In the podcast episode titled “The Cost of Belief: Horoscopes, Halloween, and Witch Hunts at a New Mexico Daily,” host Tripping Raul discusses her experiences working at a New Mexico newspaper under a publisher whose extreme religious beliefs heavily influenced workplace dynamics and editorial decisions.

The episode starts with Raul setting the scene of her past work environment where the publisher, a self-proclaimed born-again Christian, imposed his radical beliefs on the staff. This included banning horoscopes from the newspaper, labeling them as “satanic,” and unreasonable firings based on minor infractions or personal beliefs contrary to his own, such as firing a reporter for being Wiccan and another for decorating her desk with mini pumpkins for Halloween.

Raul shares her ordeal of being falsely accused of selling colleagues’ names to headhunters and subsequently being fired. This accusation, she notes, was a fabrication by some members of the management as a pretext to terminate her, reflecting the toxic and oppressive workplace culture fostered by the publisher.

Despite the challenging environment, the situation took a turn when Raul, after her dismissal, decided to help her wrongly terminated colleagues by providing testimony and filling out paperwork for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). This initiative eventually led to the EEOC reaching a settlement with the publisher, which benefited Raul financially, helping her clear debts, support her family, and complete her education.

Tripping Raul concludes the episode by reflecting on the unexpected outcome of her actions, emphasizing the importance of staying true to one’s principles and the potential rewards of doing so. She also notes the death of the publisher at the age of 62, marking an end to his controversial influence over the newspaper.

Throughout the episode, Raul intersperses her narrative with broader commentary on the state of journalism, noting the challenges posed by the shift from print to digital media, the impact of social media, and the ethical dilemmas journalists face today.

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