Media credibility and independent journalism

Taibbi argues that news outlets now commonly make mistakes without corrections or consequences.

“Now it's become incredibly common for newspapers to make mistakes and either not own up to it at all, not issue a correction”

The Megyn Kelly Show: NPR's Embarrassing Excuse, Another Socialist Victory, and Smug Serena Williams, with Matt Taibbi and Rob Finnerty | Ep. 1351 (Jul 1, 2026) · Listen from 33:32

Taibbi cites Rolling Stone's UVA story as a cautionary tale about editors trusting reporters without verification.

“It was a mistake to just simply trust the reporter absent some kind of verification”

The Megyn Kelly Show: NPR's Embarrassing Excuse, Another Socialist Victory, and Smug Serena Williams, with Matt Taibbi and Rob Finnerty | Ep. 1351 (Jul 1, 2026) · Listen from 38:03

Taibbi recounts that activists gained leverage over newsroom language, starting with requirements to say 'undocumented' instead of 'illegal'.

“I remember the first time that it came up in a fact-checking meeting that we had to use the term undocumented instead of illegal”

The Megyn Kelly Show: NPR's Embarrassing Excuse, Another Socialist Victory, and Smug Serena Williams, with Matt Taibbi and Rob Finnerty | Ep. 1351 (Jul 1, 2026) · Listen from 19:09

Holiday argues independent creators are more directly exposed to audience capture because fewer intermediaries sit between them and payment.

“So like audience capture, there's fewer intermediaries between the creator and the sort of payment structure”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #321 Ryan Holiday - The Stoic Survival Guide (Jul 13, 2026) · Listen from 57:51

Holiday says research found emotional extremity is the top predictor of content going viral, incentivizing exaggeration.

“they found that like the valence of the extremeness of the emotion is, like, the number one predictor of virality”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #321 Ryan Holiday - The Stoic Survival Guide (Jul 13, 2026) · Listen from 50:58

Rogan argues pharmaceutical companies advertise on news to prevent criticism rather than to sell drugs.

“they don't do that because... they want to sell drugs. They do that because now the news will not criticize the pharmaceutical drug company”

The Joe Rogan Experience: #2515 - Chase Hughes (Jun 17, 2026) · Listen from 1:46:35

Rogan argues mainstream television news avoids criticizing pharmaceutical companies because of advertising revenue.

“there's the problem where you receive a bunch of advertising money from these companies so you don't criticize them, which is the case with all mainstream TV news”

The Joe Rogan Experience: #2478 - Theo Von (Apr 2, 2026) · Listen from 1:45:33

Kelly argues cable and broadcast news are dying.

“Cable News is dead. It's just running out its lifespan. Same for broadcast”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #309 Megyn Kelly - "I Now Have to Worry About Getting Shot Because of My Opinion" (Jun 1, 2026) · Listen from 2:16:18

Kelly argues Jake Tapper's socializing with Kimmel shows why journalists should keep distance from those they cover.

“My friends, this is why you don't get too close with the people who you might be covering”

The Megyn Kelly Show: Kimmel's "Widow" Double Standard, Left Celebrates Political Violence, and Newsom's Hypocrisy, with Stu Burguiere | Ep. 1305 (Apr 28, 2026) · Listen from 18:06

Rock argues that major newspapers like the Times and the Journal ignore nuance by sorting comedy into manosphere-conservative or woke categories.

“So they like something really, you know, it's like, okay, this is a manosphere conservative thing, or this is a really kind of wokey woke thing”

The Daily: Chris Rock Has Been Thinking About Forgiveness (Oct 3, 2026) · Listen from 9:20

Coleman predicts online platform censorship will inevitably return, likely on a life-or-death issue.

“No, it will swing back. It will inevitably swing back. The question is on what issues do they choose to start the swinging on?”

Danny Jones Podcast: #433 - Charlie Kirk's Autopsy, Egyptian Planes & Erika Kirk's Darkest Secret | Baron Coleman (Sep 21, 2026) · Listen from 2:39:45

Ryan says he no longer hosts politicians, even friends running for office, because they tell audiences what they want to hear.

“I even have friends that are running for Senate, for Congress, for whatever places in the administration doesn't matter, you know, and, um, I won't have them on”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #321 Ryan Holiday - The Stoic Survival Guide (Jul 13, 2026) · Listen from 1:01:25

Hinchcliffe argued Trump's 'fake news' label backfired by making media criticism seem partisan.

“I've always said that Trump calling it fake news was like one of the worst things that could happen because then it sounds like a Trump thing”

The Joe Rogan Experience: #2522 - Tony Hinchcliffe (Jul 2, 2026) · Listen from 2:10:42

Finnerty criticizes journalists who adopt Spanish accents when pronouncing Hispanic names.

“whenever it is a Spanish name, we are all suddenly required and expected to shapeshift into the perfect Spanish accent”

The Megyn Kelly Show: NPR's Embarrassing Excuse, Another Socialist Victory, and Smug Serena Williams, with Matt Taibbi and Rob Finnerty | Ep. 1351 (Jul 1, 2026) · Listen from 53:57

Bryant cites a Gallup poll finding Americans believe large shares of news are biased, inaccurate, or misinformation.

“They guessed, let me see, 62% of what they hear is biased, 44% is inaccurate, and 39% is misinformation”

Stuff You Should Know: Selects: How the Fairness Doctrine Worked (Jun 13, 2026) · Listen from 56:01

Jesse Kelly argues the media should have exposed Biden's condition during the Democratic primary rather than promoting stories about his stutter.

“That is something the American media should have exposed during the Democrat primary before he ever won the Democrat nomination”

The Megyn Kelly Show: Jill Biden's OBVIOUS Lies, and the Spencer Pratt Momentum, with Jesse Kelly, Damilare Sonoiki and Stepfanie Tyler | Ep. 1328 (May 29, 2026) · Listen from 19:09

Kelly expressed concern that the podcast space could be infiltrated as television was.

“I do worry if the podcast space gets infiltrated like television was”

Digital Social Hour: Charlie Kirked Turned Down $1 Billion, Now He's Dead & TPUSA Has the Money | DSH #1966 (May 15, 2026) · Listen from 57:55