Turncoat Credibility in Media

When an intellectual publicly abandons a prior ideological identity and re‑brands (e.g., Podhoretz’s shift from 1960s radical to conservative editor), that personal apostasy can function as a credibility multiplier for a new movement—translating personal conversion into institutional authority (editorial platform, readership trust) that helps reframe contested public debates. Such conversions shape which narratives gain intellectual legitimacy and which arguments become routinized in media ecosystems. — Recognizing 'turncoat credibility' explains how individual biography converts into public influence and helps predict when and how intellectuals will accelerate realignment around polarizing issues like Israel, race, or foreign policy.