The Press Box

The Ringer

The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis, David Shoemaker and Joel Anderson catch you up on the biggest media stories, from sports to politics and everything in between.

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1,299 episodes
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Episodes1299

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Jan 27, 2022 · 1 hr
The New Yorker’s Jon Lee Anderson on Latin America, War Reporting, and 'Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life'
Bryan is joined by The New Yorker’s Jon Lee Anderson to unpack his career covering topics ranging from stories in the Peruvian jungle to the first democratic election following Peru’s 12-year-long dictatorship. They discuss his stint at Time magazine and then talk through his journey covering guerrilla groups in Latin America and eventually, Che Guevara. Host: Bryan Curtis Guest: Jon Lee Anderson Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 24, 2022 · 1 hr 1 min
More Weekend Football Notes, Media News From Chicago, and the Profile Location of the Week
Bryan and David are back to discuss the weekend full of divisional-round playoff games. They break down the impact these games have had on the audience and touch on Aaron Rodgers’s interview with Kevin Van Valkenburg two days before his divisional game as well as Tony Romo's performance (6:42). Then, they address the potential career moves for New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, former Cowboys star Troy Aikman, and NBC commentator Al Michaels (25:21). Lastly, in the Notebook Dump, they discuss the news that the Chicago Sun-Times was acquired and will become a nonprofit, touch on Robert Costa leaving The Washington Post for CBS News, and then wrap things up with a new feature called Chyron Copy Editor (39:20). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained Pun Headline. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 20, 2022 · 57 min
Carl Bernstein on His First Job, Newspaper Love, a Great Prank, and Scandals That Are “Worse Than Watergate”
Bryan is joined by Carl Bernstein to discuss his career as a reporter dating back to his time as a teenager at the Washington Star. They reflect on the newsroom in the ’60s, what it was like covering the Kennedy vs. Nixon presidential election, and how the Watergate scandal compares to recent times. Host: Bryan Curtis Guest: Carl Bernstein Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 18, 2022 · 38 min
TV Football Breakdown, Media Piss Test, and Netflix Sports Docs
Bryan and David break down media moments from the football-packed weekend, including Drew Brees’s reporting, Troy Aikman’s Cowboys comment, and Dak Prescott’s reaction to his fans throwing trash on the field (0:28). Then they switch gears for another Media Piss Test, where they decide whether Mike Lindell soiled the bit, before reacting to the news of upcoming Netflix sports docs highlighting both tennis and golf (27:46). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained Pun-Headline. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 14, 2022 · 40 min
NPR Departures, Awards Season SEO, and Wordle-Loving Reporters
Bryan and David begin with a breakdown of the recent NPR departures as chronicled by NPR’s own media reporter David Folkenflik (1:06). They transition to the rise of Wordle, a puzzle game heavily featured on the Twitter accounts of reporters everywhere (11:30). Then they discuss the Postgame Question of the Week, posed to Stetson Bennett IV after Monday’s college football national championship game (19:00). They then tackle the Media Piss Test (24:00) and later talk about the unsurprising dissolution of '60 Minutes+' (26:30). Finally, they examine how exactly SEO considerations might affect this upcoming awards seasons (32:33). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Producer: Devon Manze Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 10, 2022 · 1 hr 6 min
RIP Longform, Carlson vs. Cruz, Bob Saget Obits, and Postgame Question of the Week
Bryan and David break down Ted Cruz’s appearance on the 'Tucker Carlson Tonight' discussing the siege of the Capitol on January 6 (9:25). Then, they bid farewell to longform.org (30:05), present the Postgame Question of the Week (43:49), discuss Nick Kristof’s attempt to run for governor (45:54), and share some Bob Saget obits (52:36). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 8, 2022 · 39 min
Mina Kimes on How We Cover Aaron Rodgers
Bryan touches on the news that The New York Times has bought The Athletic before then being joined by Mina Kimes to discuss the Aaron Rodgers discourse. They talk about her 2017 piece featuring Rodgers, discuss his relationship with the media, weigh in on past comments about both potentially leaving his team and his stance on the vaccine, and eventually parse through the ongoing discourse involving his run at MVP. Host: Bryan Curtis Guest: Mina Kimes Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 5, 2022 · 47 min
Ben Smith, January 6 Anniversary, Ken Rosenthal, and More
Bryan and David are back and kicking off the new year with Ben Smith’s announcement that he is leaving The New York Times for a global media startup (0:22). Then they transition to the first anniversary of the January siege of the Capitol by discussing Evan Osnos’s New Yorker profile of radio host Dan Bongino (9:24). Then they touch on Ken Rosenthal’s comments that lost him a gig with the MLB Network (23:11) and the unfortunate release of a People magazine issue that highlights the great (and recently departed) Betty White’s 100th birthday (35:10). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 30, 2021 · 45 min
John Madden’s Legacy With Jason Gay
Bryan is joined by The Wall Street Journal's Jason Gay to remember legendary football coach, sportscaster, and businessman John Madden. They reflect on the games Madden called, how he influenced television, and discuss all that he added to the sport of football. Host: Bryan Curtis Guest: Jason Gay Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 28, 2021 · 1 hr 1 min
J.R. Moehringer on Writing ‘The Tender Bar,’ the Art of Memoir, and His Career Writing for Newspapers
Bryan is joined by journalist J.R. Moehringer to discuss his career working at The New York Times and Los Angeles Times before then discussing his memoir ‘The Tender Bar.’ They touch on details of the memoir including Moehringer’s reason for writing the book, the significance of the bar Publicans, and how it was received by the individuals featured. Host: Bryan Curtis Guest: J.R. Moehringer Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 22, 2021 · 41 min
The Athletic and The New York Times. Plus: The Year in Media.
Bryan and David touch on the news that The New York Times might be buying The Athletic. They discuss the potential deal and what place The Athletic could have at the Times (1:19). Then they hand out 2021 Year in Media awards for Image of the Year, Sports Media Story of the Year, Disgraceful Exit of the Year, and more (15:21)! Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 17, 2021 · 52 min
How to Create a Longform Podcast With Joel Anderson
Bryan is joined by Slate’s Joel Anderson to discuss his career, from starting at TCU to working at BuzzFeed News to covering college football at ESPN and eventually finding himself at Slate working on his podcast, ‘Slow Burn.’ They touch on the differences between print and podcasts, talk through reporting longform stories, and dive into the details of the newest season of his show, ‘Slow Burn: The L.A. Riots.’ Host: Bryan Curtis Guest: Joel Anderson Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 13, 2021 · 45 min
Pat McAfee, Chris Wallace, a Texas Sportswriting Legend, and More
Bryan and David start by talking about Pat McAfee’s new $120 million deal with FanDuel (3:26). Then they discuss Chris Wallace leaving Fox News for CNN (21:10). Then they wrap up by talking about Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine, '80s and '90s commercial fiction power rankings, plus David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Production Assistant: Isaiah Blakely Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 6, 2021 · 53 min
Farewell, Chris Cuomo. Plus: Can Recipes Be Plagiarized?
Bryan and David react to the news that Chris Cuomo was fired by CNN and then discuss actions leading up to the decision and what this means for the organization (3:30). Later, they weigh in on the conversation presented by Priya Krishna’s New York Times article, “Who Owns a Recipe? A Plagiarism Claim Has Cookbook Authors Asking," and talk about the concept of recipe plagiarism (25:27). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 3, 2021 · 44 min
How to Cover COVID With Dan Diamond
Bryan is joined by The Washington Post’s Dan Diamond to discuss covering COVID-19. Diamond shares his experience becoming a journalist, reflects on the COVID-19 coverage since the beginning of the pandemic, and touches on the new COVID-19 variant, omicron, and the difference in coverage under Trump vs. Biden. Host: Bryan Curtis Guest: Dan Diamond Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 29, 2021 · 41 min
Jack Dorsey’s Twitter Exit, the Omicron Variant, and More
Bryan and David break down news that Twitter CEO and cofounder Jack Dorsey has resigned. They discuss how Dorsey handled past incidents of misinformation circulating on Twitter, where Twitter ranks next to competitor Facebook, and how this news could affect the media landscape (4:48). Then, they weigh in on the rapidly evolving news about the new coronavirus variant, omicron, and talk through how it’s being reported (21:26). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 25, 2021 · 49 min
How to Write a Children's Book With Jeff Kinney, Author of ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’
Bryan is joined by author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney to discuss his career and book series 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid.’ They touch on how Kinney got a book deal at Comic-Con, how he utilizes systematic inventive thinking to help his writing process, how he balances both jokes and big ideas throughout his books, and what it’s like going on book tours for children. Host: Bryan Curtis Guest: Jeff Kinney Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Production Assistant: Jonathan Kermah Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 22, 2021 · 47 min
The Tom Brady Doc, Fox Resignations, and Who’s “on Steroids”
Bryan and David discuss the new Tom Brady documentary ‘Man in the Arena,’ and break down the athlete-produced doc, the new sports memoir, and Scottie Pippen’s response to ‘The Last Dance’ in his new book (4:42). Then, they touch on commentator and writers Jonah Goldberg and Stephen Hayes quitting Fox News due to Tucker Carlson’s upcoming documentary about January 6 (22:15) before wrapping things up with another media piss test (35:34). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained Pun Headline. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 18, 2021 · 36 min
Jeffrey Wright on ‘The French Dispatch,’ Tweeting the News, and Playing Colin Powell
Bryan is joined by actor Jeffrey Wright to discuss his role as journalist Roebuck Wright in ‘The French Dispatch.’ They touch on the details within a Wes Anderson script, finding inspiration in the late James Baldwin, the use of Twitter, and more! Host: Bryan Curtis Guest: Jeffrey Wright Associate Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 16, 2021 · 41 min
Have We Lost the Meaning of “On Background”?
Bryan and David respond to The Verge’s announcement that they're changing their “on background” policy (1:00) before assessing whether or not People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” has any remaining cultural relevance (23:00). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices