises like Swan will continue to find an audience as long as there are gaps in mental health resources.” - Vice
“The great thing about The Gateway is that it’s very even-handed in its look at what Swan and her acolytes are doing. The six-part series goes deep and offers an unsettling glimpse into how social media influencers have maybe a little too much influence over (some of) us.” - Uproxx