x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

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.

news news commentary

All Episodes

65:22

The Best of 2024

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/12/27

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

en

97:55

Tripping on Narcissism

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/12/20

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:

en

52:23

A Thorn in The Desert

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/12/12

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

en

60:03

Justice for Hunter deButts

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/12/06

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

en

49:35

Gravy Emergency

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/11/27

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:

en

58:38

McRibbing The Libs

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/11/22

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

en

59:46

Dems In The Doge House

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/11/14

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

en

63:40

Garbage In, Garbage Out

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/11/02

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

en

60:18

Birtherism, meet Burgerism

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/10/25

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

en

57:32

Campaign Economics For Dummies

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/10/17

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

en

59:38

CBS Mournings

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/10/11

If you’re not caught up on the CBS controversy, we’ve got you covered in today’s episode. We break down the interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates and its aftermath. We also discuss the 2024 media blitz, Trump’s decision to decline a Fox debate, and climate change. Wretch on!Time Stamps: 2:04 Front Page 44:29 Obsessions 52:14 Reader Mail 55:20 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:

en

71:52

Apolitical Campaigning

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/10/05

How has Hurricane Helene impacted the election? Will the VP debate sway voters? Why did Melania release a pro-abortion memoir and request $250,000 from CNN? All of this and more will be discussed on today’s episode. Wretch on!Time Stamps: 4:06 Front Page 56:29 Obsessions 1:03:09 Reader Mail 1:07:16 Favorite Items Show Notes: Politico: Trump and Kemp to appear together for first time since 2020 Politico: Harris consoles those devastated by Helene in Georgia — a contrast with Trump's visit Wall

en

67:02

Kamala’s Holistic Interview

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/09/28

Today we are discussing Kamala Harris’s holistic approach to interviews, her contested time as a Mcdonald’s employee and the indictment of NYC mayor Eric Adams. Tune in! Time Stamps: 3:06 Front Page 52:36 Obsessions 59:50 Reader Mail 1:03:40 Favorite Items Show Notes: Free Beacon: Word Salad Sandwich: Harris Dodges Softballs in Friendly Chat With MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle The New York Times: 3 Takeaways From Kamala Harris’s Interview on MSNBC The New York Times: Harris Has a Lot of Strengths

en

68:57

Meatfluencers Draw the Line at Pets

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/09/21

From Israel’s pager attacks on Hezbollah terrorists to the cost of your favorite steak, we’ve got it all in today’s episode. Oh, and did we mention the second assassination attempt on Donald Trump? Buckle up—it’s a wild one. Wretch on!Time Stamps: 02:17 Front Page 55:07 Obsessions 1:00:06 Reader Mail 1:04:47 Favorite Items Show Notes: New York Times: How Israel Built a Modern-Day Trojan Horse: Exploding Pagers Politico: Republicans outraged over possible assassination attempt: ‘They are going to

en

64:40

The A-B-C’s of Losing a Debate

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/09/13

Watch this episode on YouTube. From missed opportunities to lack of preparation, we break down this week’s debate in today’s episode. We also delve into a new profile of Senator Mike Lee, Prince's lost documentary, and explore the stoicism of George W. Bush. Wretch on!Time Stamps: 01:38 Front Page 46:00 Obsessions 53:33 Reader Mail 1:01:00 Favorite Items Show Notes: New York Times: 67.1 Million People Watched Harris and Trump, Outdrawing Last Debate The Daily Beast: Trump Demands ABC Be Shut

en

83:44

Mandatory Joy

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/09/06

If you work at NPR, be ready to spread joy as far as possible. And if you work at another news outlet, don’t be too objective, or Morning Joe will come after you. This week, we’re covering the best, worst, and weirdest happenings in the news media with our friend Christine Rosen, who has a new book coming out called The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World. You can find it on Amazon. And as always, Wretch on!Time Stamps: 7:00 Front Page 1:08:17 Obsessions 1:18:26 Favorite

en

83:53

Fact Check: Hypocrisy is Good

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/08/28

Is fact-checking the key to a healthy democracy? Probably not. This week, we’re coming to you early with David Drucker of The Dispatch filling in for Eliana. We cover the latest controversies from the Presidential debate, RFK Jr.’s endorsement, and Vice President Harris’s cold shoulder to the press. 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://wretches.substack.com Time Stamps: 03:19 Front Page 1:06:00

en

75:38

The Lee Greenwood Democrats

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/08/23

Do you feel it? A sudden sense of patriotism? If the answer is yes, you may be a Democrat attending the DNC this week in Chicago. If the answer is no, Chris and Eliana are here to break down the first three nights, RFK’s potential next move, and sneaker stilettos. 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://wretches.substack.com Follow us on Instagram @InkStainedWretches Time Stamps: 01:26 Front

en

48:22

Sparking Joy

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/08/15

If you haven’t heard, Kamala has officially brought joy back to politics—though we never asked for it in the first place. Meanwhile, unlike with Russiagate, the media has missed Iran’s actual meddling in this year’s election. We discuss all this and more with Matthew Continetti of the Commentary Magazine Podcast, who steps in for Chris this week. Wretch on!Time Stamps: 01:15 Front Page 44:12 Obsessions Show Notes: The Washington Beacon: Speaking Truth to Vibes: Inside the Mainstream Media Echo

en

65:58

Kamala's Vow of Silence

Ink Stained Wretches ·

2024/08/09

Watch this episode on YouTube!Will Kamala Harris wait until after the convention for an interview with the press? Is Tim Walz “folksy”? We answer all of this and more on today’s episode. Join us to hear about Politico’s Hamas update, embargo trouble and more. Wretch on! Time Stamps: 1:48 Front Page 47:05 Obsessions 59:26 Reader Mail 1:02:23 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:

en

195 results

Similar Podcasts

Expres Ráno

Expres FM

PBS News Hour - Full Show

PBS NewsHour

CD Voice

China Daily

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

Noa Levi

Jeffrey Epstein: The Coverup Chronicles

Bobby Capucci