144 episodes

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.

Ink Stained Wretches Nebulous Media

    • News

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.

    McInformation

    McInformation

    Watch this episode on YouTube. McHaters are in the building, and we’re glad to say they were wrong. Before we get into America’s favorite value menu, we dive into the upcoming presidential debate, the Westminster Dog Show, and more newsroom revolts. Wretch on!

    Time Stamps:
    1:20 Front Page
    43:57 Obsessions
    50:30 Reader Mail
    53:14 Favorite Items
    If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at wretches@nebulouspodcasts.com. Sign Up for the Newsletter: https://nebulouspodcasts.com/shows/ink-stained-wretches
    Follow us on Instagram @InkStainedWretches

    Show Notes:
    NYT: Why Biden Wanted to Debate Trump Early, and Why Trump Said Yes
    AP News: Biden's special counsel interview audio release blocked by White House
    WaPo: Biden’s false claim that inflation was 9 percent when he took office
    Axios: Psaki's new book falsely recounts Biden's watch check in troop ceremony 
    Semafor: New York Times staff complain of ‘unwillingness to tolerate dissent’
    NYT: How MSNBC’s Leftward Tilt Delivers Ratings, and Complications
    WSJ: The Smartest People in the Room Are All Listening to the Same Podcast
    NPR: U.S. maternal deaths keep rising. Here's who is most at risk 
    NYT: ‘The Bachelor’ Promises True Love. So Why Does It Rarely Work Out?
    FT: Could ketamine be the next fix for workplace depression? 
    NYT: Do Pimple Patches Work?
    NYT: How do Westminster Dog Show Participants Travel to New York? With Planning and Plenty of Treats. 
    Obsessions:
    WaPo: Interior Dept staffer becomes first Jewish Biden appointee to publicly resign over war in Gaza
    The Times of Israel: Jewish teen trains peers as feminist advocates
    Pew Research: Americans' Changing Relationship With Local News
    Fav Items:
    NYT: Fast Food Forever: How McHaters Lost the Culture War 
    Semafor: How Princeton got burned by its outreach to Iran

    • 56 min
    Worming Our Way In

    Worming Our Way In

    In today's episode, we delve into the latest stories, including Biden's decision to pause weapons sales to Israel, RFK Jr.'s brain worm, the intersection of climate change and its impact on the LGBTQ+ community, and Kristi Noem's unexpected pause on her book tour. Tune in!

    Time Stamps:
    1:13 Front Page
    51:44 Obsessions
    57:13 Reader Mail
    59:30 Favorite Items


    Reuters: Israel due to get billions of dollars more in US weapons despite Biden pause | Reuters
    The Atlantic: Say Plainly What the Protesters Want 
    The Guardian: ‘Like family’: three women – two Palestinian, one Jewish – find peace amid campus chaos | US campus protests
    Harpers: The Race for Second Place
    WSJ: Inside RFK Jr.’s Chaotic White House Bid
    WSJ: Inside RFK Jr.’s Chaotic White House Bid 
    NYT: Kristi Noem Calls Off Disastrous Book Tour, Canceling Hits on Fox News and CNN at Last Minute 
    The Dispatch: The Pulitzer for Propaganda Goes to 
    Politico: The Collapse of the News Industry Is Taking Its Soul Down With It
    Semafor: Joe Kahn: 'The newsroom is not a safe space' 
    Axios: ABC News president Kim Godwin steps down 
    Axios: Exclusive poll: Most college students shrug at nationwide protests 
    NYT: Are We Talking Too Much About Mental Health? 
    WSJ: Desperate for Workers but Dead Set Against Migrant Labor: The West Virginia Dilemma
    NYT: Honeybees Invaded My House, and No One Would Help 
    WSJ: Inside Andy Cohen’s Reality 
    Obsessions:
    Tablet: The People Setting America on Fire
    The Atlantic: No One Knows What Universities Are For 
    Reader Mail: 
    Context:  Why are LGBTQ+ people more at risk from climate change?
    Kicker: Favorite Items of the Week:
    WaPo: Senior homes refuse to pick up fallen residents, dial 911. 'Why are they calling us?' 
    Eliana: ‘I’m Not Your Mom’: Tech Exec’s Videos Spark Clash Over China’s Work Culture

    • 1 hr 2 min
    Bros vs. Schmoes

    Bros vs. Schmoes

    Watch this episode on YouTube.

    Standing up for the American Flag could reward you with a $300K party. That's what happened in the wake of one college protest this week. In addition to that, we're discussing Pelosi’s MSNBC meltdown, Biden’s new walking routine, and Hollywood’s failure to spread awareness about climate change. Wretch on!

    If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at wretches@nebulouspodcasts.com. Sign Up for the Newsletter: https://nebulouspodcasts.com/shows/ink-stained-wretches
    Follow us on Instagram @InkStainedWretches
    Time Stamps:
    1:47 - Front Page
    42:01 - Facile File
    46:25 - Style Section
    48:57 - Obsessions
    56:42 - Reader Mail
    58:15 - Favorite Items

    The Washington Post | Trump, GOP seize on campus protests to depict chaos under Biden
    The Dispatch | A ‘Mostly’ Misleading Partisan Press
    AP | College protesters want ‘amnesty.’ At stake: Tuition, legal charges, grades and graduation
    The New York Times | Columbia Bars Student Protester Who Said ‘Zionists Don’t Deserve to Live’
    The Atlantic | The Campus-Left Occupation That Broke Higher Education
    The Dispatch | These Are the Kids They Wanted
    NBC | Poll: Biden and Trump supporters sharply divided by the media they consume
    The Hill | Pelosi accuses MSNBC host of being ‘apologist for Donald Trump’ 
    The New York Times | Donald Trump Has Never Sounded Like This
    Axios | Scoop: Biden changes walking routine to Marine One
    Daily Mail | Gushing Drew Barrymore says Kamala Harris needs to be the 'Momala' of the U.S. in cringeworthy interview
    Puck | Guess Who’s Coming to Elon’s Dinner
    Ken Klippenstein | Why I'm Resigning From The Intercept The Dispatch | The Cass Review Won’t Fade Away
    Indie Wire | Only 32 of the Top Movies in the Last Decade Say Climate Change Exists — Study
    CNBC | Dave & Buster’s to allow customers to bet on arcade games
    Twitter | Die Workwear
    Star Tribune | Dan Rather documentary is second-rate journalism
    The Daily Beast | Dan Rather to Make CBS News Return 18 Years After Controversial Exit
    Asterisk Magazine | Debugging Tech Journalism
    The Wall Street Journal | Billions in Dirty Money Flies Under the Radar at World’s Busiest Airports
    The Washington Free Beacon | 7 Hilariously Sad Entries in the Lost and Found Chat at Columbia's Anti-Israel Protest Camp

    • 1 hr 1 min
    Take That, Hippies

    Take That, Hippies

    Watch this episode on YouTube.

    Did you hear? Kamala Harris has found her voice. At least that’s what CNN is saying for the 4th time of this administration. This week, we’re looking at coverage around Speaker Mike Johnson, the chaos on college campuses, and a disgruntled former CNN anchor. Wretch on!

    If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at wretches@nebulouspodcasts.com. Sign Up for the Newsletter: https://nebulouspodcasts.com/shows/ink-stained-wretches
    Follow us on Instagram @InkStainedWretches

    Time Stamps:
    2:27 Front Page
    40:17 - Obsessions
    46:51 - Reader Mail
    51:10 Favorite Items

    NYT: Where Jurors in Trump Hush-Money Trial Say They Get Their News
    Politico: The Petty Feud Between the NYT and the White House
    CNBC: House Speaker Johnson drowned out by booing crowds at Columbia University speech on Gaza protests
    The Atlantic: The Accidental Speaker
    WSJ: They Entered College in Isolation and Leave in Protest: The Class That Missed Out on Fun
    Vanity Fair: Leaving CNN Was How I Found My Voice
    The American Prospect: My Dinner With Andreessen
    Mediaite: The Gateway Pundit, Infamous Conspiracy Blog, Declares Bankruptcy After Suit From Election Workers
    CNN: Kamala Finds Her Voice
    The Free Press: Tucker Carlson’s Turn
    Cleveland 19: Ohio company launches Thermonator, a flamethrowing robot dog
    NYT: Beyoncé Showed Her Hair Being Washed. Here’s Why It Matters.

    • 54 min
    Newsroom Rebellions

    Newsroom Rebellions

    The NPR rebellion continues this week on Ink Stained Wretches. We’re also covering infighting at The New York Times, Trump trial coverage and the emerging trend of sexless marriages. Wretch on!

    2:29 Front Page
    50:27 Obsessions
    57:39 Reader Mail
    4:34 Favorite Items

    If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at wretches@nebulouspodcasts.com. Sign Up for the Newsletter: https://nebulouspodcasts.com/shows/ink-stained-wretches

    Show Notes:
    NPR: NPR editor Uri Berliner resigns with blast at new CEO
    NYPost: NPR's new CEO Katherine Maher scrubs hyper-partisan posts: 'Trump is a racist'
    NPR:  From NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher: Thoughts on our mission and our work
    Politico: The Real Reason NPR Squashed Uri Berliner
    I Might Be Wrong on Substack: GUEST COLUMN: Who the Fuck Did You THINK Ran NPR?
    Slate: NPR: The public broadcaster’s problems are deeper than “wokeness.” 
    WSJ: New York Times Bosses Seek to Quash Rebellion in the Newsroom
    USA Today: Media is playing right into Trump's hands with jury selection as jurors become targets
    NYTimes: Can a Sexless Marriage Be a Happy One?
    NYTimes: One Thing Parents Can Control 
    WSJ: She’s One of the Greatest Basketball Players Ever. She’s an Even Better Coach.
    NYTimes: The Biden Guide to Dressing Younger 
    Axios: Exclusive: Grindr plans to offer a pocket "gayborhood" 
    ABC News: Red Lobster eyes bankruptcy option after $11M in losses from endless shrimp
    WaPo: They criticized Israel. This Twitter account upended their lives.
    Commentary Mag: Media Revive the Classic ‘Jewish Oppressor’ Stereotype 
    The Atlantic: What the Upper-Middle-Class Left Doesn’t Get About Inflation
    SNL: Beavis and Butthead
    WSJ: A Day in the Life of a Walmart Manager Who Makes $240,000 a Year

    • 1 hr 4 min
    A Forest of Facile

    A Forest of Facile

    Watch this episode on YouTube. Welcome back, Wretchos! In this episode, we'll be covering a variety of topics this week, including whether Gen Z can handle criticism effectively, if the politics of Israel are changing, and whether a sleep divorce is a good idea. Don't miss out, and remember to catch us on YouTube for more engaging content. Wretch on!

    If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at wretches@nebulouspodcasts.com. Sign Up for the Newsletter: https://nebulouspodcasts.com/shows/ink-stained-wretches
    Follow us on Instagram @InkStainedWretches

    Time Stamps:
    4:09 Front Page
    50:13 Obsessions
    1:01:23 Reader Mail
    1:03:32 Favorite Items


    Show Notes: 
    NYT:Inflation Was Hotter Than Expected in March, Unwelcome News for the Fed
    WSJ: Biden Is Spending $1 Trillion to Fight Climate Change. Voters Don’t Care.
    TFP: I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust. 
    WSJ: We Aren’t Posting on Social Media as Much Anymore. Will We Ever?
    Newsnation: Hundreds expected to tie the knot during solar eclipse 
    The Guardian: ‘Mostly felt like a speed bump’: US man on getting vasectomy amid earthquake
    Semafor: Border crisis might be boon for economy
    Wapo: Which Trump lies stick? Republicans believe some falsehoods more than they did six years ago, our poll finds.
    Wapo: Gen Z workers can take criticism. You're just phrasing it wrong.
    Pagesix: Matt Lauer holds hands with girlfriend Shamin Abas at Don Lemon's wedding 
    Dailymail: Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck's 15-year-old daughter, formerly Seraphina Rose, debuts new name Fin
    WSJ: The Couples Trading Restless Nights for Separate Bedrooms
    @dieworkwear on Twitter: "my man"
    Obsessions:
    Politico: Playbook: Could Bibi tank Ukraine aid?
    Politico: The politics of Israel are changing
    The Atlantic: 'White Rural Rage' Is an Utterly Misleading Book 
    The Remnant Podcast: Hillbillies in the Mist
    The Atlantic: Civil War Was Made in Anger
    Reader Mail: 
    The Daily Beast: The Instagram Stars Hiding Their Famous, Muslim-Hating Mom, Pamela Geller
    Favorite Items:
    NY Times: How a Vacant Lot Became Our Own Dirtbag Narnia
    Jewish Insider: Several university leaders begin cracking down on anti-Israel disruptions on campus.

    • 1 hr 6 min

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