The Press Box

Latest Episodes:

The February Issue: Why the Kennedy Dynasty Will Never End Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

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 Curtis

Guest: Amanda Dobbins

Producers: Bruce Baldwin, Isaiah Blakely, and Jacob Cornett

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The February Editorial Meeting Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

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 Anderson
Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Bruce Baldwin

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Jesse Jackson’s Legacy, More on Stephen Colbert, and When College Basketball Coaches Attack Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

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

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Barack Obama and Aliens, How to Cover Stephen A’s Quasi-Campaign, and the AI That Ate Cleveland Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

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 Shoemaker
Producers: Bruce Baldwin and Isaiah Blakely

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Why the Nancy Guthrie Case Captivates America, Joel’s Winter Olympics Takes, and Tales From an NBA Locker Room With Logan Murdock Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

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 Anderson
Guest: Logan Murdock
Producers: Bruce Baldwin, Isaiah Blakely, and Jamie Yukich

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A Super Bowl Review, the Will Lewis Era Ends With a Thud, and the Long, Strange Journey of Tucker Carlson. Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

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 Shoemaker
Guest: Jason Zengerle
Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Bruce Baldwin

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The Bulwark's Tim Miller on What Can Stop Trump, JD Vance's Superpower, the Epstein Files Fallout, and More Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

Hello, media consumers! Bryan is joined by The Bulwark’s Tim Miller to discuss myriad topics across the political landscape. They discuss how Donald Trump’s second term has gone compared to Tim's expectations (12:35), whether there are any candidates for President that have been impressive (34:28), and why Jeff Bezos still owns the Washington Post (53:37). Later on, they talk about what Tim misses about working in politics (1:05:02), which candidate he's worked with that would’ve been the best President (1:08:14), and much more.

Host: Bryan Curtis
Guest: Tim Miller
Producers: Isaiah Blakely, Bruce Baldwin, and Jamie Yukich

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More on the Washington Post Bloodbath, Don Lemon’s Arrest, and the ESPN-NFL Deal Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and Joel discuss the layoffs at The Washington Post this week (00:43), whether there's any reason for people to continue subscribing to the Post (12:07), and when does The Washington Post stop being The Washington Post of old (22:46). They continue by talking about what Jeff Bezos has to gain from continuing to own the newspaper (28:21), before diving into the NFL-ESPN deal (34:53). After that, Bryan and Joel analyze Don Lemon’s arrest (42:46) and contemplate whether it concerns them as journalists (44:56). The show rounds out with a look at Tina Brown’s appearance in the Epstein files (54:50), and what's happening in the James Talarico-influencer story (59:28).

All that and more, here on The Press Box.

Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel Anderson

Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Bruce Baldwin

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They Tore the Heart Out of The Washington Post Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

Hello, media consumers. Bryan and David are here to discuss the news of mass layoffs at The Washington Post. They talk about losing your job in media in 2026 (1:47); how The Washington Post, specifically the sports section, got here; and how it could have been saved (9:30). They wrap up with a few other notes and thoughts from this major shake-up in the media landscape (34:18).

Check out Bryan’s piece on the Washington Post layoffs here.

Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker
Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Bruce Baldwin

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The Super Bowl of Super Bowl Story Lines With Danny Heifetz and Danny Kelly Feb 03, 2026

Show notes

Hello, media consumers! It’s Super Bowl media week, and Bryan is joined by Danny Heifetz and Danny Kelly of The Ringer Fantasy Football Show to discuss the biggest story lines heading into this Seahawks-Patriots Super Bowl. They start by talking about the Seattle-related story lines (14:24) and follow that up with the story lines from New England’s side (32:42). They wrap up by discussing Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth’s first Super Bowl together (40:27), Bad Bunny’s halftime show (46:42), and advice for journalists in Santa Clara this week (51:40).

Host: Bryan Curtis
Guests: Danny Heifetz and Danny Kelly
Producers: Isaiah Blakely, Bruce Baldwin, and Sarah Reddy

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