White House Media Wellness Check, the New NBA Announcers, and a Report From the Press Box in Atlanta
23 January 2025 - 1 hour 4 minsHello, media consumers! Bryan opens the show to share some notes from the press box of the national championship game with David (1:01). Then, they discuss notes and sounds from the game, including Donald Trump’s message at halftime and Kirk Herbstreit’s emotional reaction to his Ohio State Buckeyes winning it all (11:30). Later, they get into what journalists are facing covering Donald Trump's second presidency (23:21) and the new NBA announcers for NBC and Amazon (37:35).Then, in the Notebook Dump, they discuss the appetite for profiles and movies that were never published (44:11).In the hall of departed journalists, they reflect on the life of Jules Feiffer (48:55).
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Series Episodes
The February Issue: Why the Kennedy Dynasty Will Never End
Welcome to the February Issue. Bryan is joined by Amanda Dobbins to answer the question: Why is everyone still so interested in the Kennedys? They begin by talking about ‘Love Story,’ the newest series by Ryan Murphy about John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette (8:00). They talk about the Kennedy nostalgia and how they thought the cast performed as the Kennedys. Then they talk about people or events that kept the Kennedy fame going (20:45). They discuss the family's public social life, movies and TV shows about them, George magazine, and more. Later they get into how the Kennedy family story was carried on after JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette died (55:24). They talk about all the secondary accounts that were written about the family, as well as other family members' failed political careers, then wrap up with discussion of current Kennedys in the political sphere, Jack Schlossberg, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Host: Bryan CurtisGuest: Amanda DobbinsProducers: Bruce Baldwin, Isaiah Blakely, and Jacob Cornett Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1 hour 3 mins
26 February Finished
The February Editorial Meeting
Bryan, David, and Joel are back together for February’s editorial meeting! They first discuss how they’re going to watch Trump’s State of the Union (9:03). Then they move on to some news items from the Olympics, starting with Kash Patel partying with the men’s USA hockey team (18:16). They also talk about Mike Tirico’s coverage at the Olympics (28:21). They talk about more bad news at CBS News (34:39), the newest Savannah Guthrie video (41:16), and the infamous photo of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (45:08). They wrap up with a couple of reader questions (50:09), and Joel pays homage to a past coworker (54:38). Hosts: Bryan Curtis, David Shoemaker, and Joel AndersonProducers: Isaiah Blakely and Bruce Baldwin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1 hour 3 mins
25 February Finished
Jesse Jackson’s Legacy, More on Stephen Colbert, and When College Basketball Coaches Attack
Today, Bryan and Joel come together to discuss the legacy of Reverend Jesse Jackson, who passed away this week at age 84, and Joel's written piece on the reverend (00:54). The guys continue that conversation by telling the story of a reporter revealing something Reverend Jackson said to him on background (16:25) and how that reflects on modern journalism (27:13). Next, Bryan and Joel give an update on The Atlantic’s measles story and how it has been represented (35:36). After that, the guys talk about the latest in the James Talarico–Stephen Colbert censorship story (42:00) before ending the show with a discussion about Mick Cronin’s outburst at a reporter following UCLA’s loss to Michigan State (50:44). Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel Anderson Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Bruce Baldwin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1 hour 9 mins
20 February Finished
Barack Obama and Aliens, How to Cover Stephen A’s Quasi-Campaign, and the AI That Ate Cleveland
Bryan and David are here and they start with a story out of Cleveland about a student turning down a job because of their use of AI. They discuss whether there are acceptable ways to use AI in journalism. After that they talk about Barack Obama's podcast interview where he mentions that aliens exist (14:35). Then they discuss some news from CBS. Anderson Cooper leaving CBS News’ ‘60 minutes’ and Stephen Colbert’s late-night show not being able to air an interview with James Talarico (22:32). They also talk about how to cover Stephen A. Smith’s potential presidential campaign (27:07). Lastly they discuss a creative nonfiction story in The Atlantic (40:43) about measles and the death of Robert Duvall (54:27). Also David Shoemaker guesses the Strained Pun Headline of the Week. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David ShoemakerProducers: Bruce Baldwin and Isaiah Blakely Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1 hour 2 mins
18 February Finished
Why the Nancy Guthrie Case Captivates America, Joel’s Winter Olympics Takes, and Tales From an NBA Locker Room With Logan Murdock
Bryan and Joel are back, and they start by talking about the national story of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance (1:04). Then we get Joel’s thoughts on the Winter Olympics (13:50). They also give their final Super Bowl thoughts (26:15), and they talk through some ideas for how to fix the NBA (32:55). Then they are joined by Logan Murdock ahead of All-Star Weekend to hear his locker-room stories covering the Golden State Warriors (41:24). Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel AndersonGuest: Logan MurdockProducers: Bruce Baldwin, Isaiah Blakely, and Jamie Yukich Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1 hour 34 mins
13 February Finished
A Super Bowl Review, the Will Lewis Era Ends With a Thud, and the Long, Strange Journey of Tucker Carlson.
Hello, media consumers! Bryan and David are here and they start by discussing the end of the Will Lewis era at The Washington Post. Then, they recap everything about the Super Bowl (23:08), including if there were any memorable moments in the game, the halftime shows, the commercials, and the commentary. Then, Bryan talks to Jason Zengerle about his new biography about Tucker Carlson (47:23). They talk about Carlson as a magazine writer, how he made the switch to TV, his change of approach during Trump’s second term and much more. Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week, and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline! Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David ShoemakerGuest: Jason ZengerleProducers: Isaiah Blakely and Bruce Baldwin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1 hour 27 mins
11 February Finished
