Who To Trust in Media

If you’ll indulge me…

I want to start off a little more conversationally to set expectations for the year, make a couple of announcements and talk about the media and content landscape.

So, to begin, let’s talk about the direction of the show. Long-time Unf*ckers have heard the show evolve quite dramatically since our initial episodes. Over the past two years, we’ve tightened up in certain areas and let loose in others. We’ve done a number of multi-part episodes, added new features like Phone a Friend and Topical Cream, and split show notes out to connect with Unf*ckers more directly. You’ve been with us through it all for a little more than two years now, and you remain the gas in our tank and wind in our sails.

But it’s time now to change things up a bit.

Housekeeping

In the earlier days, I think some of the formats worked a little better. The audio versions of UNFTR had a bit more punch to them. And yet, somehow, there was too much blather in them. I think there’s a solid middle ground to take on our full Unf*ckings that are more streamlined, while maintaining our core strength of research and sourcing. The pace of the full Unf*ckings was honestly a bit too intense last year, and I want to ensure that everything we put out is top notch, which means leveraging our non-traditional formats more often so we maximize the quality of the full Unf*ckings. I think the strongest potential is in leveraging more guests in our “Phone a Friends,” which are fun and enlightening.

I’d also like to get back to some of our palate cleansing sketches, but do so in a way that doesn’t distract from the primary text.

Now, in terms of the nuts and bolts of our operation, there really is a lot going on. First off, we are indeed migrating from Substack in about a month. We’ve enlisted support from a couple of trusted friends to thoroughly scrub and edit our back catalog of essays and will be moving them into the core UNFTR website to house everything in one place. A couple of reasons behind this.

First off, Substack is a closed environment. In order for our written work to be discovered independent of the podcast and Substack, we want to put it into a more open environment that is easily accessible. This will allow us to continue delivering the content via email each week and make it easy for people to subscribe to receive the essays. Since all of our content is free anyway, there’s no downside. It’s just a lot of work to get there.

There’s also the weird feeling of being on a platform with other creators that aren’t necessarily, let’s say…as committed to sourcing, integrity and authenticity. For those of you who are subscribed to our Substack, it will be seamless and easy. I promise. And going forward, everything will be faster, cleaner and more organized in one place.

Now, for the big announcements.

Drum roll, please…

We’re starting a YouTube channel.

Better late than never, I suppose.

Because podcasting is such a wide open field and lacks discovery and indexing for small to medium size shows, it’s very hard to break out. In fact, it’s a miracle that we’ve grown as much as we have, which is a testament to your loyalty and dedication to helping us expand our reach.

YouTube is, of course, a very different animal. And I learned something in my other job a long time ago, which is to be “platform orthodox.” It’s important when creating content to deliver it in a way that makes sense for the platform it lives on. Just taking the audio from the show and sticking it on YouTube never made sense to me. And, because we don’t have a conversational show, and everything we do is tightly researched, scripted and long, it doesn’t automatically translate to video.

So, in an effort to expand our reach and find new Unf*ckers, we’re going for it—but it’s going to be a vastly different format and show.

The show will be more frequent and much shorter. Yes, you’ll be able to see my stupid basic white guy face as well. It’s something I’ve been planning for a long time, and in recent months, I’ve been working overtime to get up to speed with a format that apparently seven-year-olds have no trouble mastering. It’s been a humbling experience, to say the least.

Needless to say, the first few months will probably look very different than how it ultimately evolves, just like the audio experience. What’s critical is that this is additive and doesn’t come at the expense of the podcast, which is the bread and butter, and ultimately what we’re going to be promoting. The goal is to grow as big of an audience as the content and format allows, with the intent to bring new Unf*ckers into the podcasting universe with us.

So, here’s what I really need from everyone listening right now.

We need as many subscribers as possible right off the bat.

We need to reach 1,000 subscribers as quickly as possible and then, obviously, we’ll need to blow past that number in short order. The 1,000 sub milestone allows us to register as a creator on YouTube so we can jump into the conversation. So please, please, please do our scrappy little team a huge favor and head over to YouTube to subscribe to the channel.

Then, in a couple of weeks, we’ll make our debut. Remember, it will be slow at first. I’m old and stupid and this shit is all new. But I’m hoping to skill up quickly and make this happen.

Now, one more thing before we jump into a conversation about the media landscape today.

We’re also working on our very first book. 

The book is a collection of UNFTR essays that are being lovingly edited and curated by friends of the show. When the time comes, I’ll share a bit more about the process, but I’m super excited about this. The plan is to print a limited run of the collection and sell them directly on the site so we can personalize and sign each one of them. There will be some special features in this book, and that’s all I’m going to say about it now, because we’re a couple months away. But, hopefully, it will be a quality resource and keepsake from the show that Unf*ckers will really dig.

So, obviously, we’re taking a lot of steps to really make this show stand on its own and stand out from the pack. You’ve been so gracious in your support, whether through memberships, buying our merch or our coffee or just listening and getting in touch with us. So, hopefully, you feel a sense of belonging and agency in our growth thus far and the next steps going forward.

-Max

And now, on with the essay.

So, making the leap to go cross platform to YouTube has some pitfalls. It’s a different medium with different expectations, but there’s no question that it’s powerful when done correctly. It’s also powerful when done incorrectly, and that’s where my head has been for the past several months.

The amount of disinformation in the media landscape is dispiriting. At the same time, there is so much good work being done in certain corners of the internet and in the podasphere. And yet, social media has diminished our attention spans and pressured media outlets to lean into the viral and sensational to keep up with our voracious appetite for news and information. It’s a vicious cycle that has driven us apart more than it has brought us together.

There’s a reason that News Literacy is a course path in higher education. It’s no longer obvious where we should turn our attention, and it's very difficult to figure out who to believe.

We’ve covered enough about propaganda to litigate the issues with political news and information in this country. We’ve spoken at length about the system of information delivery on the right to know that nothing is an accident when it comes to so-called conservative media.

Punditry today passes as news and plays a significant role in shaping narratives and opinions to audiences who are susceptible to confirmation bias. But that’s the last stop on a deliberate train ride of misinformation that starts in boardrooms and back rooms populated by billionaires and fraudsters. It’s in these rooms where ideas are cooked up that serve the corporate class in America before being delivered into the meat grinder of policy institutes, think tanks and foundations that coordinate and disseminate these ideas, passing them off as facts.

Publicists and advocacy groups get a hold of them and distill them into talking points, then send their experts into the wilderness of mainstream and substream media channels. The headlines are dazzling and disturbing, as a talking head reads the talking points over b-roll of troubling images.

Once broadcast, they are cut up and distributed with different titles and gotcha headlines on social media and YouTube, and the algorithms dutifully serve us these short form clips based upon our viewing history and bias as we spiral further and further down the rabbit hole of deceit. Lo and behold, when a particular story reaches a fever pitch, there’s a piece of legislation at the ready, long before prepared by the originators of the narrative in the back rooms and boardrooms.

The introduction of the legislation at a political press conference gives the mainstream and substream media outlets a reason to revive the story, bring back the expert and double down on the fearful images that made you care about it in the first place, so that when the pollster calls some random 70-year old’s land line to ask them how they feel about it, the respondent is able to muster a sufficient amount of outrage about the thing that probably doesn’t exist, but they’re terrified of.

Meanwhile, on the “Left”

Recently, Jay! from Best of the Left shared an old organizational chart of left and so-called liberal media to illustrate the issue the left has in attempting to pull off the same level of coordination. First off, because so many of the policies, stories and ideas lack a profit motive, a significant piece of the puzzle is missing from the start. The right doesn’t have that problem.

All of the layers in the conservative media landscape are heavily funded by billionaires. Robert Mercer created Steve Bannon. The Wilks brothers founded Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire. The Koch brothers established the most successful think tanks. Rupert Murdoch owns Fox. Peter Thiel, among others, funded Rumble. Dumbass now owns Twitter. And on and on down the line. It’s a veritable buffet of cash for anyone that wants to play their game.

Conservatives will counter with George Soros backed foundations and outlets like The New York Times. Even The Intercept only exists due to the largesse of a billionaire, but for the most part, the corporate class has fully aligned itself with the right. Oh, and calling the Times a liberal outlet is something that makes leftists cringe, because it’s as mainstream as they come. Especially the wasteland that is the opinion section these days.

Then there’s the reality that the left generally is motivated by policy, not money. That’s lovely, but policy carries a major implication. When policy is generated for a purpose like it is on the right—to protect and preserve wealth and power for a small fraction of the population—it’s created to promote this purpose. True public policy that is designed to attack and solve a social problem like equity, mental health, incarceration and so on, means that it is forward thinking. The solution is educated guesswork. And breaking new ground is, by definition, more difficult than holding old ground, which leads to division, debate and—generally—an inability to coordinate messaging, distribution and ultimately legislation.

So, in a way, the Left media ecosystem is designed to be a mess. Therefore, any attempt to herd leftist cats is folly because it will always be breaking new ground and charting new territory. It doesn’t mean it can’t be done. The Civil Rights movement is proof of that. Marriage equality is proof of that. Abortion rights. Women’s suffrage. Social welfare programs. All the good things that happen in society are the result of decades long struggles to break such new ground and a push from the left. All while fighting the corrupt coordination of the right to halt progress at every turn.

So, who can you trust?

So, who can you trust in today’s environment? There are a few ways of looking at this. For casual consumers of news, it’s a very difficult proposition. Because news leans toward the sensational, and it’s far easier and cheaper to produce punditry than it is to deliver hard news, the choices are remarkably slim despite the preponderance of outlets and possibilities. In terms of delivery, Americans have voted with their hands, eyes and ears. Consumption on digital devices dominates. It’s over. Radio, print media, television. All bit players with respect to delivery. Upwards of 80% of Americans get their news on their devices. That doesn’t tell us anything about what they’re consuming, just the preferred method of delivery.

Pew Research offers some keen insight into our understanding of news. For example, only about half of Americans know the difference between reported news and aggregated news. Meaning, they do not distinguish between original reporting from WaPo or the Wall Street Journal versus news delivered through an aggregator like Google or Yahoo!. They might also credit an original cable television outlet as a source, even though they are only consuming segments via social media. Where cable news is concerned, in sheer numbers, Fox absolutely crushes all competition. In 2022, they claimed 13 of the top 15 spots, with The Five, Fucker, Jesse Watters, Hannity and Brett Baier claiming the top five spots.

In the podcasting world, which has made incremental audience gains over the past few years, mainstream liberal outlets do a little better, but the top of the field is still dominated by conservative shows.

In raw terms, trying to understand exactly who controls the media is way more difficult than it seems. Slate has a great article that speaks to the tangled web of media. Here are some highlights.

“The base level would be the cable and telecommunication companies like Comcast, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. These companies control the wireless networks and fiber-optic pipelines that flood our lives with data. 

“The second level would be the Google-Facebook duopoly, two of the 10 most valuable companies in the world, and the masters of our attention. Google and Facebook manage what we (and they) consider important, interesting and ‘relevant’ to us.

 

“Almost every company in the third and final level, the content level, must pay heed to the algorithmic power of both Google and Facebook.”

The author makes an excellent point about the concern over media concentration and using the widely disseminated chart of media ownership from a few years ago that illustrated 90% of consumed information came from six companies. It’s a quaint chart that failed to foresee the real power base. Distribution. With 4.5 million podcasts, scores of cable channels, thousands of radio stations and television stations, traditional media and so on, a 10,000 foot view makes it seem like we are awash in choice. In reality, Google and Facebook are making the bulk of the decisions as to what we see.

So what does this mean?

It means that if you want to be informed, you can no longer be a passive consumer of news. A passive state where one consumes news on a digital device means that you are being targeted and fed. Same with the television or radio. You turn it on, and you get what you get.

In that spirit, I wanted to kick off the year by talking about the sources that I respect, and why. They fall in a number of categories and track closely with the subject matter of UNFTR. So, it’s biased toward left leaning socioeconomic news and politics, to be sure. But I thought it appropriate, since that’s the lane we travel, to reveal these and give them some light.

I’ve got a list.

Something I had to learn the hard way over the years is not to fall victim to hero worship. Unless your hero is Alan Alda, because he’s perfect. Journalists, politicians, commentators, podcasters, YouTubers, everyone. They all have something in common. They’re human beings. And humans are flawed creatures. For years, I hung on every word that Christopher Hitchens said and wrote. I positively adored Matt Taibbi. Respected Glenn Greenwald. In every case, I have been seriously let down and probably took these letdowns too personally because I engaged in hero worship.

Now that I’m older, I can more easily separate the work from the person. I still love Griftopia from Taibbi, one of the best and most accessible explainers of the financial crisis. I could listen to Hitchens dismantle the Catholic Church on repeat for the rest of my life. And Greenwald was an important part of a team that uncovered a couple of massively important surveillance and civil liberties stories of the modern era. But, in each case, the ego became more important than the work. But instead of shitting on Hitchen’s grave or joining in the chorus of Taibbi and Greenwald detractors, I wanted to lift up certain journalists and outlets that remain credible, dedicated and necessary.

Intellectuals

First off, there are individual reporters, intellectuals and social commentators who aren’t necessarily tethered to a specific outlet. They maintain independence in more of a traditional way. Figures like Naomi Klein, Cornel West and Yanis Varoufakis are the ones who carry the torch for Chomsky and Gore Vidal. Of course, Chomsky is still active and clearly important, as evidenced by the virtual mainstream media blackout that sticks to him even in his mid nineties. There are other authors who practice journalism such as Jeff Sharlet, whom I believe to be one of the great academics and journalists of the modern era.

Outlets

Then there are the major outlets. When I want to understand true leftist perspectives, I will sometimes tap into The Jacobin. Occasionally, Mother Jones as well. But The Jacobin is a more frequent go to. One important distinction here. I look to them for perspective rather than reporting, because I think that’s where their strength lies. It’s why I will sometimes quote an opinion piece, but tend to refrain from sourcing them as a hard reporting outlet.

I do follow and subscribe to The New York Times. Hear me out. I consider it to be as mainstream as they come. What I gave up long ago is reading the opinion section. Any outlet that keeps Thomas Friedman and David Brooks on the roster isn’t winning this heart or mind. But The Times serves an important role in our culture because it maintains a healthy roster of some really great reporters who are dedicated to the craft. Boots on the ground still means something and, to the extent that they have somehow been able to remain financially healthy in this new media world, is important and necessary. That being said, it cannot and should not be considered the Bible in any way, shape or form. As I’ve gotten older, I have learned to read deeper pieces with a more cynical eye. But, for general reporting from a first-person perspective, I’m thankful it exists.

When it comes to niche, but vital subjects, there are many foundations that do quality work. One example that comes to mind is The Marshall Project for mass incarceration. I find their work to be incomparable, important and necessary. When you’re evaluating a foundation with a media arm, by the way, it’s important to look at their funding sources, mission statement and level of transparency. A nice healthy mix of donor support, individual memberships and government grants says a lot about a foundation.

Because UNFTR is predominantly focused on U.S. affairs, I don’t often dip my toes into foreign policy. And this is a very tricky space. For example, FP—or Foreign Policy magazine—has long been the standard bearer for global policy and thought leadership. But I find it to be a vessel for well connected establishment figures with an agenda. So, for on the ground reporting, I’ll typically look at Al Jazeera, then try to identify English speaking foundations with a credible history of research and reporting so I can better wrap my mind around circumstances in foreign countries. But again, that’s not so much our wheelhouse.

Highlighting The Intercept

One outlet I want to call out specifically, along with certain journalists, is The Intercept. To me, it’s the example of a billionaire-backed enterprise gone right. When it comes to civil liberties, U.S. budget or even foreign policy perspective, I really favor what they do. Over the years, specifically, I’ve grown to admire the work of Murtaza Hussain, Peter Maass and what Laura Flynn is doing with their podcasts. Two standouts in terms of reporting and thought leadership to me are co-founder Jeremy Scahill and Ryan Grim. Scahill, to me, is everything you want in a journalist. He doesn’t seek the limelight like his co-founder and former partner Glenn Greenwald, nor is he for sale, as Greenwald apparently is. That’s not to say Scahill hasn’t had a turn at fame as the subject and narrator of the film Dirty Wars, based on his book of the same name. It’s just not what turns him on. A disciple of Amy Goodman, Scahill is as comfortable walking through war torn Somalia as he is Brooklyn.

As for Ryan Grim, what can I say? For me, he’s quickly turning into a national treasure. This guy is ubiquitous and incredibly well-rounded and informed as a reporter. He is a measured presence on so many other shows as a commentator, does a great job hosting Intercept podcasts and has his finger on the pulse of Congress in a remarkable way. I can’t say enough about him.

The Independents

There are independent journalists that are punching above their weight, considering the lack of corporate funding and billionaire backing. I’ve long admired Abby Martin, for example. She’s trouble. Smart, hungry and willing to push the envelope and step into the line of fire. Abby has grown tremendously from her early days where she knocked around with conspiracy mongers. What separated her from others like Alex Jones, who she got to experience up close and personal, was that she wasn’t prone to swallowing conspiracies whole. She questioned conventional narratives and authority in a way that separated her from the pack. Abby went on to host her own show on RT, which has now been scrubbed from the Internet thanks to Russiagate, Ukraine and what have you. But, during this time, she honed her craft and made some great connections, which has led her to lead a rather fascinating life as an artist and journalist. You can find her online with a show called Empire Files or on the Media Roots podcast with her brother Robbie.

Then, you have former establishment journalists who have struck out on their own like Soledad O’Brien or Spencer Ackerman, who used to write for The Guardian but now publishes under the title Forever Wars on Substack. They are amazing and well-connected journalists who took the road less traveled, and we’re all better for it. Other important media figures include Laura Flanders, who still hosts an important show, and David Sirota. Sirota is actually on fire lately. His publication The Lever seems to be thriving, and he even wrote the Oscar-nominated film Don’t Look Up. Sirota and The Lever have already broken a number of important stories, and he seems to be making the best of his moment.

There are some OGs that I want to mention. Two, in particular. Thom Hartmann and Amy Goodman. Thom Hartmann is one of those indy media figures that’s hard to put in a box. He’s professorial. Has been around for decades. Ridiculously intelligent. Non combative. He’s truly a gem, and I don’t listen or watch him enough. But he’s highly regarded on the Left and is one of the hardest working intellectuals turned commentators. And what can you say about Amy Goodman? Democracy Now! should be the nightly news in every home instead of the garbage that’s fed to us.

Oh, and shout out to one mainstream journalist whom I admire greatly. Christiane Amanpour. Yes, she’s establishment. But I believe her to be a person of great integrity. The rare breed who has integrity and connections and offers great perspective on foreign affairs, among other things. And let’s not forget, she was so well connected that she knew where bin Laden was before the government did.

Insight and Commentary

Anyway, for general commentary, there are a couple of places I go to kind of stay on top of trending items. I really enjoy Throughline from NPR and think that is the best in the business when it comes to general reporting on current political affairs. For that matter, David Pakman has some solid takes. But Sam’s Majority Report is both consistent and entertaining. Especially when it comes to legal matters. I’m not sure what it is in Sam’s background that makes him so solid on court matters, but he really excels at that kind of analysis and has surrounded himself with some really bright young minds.

Topic Specific Pods

Then there’s a category of podcasts that are staples for me on more narrow topics. What Jennifer Briney is doing on Congressional Dish, for example, is nothing short of Herculean. Briney really does the work and it shows, so if you want to know what’s in massive and life changing bills that go through Congress unnoticed by mainstream media, Briney is the best. On religion, as many of you know, I’m a huge fan of Brad Onishi and Dan Miller over at Straight White American Jesus. It’s amazing how much intersectionality there is between their takes on the religious right and current events in our politics today.

Now, for foreign policy, look no further than Danny Bessner and Derek Davison on American Prestige. It’s why we had them on our first Phone a Friend. Danny is ruthlessly intelligent, and it appears as though Derek doesn’t sleep because he seems to literally know everything going on in the world. Of course, I have my favorites in economics. The great Richard Wolff on Economic Update, Nick Hanauer at Pitchfork Economics and David McWilliams on his eponymous pod. Rick Wolff has definitive themes, as he’s a Marxist professor, but he also possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of economics and history. I like Pitchfork as well because they tap into some incredible guests.

A couple of guilty pleasures to round things out before getting to an obvious closer. The first is Chapo Trap House. Are they vile at times? Not safe for work? Absolutely. Will is there to move the show along, and does a fine job. Felix might be one of the funniest, yet most twisted personalities to ever sort of sit in front of a microphone. These guys don’t give a shit about audio quality, which can be frustrating. But what I wait for is the moment that comes in every show when Matt unleashes a tirade that demonstrates the depth of his intellect and power to dismantle establishment arguments like he’s flicking an insect off the table. Do not underestimate the fury of the Chapo. A more recent love of mine is the Bitchuation Room by activist and comedian Francesca Fiorentini. I think she’s awesome, and she snags some pretty terrific guests.

Our Political Podfather

And that leads me to the pod of all pods. The podfather of the left. Jay! Tomlinson from Best of the Left. You already know. But here’s what I would say in relation to everything we just went through. When Jay and Amanda reveal themselves on bonus shows, it’s clear that these are people who care deeply about this country and issues at hand. They are so smart and informed that Best of the Left could have easily veered into punditry or commentator territory, and Jay could have taken center stage. Instead, he remains utterly committed with his team to unearthing the very best of what exists in the podcast universe. More than anyone else in the game, Jay is really the source of truth, and his recommendations are worth your time.

So that’s it, Unf*ckers. Some musings on UNFTR and the media landscape to kick off our third year of shows. Obviously, this list is incomplete, and I’m sure I missed some favorites of yours. In fact, I would love to hear what your go to sources are, no matter the medium. It’s important to not only support these journalists and outlets, but to lift them up and amplify their work.

To be actively engaged in not only seeking out credible sources, but sharing their work is to be participating in the health of our democracy, or what’s left of it.

I thought it was important to reveal, beyond subject matter sourcing that I do on the show, exactly who influences my mindset and inspires my world view. We are all the sum of our experiences, and therefore, our biases.

Thank you all for an amazing two years. I’m anxious to dig in and crush 2023 with your support. Remember to subscribe to the UNFTR YouTube channel. We’ll begin dropping videos in a few weeks, and hopefully you dig where we’re going with that. To support our expansion, please consider taking out a membership at UNFTR.com or purchasing our native roasted coffee in partnership with Native Coffee Traders on the Poospatuck Reservation in New York. We’re going to need all the help we can get, Unf*ckers.