New AJC podcast investigates ‘Who Blew Up The Georgia Guidestones?’

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s new podcast, “Who Blew Up The Guidestones?” invites listeners down a curious rabbit hole to uncover the truth behind the fabled Georgia Guidestones — six granite slabs, some with inscriptions, that stood for 42 years in an empty plot of land in North Georgia ― and who may have ultimately been responsible for their explosive demise in 2022.

The six-part narrative investigation is led by journalist Tyler McBrien and takes listeners through several decades of intrigue. The show tackles questions surrounding the structures and what they represented in American and Georgia’s cultural history at the time of their placement and destruction. Subscribe to the podcast and listen to the trailer.

Over the course of the last six months, McBrien and the AJC team traveled to the small town of Elberton for an investigation that led them to granite quarries, graves, a swatting raid and a deep dive in explosives.

The podcast outlines the origins and motivations of a once-anonymous benefactor — an individual using the pseudonym R.C. Christian — in building the Guidestones. McBrien and team also trace the tensions the Guidestones ignited across decades, how conspiracy theorists and political actors shaped the monument’s meaning and the timeline of the final days before the 2022 explosion.

The podcast features extensive and never-before-heard AJC reporting and interviews from the voices surrounding the building and destruction of the Guidestones.

“The destruction of the Georgia Guidestones is one of the quintessential mysteries of Georgia and the South,” said Samantha Stamler, head of content development and production for the AJC. “It takes a publisher like the AJC, which has an authentic grasp on the stories and people of the South, to gain unique access and convene quality audio production and a curious journalist like Tyler to not only do right by this story, but advance the reporting further than ever before.”

“The story of the Guidestones marked a period in Georgia and in the United States where myths, symbolism and conspiracy theories took on a life of their own,” said McBrien, host of the podcast and a Georgia native. “What drew me to digging deeper into the Guidestones is the parallels to how people deal with conspiratorial thinking, radicalization, symbolism and how fringe ideas spill into the real world. These themes are still highly relevant today.”

Episodes will publish weekly on all major platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio. “Who Blew Up The Guidestones?” joins the AJC’s growing audio slate that includes the award-winning “Politically Georgia” podcast, the “It’s UATL” podcast that just returned for its second season and the AJC’s longtime investigative series, “Breakdown.”

“Who Blew Up The Guidestones?” is a co-production of the AJC and Goat Rodeo.

About The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

For over 157 years, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has been the South’s source for culture, community and news for curious minds. Today, the AJC tells stories across platforms that empower its audience to understand and engage with their world.

With a commitment to accuracy, accountability and innovation, the AJC is building on its legacy to redefine what a local news brand can be. Learn more about us and explore the AJC’s essential and engaging reporting, newsletters, podcasts, videos and more at ajc.com and the AJC app.