The Kicker

On the latest episode of The Kicker, we run through some of the week’s biggest media stories, including Al Jazeera getting caught in an international diplomatic crisis, Fox Sports’s embrace of “pivot to video,” and the legwork that went into capturing Chris Christie’s day at the beach. Then, we move on to CNN’s controversial decision to identify, but not name, the creator of a video that President...

We critique The Washington Post's new product targeting Millennial women, The Lily, and debate what, if anything, makes a good "women's publication." Then, Dave chats with CJR correspondent Trudy Lieberman about media coverage of the secretive Republican push to overhaul the US healthcare system.

This week, we analyze the push for unionization at digital media properties and break down a new effort by NPR to reach younger audiences. Then, Dave talks to CJR Managing Editor Vanessa Gezari about how a Wall Street Journal correspondent cozied up to an Iranian-born arms dealer, exposing the dark underbelly of national security reporting.

We run through some of the week’s biggest media stories, including layoffs across the industry, New York Times stories in search of a public editor, and how a single erroneous tweet can spark a fake news cycle. Then, we move on to Megyn Kelly’s upcoming interview with Infowars’s Alex Jones. How should mainstream journalists report on trolls? Finally, Dave talks with RealClearPolitics’s James Arkin...

On the latest episode of The Kicker, Dave and Pete run through some of the week’s biggest media stories, including tech giants’ domination of the digital ad market, Breitbart’s Trump-era slump, and the lack of attention toward Scott Pelley’s departure from CBS Evening News. Then, we move on to Reality Winner and the first leak prosecution of the Trump administration. Finally, we talk with Brendan...

On the latest episode of The Kicker, we run through some of the week’s biggest media stories, including a look at the future of The Chicago Sun-Times, the troubling trend of press norms being violated in the Trump era, and Twitter ethics for journalists. Then, we move on to the news of the day: The New York Times’s decision to eliminate the public editor position. Finally, CJR’s David Uberti inter...

Dave, Pete, and Christie run through some of the week’s biggest media stories, including a ratings leaderboard shakeup for cable news, a spurious conspiracy that consumed the right-wing media universe, and a new study that says--surprise--journalists drink too much caffeine and alcohol. Then, we move on to the media coverage of the terrorist attack in Manchester, and tackle why we think the indust...

Pete and Dave run through the top media news of the week, from the scoop war in Washington, to the state of press freedom globally, to Roger Ailes's legacy. We then take you inside the counter-narratives offered by pro-Trump media this week. Finally, Dave interviews Glenn Burkins, editor and publisher of Q City Metro, about the fate of the black press in the digital age.

We introduce our new print issue, which is dedicated to exploring the future of local news. Then, Dave interviews Ben Smith, editor in chief of BuzzFeed News. They talk truth and lies on the social web, BuzzFeed's plans for global expansion, and whether there's any hope for local media online. Follow The Kicker on Twitter @KickerCJR and email any suggestions for future topics or guests t...

On the latest episode of The Kicker, we run through some of the week’s biggest media stories, including counterprogramming to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, conservative perspective on the layoffs at ESPN, and continued subscriber additions by The New York Times. Then, we move on to the fallout from Bret Stephens’s first column in the Times. Finally, CJR’s David Uberti talks with Ashley C...

CJR staffers run through some of the week's biggest media stories, including Trump's 100-day milestone, what didn't make it into The New York Times' James Comey profile, and the coverage narratives emanating from France. Then, we discuss whether a new, fictionalized portrayal of El Chapo can speak to larger journalistic truths. And finally, we ponder where a new-look Fox News m...

On The Kicker, we run through the week's three biggest stories, including Bill O’Reilly, White House transparency, and the special election in Georgia’s sixth district. Then, staff writer David Uberti is joined by CJR correspondent Corey Hutchins to discuss the recent layoffs at Berkshire Hathaway-owned papers and what it means for local news. Finally, Dave is joined by Emily Bell, director o...

On The Kicker this week, we discuss White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s job performance to date. Spicer’s gaffe in comparing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Adolf Hitler was only the latest in a string of controversies emerging from behind the lectern in the Brady Briefing Room. Then, we have some fun imagining the life of a journalist in 2027. The impetus for the conversation was a rece...

On The Kicker this week, CJR’s Dave Uberti, Nausicaa Renner, and Pete Vernon discuss the role of platforms like Facebook and Google in the journalism landscape. Nausicaa guides us through a new Tow Center report, “The Platform Press: How Silicon Valley reengineered journalism.” What responsibility do platforms have to promote and provide for good journalism? What should publishers do to adapt to t...

CJR's David Uberti, Pete Vernon, and Christie Chisholm discuss the podcast boom, from Serial to S-Town. What form does journalism take on the medium? And what, if anything, is lost? Then, Ernst-Jan Pfauth, publisher of the Dutch news organization De Correspondent, joins to talk about its attempt to break into the competitive American market. Can the outlet's membership model and unique p...

CJR’s David Uberti, Nausicaa Renner, Pete Vernon, and Carlett Spike discuss The Wall Street Journal's scathing editorial attacking President Trump's credibility. We also cover the divide between newsrooms and editorials, and question whether readers understand the distinction. Then, we turn to homepages, where algorithms are taking over. Finally, we welcome on Jeff Kelly Lowenstein to di...

This week on a special edition of The Kicker, CJR and the BBC World Service have teamed up to produce an audio documentary. Editor and Publisher Kyle Pope narrates an exploration of two issues vital for journalism in America: How should the media respond to an administration that labels it “the enemy of the people,” and, perhaps more importantly, how can the media build trust with a public that se...

CJR’s David Uberti, Christie Chisholm, Pete Vernon, and Shelley Hepworth discuss some criticism we received for inviting Breitbart economics editor John Carney to our conference on covering Trump. Did he bring a valuable perspective? Or did we play a role in legitimizing a website that has trafficked in racism, misogyny, and white nationalism? Then, we turn to Hollywood, where a new movie about th...

CJR's David Uberti, Nausicaa Renner, and Pete Vernon discuss a wild week in White House-media relations. Then, we turn to MisinfoCon, a weekend gathering of journalists and technologists trying to solve the fake news problem. Freelance writer Lyz Lenz calls in to chat about the Texas Monthly and its legendary writer, Pamela Colloff.

Dave and Pete discuss why it matters that White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer allows friendly outlets to ask questions at press briefings. CJR correspondent Corey Hutchins calls in to discuss fake news at the local level. And freelance journalist Jenni Monet, who was arrested while reporting at Standing Rock, joins to discuss coverage of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. Thanks for kicking...

Why are so many news organizations expanding into Australia? What is the state of health journalism as Obamacare hangs in the balance? Why were so many journalists talking about CNN anchor Jake Tapper's interview with Kellyanne Conway? We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where David Uberti is joined by CJR Editor and Publisher Kyle Pope, health correspondent Trudy Lieberman, and...

How has Breitbart used memes to build a huge audience on Facebook? Should journalists' notion of objectivity change in the face of immoral or un-American acts? What aspects of press freedom may change under the Trump Administration? We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where CJR's David Uberti is joined by Nausicaa Renner and Pete Vernon. Special guest Jonathan Peters, a med...

Is the Trump Administration trying to bait aggressive reporters when it offers up "alternative facts"? What does a recent New York Times report tell us about the way its business model and editorial strategy are changing? How should journalists respond to charges of a liberal media conspiracy? We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where CJR's David Uberti is joined by Na...

Did BuzzFeed make the right call by publishing unverified memos detailing Russian efforts to compromise Donald Trump? How is The Undefeated, a new publication by ESPN, tackling this moment in race and politics? What did Trump's first press conference as president-elect tell us about how he'll treat the media going forward? We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where CJR'...

What does Fox News' primetime lineup say about its direction under the Trump Administration? Why should we care about the fate of the publishing platform Medium? What's the deal with all these misreported stories about Russia? We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where CJR's David Uberti, Nausicaa Renner, and Pete Vernon discuss the week in journalism.