Lava for Good's New Investigative Series Absolute, Season 1: Taser Incorporated Debuts with an Explosive Examination of Taser's Rise to Power
New York, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —
NEW YORK, NY – May 21, 2024 – Lava for Good, Adweek's 2024 Podcast Network of the Year, today announced the launch of Absolute, Season 1: Taser Incorporated , the first story in a bold new investigative series that examines how extreme corporate power reshapes American institutions and our everyday lives.
Hosted by accomplished writer, director, and journalist Nick Berardini, Absolute, Season 1: Taser Incorporated is a story about unchecked power that threads several storylines into one epic tale of relentless ambition, a utopian vision, and the collision between technology and humanity in the realm of modern law enforcement. Berardini has spent over a decade investigating the history and rise of the Taser and the company behind it, and with Absolute, Season 1: Taser Incorporated , he left no stone unturned.
Taser International, now known as Axon Enterprises, is the 800-pound gorilla in the paramilitary police equipment industry. It is led by its charismatic CEO and co-founder, Rick Smith — a man with a Star Trek obsession and an ambitious, altruistic vision of a world without killing. As Smith's Taser became the ultimate alternative weapon for police, his company became an integral supplier to police across the nation, as presidents from both parties poured millions of taxpayer dollars into the promise of a non-lethal alternative to firearms. But as stories of deaths and serious injuries began to emerge, Taser's legal and publicity strategy seemingly turned to blaming police for misuse and victims for health issues rather than focusing on potential flaws in the product itself.
Berardini's documentary film, Killing Them Safely —a searing investigation into police weaponry and accountability—premiered in World Competition at the Tribeca Film Festival and was produced by Academy Award winner Glen Zipper and Sundance fellow James Goncalves. The film was later acquired by IFC/Sundance Selects and licensed by Netflix and Hulu, earning critical acclaim in Vanity Fair , Newsweek , The Los Angeles Times , Forbes , and The Guardian .
'America loves the story of a hungry entrepreneur with a dream,' said Berardini. 'But when that ambition goes unchecked and success comes at any cost, we must examine the true price being paid — and by whom.'
Jason Flom, co-founder and CEO of Lava for Good, commented, 'With this terrific debut season of our new Absolute series, we're expanding our investigative focus to examine how increasingly militarized, high-tech policing supplied by powerful private enterprise impacts the criminal legal system in America. This series exemplifies Lava for Good's commitment to stories that challenge listeners to question the systems we take for granted.'
Lava for Good is the network behind award-winning series including Wrongful Conviction and Bone Valley , both of which have been credited with contributing to real-world outcomes, from exonerations and paroles to legislative change. Lava's work is distinguished by fearless reporting, deep investigative rigor, and a commitment to centering stories that are too often overlooked.
Absolute, Season 1: Taser Incorporated launches May 21 on all major podcast platforms. Episodes 1, 2, and 3 will be available to binge on May 21, with episodes 4, 5, and 6 following on June 4 — exclusively on Lava for Good+ on Apple Podcasts .
For more information, visit www.lavaforgood.com/absolute .
About Lava for Good
Lava for Good, Adweek's 2024 Podcast Network of the Year, creates standout original content, podcasts, and experiences that deliver unparalleled access and insights into the heart of social justice in America, and inspire action towards a more informed, empathic, and just society.
Founded and led by renowned music executive, children's book author, and philanthropist Jason Flom with Lava Media COO Jeff Kempler, Lava for Good's #1-charting lineup of podcasts, produced in association with Signal Co. No1, has been downloaded over 70 million times, listed by critics as among the best podcasts of all time, and is credited with influencing exonerations, clemencies, pardons, legislation and reforms nationwide. The lineup, hosted by leading experts, attorneys, activists, formerly incarcerated persons, and journalists on the frontlines of human rights and justice movements, includes Bone Valley , Earwitness , Erased: The Murder of Elma Sands (with Allison Williams and Tony Goldwyn), False Confessions , Junk Science , T he War on Drugs , Wrongful Conviction , and more, and is available on all popular podcast platforms.
Attachment Absolute, Season 1: Taser Incorporated
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