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Ink Stained Wretches — News
Ink Stained Wretches

Eliana Johnson and Chris Stirewalt love the news business but they hate a lot of what’s happening to it these days. Using their decades of experience in print, digital and TV news they tell the story behind the stories, always on the lookout for bias, sloppy reporting and, well, just plain wretched journalism. Every week they help you to be a better, smarter news consumer.

Copyright: © Nebulous Media LLC

Latest Episodes:

The Best of 2024 Dec 27, 2024

Show notes

This week, we are looking back on 2024 to see how we got here. We’re revisiting the rise of Trump 2.0, the decline of mainstream outlets like MSNBC, and the other biggest moments in American news media this year. Wretch on, and we’ll see you in the new year.

Show Notes:

The New York Times: 5 Takeaways From the Haley-DeSantis Debate and Trump’s Town Hall

The New York Times: This Again? In Frozen Iowa, the Press Corps Ponders a Slog of a Campaign.

The Atlantic: Why Attacks on Trump’s Mental Acuity Don’t Land

CNN: NBC News journalists vexed by MSNBC’s move to hire White House press secretary Jen Psaki

Semafor: NBC braces for the backlash to the backlash after hiring and firing top Republican

The New York Times: Fast Food Forever: How McHaters Lost the Culture War

The Washington Post: Why scientists fear a second Trump term, and what they are doing about it

The New York Times: Ibram X. Kendi Faces a Reckoning of His Own

The Wall Street Journal: Biden’s Frailty Isn’t Breaking News

The New York Post: Obama doesn’t believe Kamala Harris can beat Trump, which is why he hasn’t endorsed her: sources

The New York Times: The Endless Downfall of a Crypto Power Couple

Tripping on Narcissism Dec 20, 2024

Show notes

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Bad news: Eliana is out this week. Good news: The Washington Post’s Megan McCardle is stepping in. We cover everything from The Wall Street Journal’s victory lap on Biden coverage to the drama at BlueSky and the rising role of health in politics. Wretch on!

Time Stamps:

5:04 - Front Page

1:20:29 - Obsessions

1:28:41 - Reader Mail

1:32:19 - Favorite Items

Show Notes:

The Wall Street Journal: How the White House Functioned With a Diminished Biden in Charge

Semafor: Kamala Harris’ digital chief on Democrats ‘losing hold of culture’

The Atlantic: The Wellness Women Are on the March

The Dispatch: Trump and the Mainstream Media Resume a Toxic Love Affair

The Hill: ABC settles Trump’s defamation suit for $15M

Mediaite: EXCLUSIVE: Neil Cavuto Leaving Fox News

The Wall Street Journal: MSNBC and CNN Fight to Dig Out of a Postelection Ratings Hole

The Times: Australia to charge big tech companies that don’t pay for news

Honest Broker: Mainstream Is Now Fringe, and Fringe Is Mainstream

The Washington Post: Brian Thompson warned of UnitedHealth’s negative image before shooting

The Free Press: The Year of McDonald’s - by Chris Arnade

Semafor: Cloudy skies at Bluesky

The Atlantic: The Luxury Makeover of the Worst Pastry on Earth

I Might Be Wrong on Substack: "Baby It's Cold Outside" is Good, So Bite Me and Happy Holidays

The New York Times: The C.E.O.s Are Tripping. Can Psychedelics Help the C-Suite?

Compact Magazine: The Cross and the Vine of Death

The Atlantic: A Mysterious Health Wave Is Breaking Out Across the U.S.

The Wall Street Journal: Not Falling for the Old McRib Ruse? Then Why Are There 12 in Your Freezer?

The Hustle: How the weirdest store at the mall survived the retail apocalypse

UPI: Detroit-area library rejects return of book overdue 50 years

A Thorn in The Desert Dec 12, 2024

Show notes

Before diving into U.S. politics, we’re starting with Vogue’s poorly aged profile of Bashar al-Assad’s wife and the flurry of reports on the CEO assassin. Stick around for the latest coverage on the Trump world, the fashion-fueled conflict in the upcoming Administration, and group text dynamics. Wretch on!

Time Stamps:

1:09 Front Page

37:42 Obsessions

45:00 Reader Mail

48:52 Favorite Items

Show Notes:

The Atlantic: The Only Remaining Online Copy of Vogue's Asma al-Assad Profile

The Wall Street Journal: Inside Assad’s Ransacked Palace: Anxiety Pills, Graffiti and Shredded Posters

Daily Mail: It may seem bizarre, but many women (including me) are captivated by the 'hot assassin', writes CLARA GASPAR

The Washington Post: Luigi Mangione ‘had so much to offer’ — now, he is a murder suspect

The New York Times: The Prominent Maryland Family of the Suspect in the C.E.O. Killing

NBC News: Read the full transcript: President-elect Donald Trump interviewed by "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker

CNN: Trump’s DOJ secretly obtained records of his FBI pick Kash Patel, lawmakers, staffers and media in leak investigations

The Hill: Melania Trump sells Christmas ornaments during Fox News appearance

USA Today: Donald Trump picks former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle as ambassador to Greece

Mediaite: Matt Gaetz Expected To Become Anchor on Pro-Trump Network Following Short-Lived Attorney General Nomination

The New York Times: Matea Gold Named Washington Editor of The New York Times

Status: The Krugman-Kingsbury Kerfuffle

AP News: Judge rejects sale of Alex Jones' Infowars to The Onion in dispute over bankruptcy auction

The Washington Post: Opinion | The secret lives of group chats

The New York Times: The Winter Arc Asks You to Lock In for 3 Months. Some Take It to an Extreme.

The Atlantic: The Business-School Scandal That Just Keeps Getting Bigger

The Washington Post: What’s America’s largest ethnic group, and why did we get it wrong for so long?

The New York Times: Shuntaro Tanikawa, Popular Poet and Translator of ‘Peanuts,’ Dies at 92

The New York Times:Shalom Nagar Dies; Reluctant Executioner of Adolf Eichmann

Justice for Hunter deButts Dec 06, 2024

Show notes

Watch this episode on YouTube. Before diving into politics, we’re breaking down the media’s coverage of the UnitedHealthcare CEO assassination and how it became political. Stick around for the press’s role in Hunter Biden’s pardon, Trump’s cabinet, and the future of CBS. Wretch on!

Time Stamps:

5:02 Front Page

44:10 Obsessions

52:22 Reader Mail

56:06 Favorite Items

Gravy Emergency Nov 27, 2024

Show notes

Welcome to an early episode this week! Before diving into our Thanksgiving takes, we’re discussing the “normalcy” of Trump’s win, the last cable news star, and a Cormac McCarthy scoop that went viral for all the wrong reasons. Wretch on, and Happy Thanksgiving from your favorite Wretches!

Time Stamps:

2:00 Front page

35:50 Obsessions

43:22 Reader Mail

45:03 Favorite Items

Show Notes:

The New York Times: Opinion | The Bizarro Normalcy of the Public Reaction to Trump’s Win

The New York Times: Election Forecasts Try to Go Beyond the Polls. Are They Helping?

The Ankler: MSNBC Mayhem: Rachel Maddow Pay Cut, Brutal Lineup Shakeup Coming

Semafor: Kaitlan Collins’ star rises at CNN

Slate: An Interview With the Vanity Fair Writer Whose Cormac McCarthy Scoop Went Viral for All the Wrong Reasons

The Wall Street Journal: A $12,000 Surgery to Change Eye Color Is Surging in Popularity

NBC News: Thanksgiving dinner is historically affordable this year

Axios: Why "fart walks" after meals are good for you, experts say

The New York Times: How Thanksgiving Lasagna Became an American Staple

The Washington Free Beacon: MSNBC Says It Was 'Unaware' of Harris Campaign Contributions to Al Sharpton Nonprofit—But Won't Say Whether It's Taking Action

The Wall Street Journal: The Case for Being Ungrateful

The New York Times: A Real Estate Queen and the Secret She Couldn’t Keep Hidden

The New York Times: At 17, She Just Passed the State Bar of California

McRibbing The Libs Nov 22, 2024

Show notes

Watch the video episode on YouTube.

The media business of yesteryear is gone, folks. This week, we’re breaking down MSNBC’s brutal week, Trump’s cabinet chaos, and the ongoing postmortem for the Democrats. Be sure to send us your favorite Thanksgiving traditions, and as always, Wretch on.

Time Stamps:

01:11 Front Page

48:26 Obsessions

51:45 Reader Mail

53:55 Favorite Items

Show Notes:

Mediaite: Joe and Mika’s ‘Fears of Retribution’ As Motivation for Trump Meeting Feels a Lot Like Clean Up on Aisle Mar-a-Lago

New York Times: Viewers Flee MSNBC, and Flock to Fox News, in Wake of Election

Wall Street Journal: Comcast Greenlights $7 Billion Spinoff of NBCUniversal Cable Channels

AP News: Pete Hegseth had been flagged by service member as possible 'Insider Threat'

The Washington Post: Trump picks fracking CEO Chris Wright to be energy secretary

Times of Israel: Muslims who voted for Trump upset by his pro-Israel cabinet picks

The Washington Post: Opinion | Democrats thumb their nose at the rule of law in Pennsylvania

The Washington Post: Two Republicans who lost Senate races refuse to concede

The New York Times: Opinion | When Will Democrats Learn to Say No?

Apple: Apple shares the most popular podcasts of 2024

The Washington Post: The Onion wins auction to take control of Alex Jones’s Infowars

The New York Times: Women Get Less Exercise Than Men. It’s a Problem.

The New York Times: Some Black Women Are Choosing Rest Over Politics

The Wall Street Journal: Want to Network in Silicon Valley? Bring a Bathing Suit

Food and Wine: Want More Sauce on That McRib? McDonald’s Has You Covered With Its All-New Jug of McRib Sauce

The New York Times: Trump Has Put an End to an Era. The Future Is Up for Grabs.

American Enterprise Institute: The Supreme Court Misses a Chance to Clarify Press Freedom for Gathering News via New Technologies | American Enterprise Institute

The Washington Post: The mysterious Virginia mansion allegedly bought with stolen Nigerian money

The New York Times: How to Cook the Best Thanksgiving Turkey

Dems In The Doge House Nov 14, 2024

Show notes

Much has happened since our last episode—or so we’ve heard. Get ready as we dive into it all: Trump’s ‘landslide’ victory, key takeaways for Democrats, Trump Administration 2.0, Elon Musk, and, of course, the American news media’s reaction to the election results. Wretch on!

Time Stamps:

1:19 - Front Page

49:25 - Obsessions

54:10 - Reader Mail

56:33 - Favorite Items

Show Notes:

Daily Mail: Election results breakdown reveals how Trump won by a landslide - taking both the popular vote and the crucial electoral vote

Politico: Trump Has Humiliated His Foes

Axios: Elon Musk becomes the most powerful (unelected) man ever

Politico: ‘Who the f--k is this guy?’: Defense world reacts to Trump’s surprise Pentagon pick Axios: Scoop: Trump expected to shake up White House briefing room

Abc News: Trump and Biden both call for smooth transition in historic Oval Office meeting

New York Times: Democrats Ignored Gaza and Brought Down Their Party

Washington Post: Pro-Hamas messages intensify on college campuses

Slate: The One Thing Democrats Need to Embrace to Survive

Semafor: A tale of two jets: The old media grapples with its new limits

Reuters: New York Times Tech Guild to return to work, negotiations will go on

The Washington Free Beacon: Fighters, Failures, and Freaks: The Definitive List of Winners and Losers of the 2024 Election

BBC: Monkeys will never type Shakespeare, study finds

The Wall Street Journal: Pro Take: Less Jobs Data Is Going Into the Jobs Report

The Wall Street Journal: Voters Reject the Party of Scold

Tom Elliot on X: “If Jonestown had recorded a final video”

Garbage In, Garbage Out Nov 02, 2024

Show notes

It’s the final countdown, folks. We’ll see you on the other side. But what does that mean, exactly? We’re breaking down what next week could look like, as well as Garbage Gate, the meltdown at The Washington Post, and Nerds Gummy Clusters. Wretch on!

Time Stamps:

9:00 Front Page

54:44 Obsessions

59:44 Favorite Items

Show Notes:

The Washington Post: Will TV viewers trust network election calls? Chris Stirewalt hopes so.

The Washington Post: Did Biden call Trump supporters ‘garbage’? It comes down to an apostrophe.

AP News: AP sources: White House altered record of Biden’s ‘garbage’ remarks despite stenographer concerns

Fox News: Trump sues CBS News for $10 billion alleging 'deceptive doctoring' of Harris' '60 Minutes' interview

The New York Times: Why the Right Thinks Trump Is Running Away With the Race

The Washington Post: ‘Like it or not’: In one quote, Trump distills the 2024 gender gap

The Washington Post: Opinion | Jeff Bezos: The hard truth: Americans don’t trust the news media

Semafor: Bezos celebrated in Europe with Katy Perry as Post crisis began

Semafor: Washington Post pays to boost stories critical of Trump as subscribers flee

The Free Beacon: EXCLUSIVE: WaPo Opinion Editor David Shipley Blames Bezos for Endorsement Drama, Tells Staff They Can Quit as Distraught Journalists Slam Bezos for 'Conflict of Interest' and 'Thumb on the Scale'

The Wall Street Journal: America’s Newest Hit Candy Is Gummy, Crunchy and Printing Money

The New York Times: This $350 Oura Ring 4 Tracks Your Sleep. Is It Worth the Splurge?

New York Post: Facebook execs suppressed Hunter Biden laptop scandal to curry favor with Biden-Harris admin: bombshell report

Slate: Election 2024 polls: Could Jill Stein tip the election to Trump? It’s complicated.

The New York Times: Opinion | Donald Trump Is Bored

The Wall Street Journal: From Internet Sensation to Overexposed Child Star? Moo Deng Fans Can’t Get Enough

Birtherism, meet Burgerism Oct 25, 2024

Show notes

Christine Rosen is back in the saddle as Chris braves air travel this week on Ink Stained Wretches. Welcome in as we discuss Kamala’s performance on CNN’s Town Hall, The Atlantic’s story on “Generals” and of course, Trump’s stop at McDonalds. Wretch on!

Time Stamps:

Front Page - 1:08

Reader Mail - 53:46

Favorites 54:41

Show Notes:

The New York Times: Kamala Harris and McDonald’s: A College Job, and a Trump Attack

The Atlantic: Trump: ‘I Need the Kind of Generals That Hitler Had’

The New York Times: As Election Nears, Kelly Warns Trump Would Rule Like a Dictator

CBS News: A statement from 60 Minutes

The New York Times: U.S. Study on Puberty Blockers Goes Unpublished Because of Politics, Doctor Says

Campaign Economics For Dummies Oct 17, 2024

Show notes

Even if neither presidential candidate is economically literate, the great media blitz of 2024 rolls on. This week on Ink Stained Wretches, we break down the friendly interviews, the cautious ones, and the controversies behind them (ahem, CBS). Wretch on!

Time Stamps:

2:10 Front Page

40:14 Obsessions

49:51 Reader Mail

54:16 Favorite Items

Show Notes:

AP News: Kamala Harris will sit down with Bret Baier for her first Fox News interview

The New York Times: Harris Slams Trump in Interview With Charlamagne Tha God: 5 Takeaways

Fox News: JD Vance clashes with ABC News host over migrant gang presence in Colorado: 'Do you hear yourself?'

CNN Business: Trump backs out of CNBC interview, his second about-face with mainstream press this month

Mediaite: Sean Hannity Gushes Over Trump After Chaotic Interview With Bloomberg Editor: ‘Absolutely Schooled!’

Axios: Harris responds to Trump's town hall-turned "music fest": "Hope he's okay"

The Free Press: ‘60 Minutes’: Release the Unedited Kamala Harris Transcript

Fox News: Speaker Johnson accuses CBS of 'selectively editing' interview on heels of VP Harris '60 Minutes' controversy

Speaker Mike Johnson on X: "I recently traveled to NC and victims of Hurricane Helene told me nearly two weeks after landfall, the Biden-Harris Administration had STILL not provided them with all the resources they desperately needed. But CBS selectively edited OUT ENTIRELY this first-hand perspective. https://t.co/ZjO5LWdtsM" / X

Wall Street Journal: CBS News Chief Tested by Internal Crises and an Agitated Owner

The New York Times: Washington Post C.E.O. Elevates Deal-Making to a Top Priority

Nieman Lab: Midwestern news nonprofit The Beacon shuts down its Wichita newsroom

The New York Times: The Downfall of FTX’s Ryan Salame and Crypto Advocate Michelle Bond

Chris Rufo on X: EXCLUSIVE: Kamala Harris plagiarized at least a dozen sections of her criminal-justice book, Smart on Crime, according to a new investigation. The current vice president even lifted material from Wikipedia

The New York Times: Conservative Activist Seizes on Passages From Harris Book

The New York Times: The University of Michigan Doubled Down on D.E.I. What Went Wrong?

Semafor: No matter who wins, the US is moving to the right

The Dispatch: Tippecanoe and Harris Too

Wall Street Journal: ‘Impactful’ Leaves This Wordsmith Reeling

WV News: Everything's fair game at the Roadkill Cook-Off in Marlinton, West Virginia

The New Yorker: A Husband in the Aftermath of His Wife’s Unfathomable Act

The New York Times: Chestnut Championship in England Is Roiled by Accusation of Cheating

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