The Kicker

Reddit, Michael Wolff, and “media men” list by Columbia Journalism Review

The year in journalism by Columbia Journalism Review

The popularity of "Cat Person" by Columbia Journalism Review

This week on The Kicker, Meg talks with Jezebel Editor in Chief Koa Beck about her plans for the feminist website, as well as the site’s influence on recent media coverage of sexual harassment. Then CJR’s Christie Chisholm joins Meg and Pete to discuss WNYC’s handling of sexual harassment allegations against some of its biggest names, the issues surrounding ABC News’s erroneous report on Michael F...

A dive into the swamp with Politico Playbook’s Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman by Columbia Journalism Review

Anti-establishment media in the Trump era by Columbia Journalism Review

This week on The Kicker, Meg talks with John Biewen, audio program director at Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies, about how his podcast Seeing White examines America's deep history of white supremacy. Then Pete is joined by CJR’s Christie Chisholm and Jon Allsop to discuss the right-wing media response to Roy Moore, some good journalism from Fox News, and how to fix the way we cover mass...

This week, Pete speaks with Jelani Cobb, staff writer at The New Yorker and professor at Columbia Journalism School, about the year following the election of President Donald Trump. Then Meg Dalton and Jon Allsop join Pete to discuss the media news of the week, including the narratives surrounding statewide election results, the question of giving airtime to Kellyanne Conway, and Ronan Farrow’s la...

The evolution of audio, Facebook’s political reckoning, and civil war at the WSJ by Columbia Journalism Review

Does Weinstein represent a sea change or just a moment? by Columbia Journalism Review

From climate change to Facebook by Columbia Journalism Review

Harvey Weinstein and the media's complicated relationship by Columbia Journalism Review

This week on The Kicker, we present a special episode recorded live from Atlanta. CJR Managing Editor Vanessa Gezari talks with The New York Times’s Glenn Thrush and The Guardian’s Ben Jacobs about covering the Trump White House. They discuss the emotional toll of the breakneck news cycle, what’s different about the new administration, and how to avoid getting caught up in a reality-TV presidency.

Fake news in a small town by Columbia Journalism Review

On a special episode of The Kicker, we present clips from a panel CJR convened this week in Charlottesville, Virginia. Titled “Race, Racism, and the News,” the event featured several journalists with personal ties to the Charlottesville area, and touched on issues of language, representation, and white supremacy. Associate Editor Brendan Fitzgerald, who directs CJR’s United States Project, leads t...

On the latest episode of The Kicker, Pete talks to retired marine sergeant Thomas Brennan and veteran conflict photographer Finbarr O’Reilly, who have written a joint memoir, Shooting Ghosts, about their time in Afghanistan and their struggles to deal with what they experienced there. Then, Pete, Meg, and Karen discuss the White House’s call for the firing of ESPN anchor Jemele Hill, and the issue...

On the latest episode of The Kicker, Meg talks to John Pope, an award-winning journalist known for his Hurricane Katrina coverage, about how newsrooms can prepare for disaster, including what to do before, during, and after the storm hits. Then, new CJR Delacorte Fellow Karen K. Ho joins Meg and Pete to discuss how newsrooms like Univision are preparing for Hurricane Irma, trust issues with Facebo...

On the latest episode of The Kicker, Meg talks to the Dart Center’s Bruce Shapiro about the media’s coverage of Hurricane Harvey. Then we discuss harmful narratives in disaster reporting, the question of when journalists should or shouldn’t intervene, and the latest hiccup on the New York Times editorial page.

On the latest episode of The Kicker, Pete talks to CJR contributor Christiana Mbakwe about need for a white supremacy beat post-Charlottesville. Then we discuss the Village Voice shutting down its print publication, the shakeup at the Los Angeles Times, and the tragic death of freelance journalist (and Columbia J-School grad) Kim Wall.

On the latest episode of The Kicker, we dedicate the entire episode to the media’s response to Charlottesville. Meg talks to CJR Associate Editor Brendan Fitzgerald about how local news covered the events last weekend. Plus, his personal experience working as a reporter in the city. We also discuss the language journalists should be using in their coverage with CJR contributor Shaya Tayefe Mohajer...

On the latest episode of The Kicker, Meg interviews New York Times reporter Nick Casey about his experience following the economic-turned-political crisis in Venezuela. Casey covered the country for 10 months before the government barred him from returning in October. Then, we run through the week’s biggest media stories: the latest Fox News controversy, Israel’s ban of Al-Jazeera, and the narrati...

On the latest episode of The Kicker, Meg has an interview with journalist and novelist Julia Dahl. They discuss her experience working at the New York Post and how tabloids shaped the early years of Donald Trump. Then, we run through the week’s biggest stories: the narrative surrounding new White House chief of staff John Kelly, and buyouts at the New York Times. Plus, a short conversation with Pe...

On the latest episode of The Kicker, Meg has an interview with Leah Finnegan, features editor for The Outline. They discuss what journalists get wrong when reporting on drug addiction and how they can do better. Then, we run through the week’s biggest stories: how a health-care vote went down in cinematic style, a White House communications chief who doesn’t understand the basic rules of talking t...

On the latest episode of The Kicker, we run through some of the week’s biggest stories: what media mergers mean for both journalists and consumers, how to parse all of those anonymously sourced stories, and why Donald Trump keeps sitting down with reporters from The New York Times. Then, Pete Vernon talks with CJR Editor and Publisher Kyle Pope about the press’s coverage of the Trump White House,...

On the latest episode of The Kicker, we run through some of the week’s biggest media stories, including how the White House’s response to Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting with a Russian lawyer demonstrates a press shop in crisis, why net neutrality matters for journalists, and how to make environmental reporting connect with audiences. Then, Pete talks with Jesse Thorn, host of The Turnaround, about the...