Who Do You Trust in a Post-Journalism World?

Your answers, tabulated

Seven months and several lifetimes ago, just after the U.S. presidential election, I asked listeners of The Fifth Column to share names of who/what in the journalism/media space they trust or find useful, in the hopes of building a better media ecosystem from the ground up. That prompt generated 320 comments, some with dozens of suggestions, so it has taken a bit longer than projected to repackage the recs in digestible form.

Herewith is a necessarily imprecise (because of various hedges/shades, and tabulation issues of writers-within-podcasts-within-magazines, etc.) tally of which institutions, individuals, and tools were named by the most listeners as being a net additive to trustworthiness in our increasingly distrustful times. (Neither the podcast you are consuming nor its individual co-hosts were counted.) Presented in approximate order of citations (with a cutoff line at two or more, lest I still be crunching these numbers by J.D. Vance’s third term), arranged by category, and with representative testimonials for those receiving at least three nods.

TL;DR? Turns out you people really value The Free Press, Reason, and The Dispatch, as well as Matt Taibbi and (God help you) Jesse Singal, plus Ground News and AllSides. Among mustier media titles, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Economist get some respect. OR AT LEAST THAT’S WHAT YOU SAID IN NOVEMBER. I will be curious to read whether any opinions have shifted in the ensuing semi-annum of tariffs, immigration raids, and war.

The easiest form of media criticism is pointing at the legacy lame-o’s and laughing. NTTAWWT! (Our first-ever recurring feature was called “Some Idiot Wrote This,” after all.) But the journalism industry as a whole has collapsed to an extent most people don’t fully grok, even while the demand for bullshit shows no sign of abating, so the context in which we consume political information is just radically different. The Fifth Column has always tried to further the cause of media literacy (beginning with the man in the mirror!); now y’all have advanced the ball. Thank you!

Some of the testimonials here were lightly style-edited, notes were appended to some of the more complex counts, and these numbers are necessarily a rough reckon at best. Also, I guar-an-TEE you will see recommendations here you’ve never heard of before. LFG!

INSTITUTIONS

1) The Free Press 55

“The last best hope for the future of journalism, but still I view that as closer to commentary/analysis/opinion than straight journalism at least much of the time.” -- Dan A

NOTES: There were a solid handful of caveats to these votes, a la “I like them except for _____.” Also, I added to the total score a couple recs that only named Bari Weiss or Honestly. Bari herself received a total of 8 nods (“Bari is my spirit animal,” sez Scott Goldman), Honestly got 7, and I will treat the rest of TFP’s ranking contributors in the Individuals section below.

2) Reason 36

“I'm not brown noising, Reason is my top answer. Reason does a good job of steel-manning the other side, while other ideological new sources strawman most things. Granted, Jacobin has to strawman because socialism/communism sucks.” -- Blooshier

NOTES: I included in the tally 6 recommendations that mentioned only The Reason Roundtable; there was 1 additional vote for that podcast.

3) The Dispatch 33

“Perfectly transparent-about-their-biases, center-right reporting on national politics….They’re so smart and thoughtful. Their up-frontness about their perspective makes it a lot easier to trust them. But they’re NEVER hackish. Just love them. I want to be best friends with Sarah Isgur.” -- Rosemary

NOTES: Added to the main tally a total of 4 that didn’t mention the flagship product but did include a signature newsletter or podcast. Speaking of which, 5 total people flagged the Morning Dispatch (JSB: “A great overview of the day's major stories”); 4 apiece name-checked The Remnant and Advisory Opinions (Henry in the UK: “I listen to Advisory Opinions from The Dispatch even though I am not especially interested in law and I live in another country thousands of miles from the US. Why? Because it's a genuine treat to hear smart people disassemble the logic of an argument in a clear and thoughtful way. In an era of 'hot takes' and bad faith yelling, there's something almost meditative about that. Also, I suspect David French would rather lose a limb than express a dishonest opinion, and that's an attractive quality.”) And four apiece plumbed for The Dispatch’s Jonah Goldberg and Kevin D. Williamson (Hugo Walker: “I have laughed more often at KDW's newsletters than anything else these last few years”).

4) The Wall Street Journal 21

“Expensive but solid, and I can’t seem to live without it. (I’ve tried.)” -- Rachel Bartony

5) The New York Times 14

“The NYT’s investigative and war reporting is great when not bound up in partisan anything (does anyone have a bigger budget for that kind of reporting than they do?).” -- Rosemary

6) The Economist 13

“I've never been a constantly-refreshing-for-the-latest-news type, so their cadence suits me well; their politics roughly aligns with where I've ended up over the years, and I like trying to have a little bit more global awareness.” -- David Wood

7) Tablet 11

“Doing an especially good job following the money trail on who secretly funds some of the most destabilizing movements in the country. Plus, David Samuels’s interviews there (with RFK Jr, Obama biographer David Garrow) changed my mind.” -- Current Resident

NOTES: Tally was boosted by +3 for Walter Russell Mead’s What Really Matters podcast, and also included 2 shout-outs to Jacob Siegel.

8) The Daily Wire 10

“Over the past few years, my primary news source has been the Morning Wire podcast by The Daily Wire. It's not perfect, and it obviously has a right-leaning bias, but they are transparent and upfront about [it]. And while the bias certainly affects which topics they choose to cover and the journalistic angle they take, in terms of the factual content, I've found it pretty accurate … a much higher quality and more credible news source than they get credit for, far superior and more objective than NPR, The New York Times, and most other media sources.” -- Dan A

NOTES: The tally here combines those who mentioned The Daily Wire (4), those who just mentioned Ben Shapiro (4), and those who only mentioned the Morning Wire. Since there was some nose-holding among the latter two groups, you can treat rankings #8-9-10-11 as basically equal.

9T) The Atlantic, Pirate Wires 9

“The Atlantic has been consistently excellent for a long time. Particular fan of Helen Lewis.” -- Julie Faulstich

“[Pirate Wires is the] best new discovery this year. Mike Solana is my spirit animal. Podcast is great.” -- Andrew

11T) Commentary/podcast, Tangle, UnHerd 8

“I never miss Commentary. Love their podcast and subscribe to their magazine. And FWIW I am not Jewish.” -- Terrill B

“[Tangle] aggregates the best arguments from media on the left and the right, so you know where the people who think they’re smart are coming from; and then provides a non-hysterical, non-partisan analysis. It’s…boring in that there are no hot takes, but it is SO REFRESHING in how it prevents me from living in a scary bubble.” -- Karen Peterson, CMP

14) 2Way/Mark Halperin 7
“Really excellent source of news and analysis about political events and has (for now anyway) displaced almost all other video sources of political commentary for me.” -- DWAnderson

15T) Financial Times, The Times of Israel, New York Post 5

“[The FT is] my go-to for many topics. The fact the publication remains quite profitable and steers clear of frequent controversy says a lot. The quality of its staff appears to be outstanding.” -- Patrick M

“I do love me some New York Post. Sure, it's a rag and for me way too right. The comments section is a wretched hive of scum and villainy. Yet, it's become my go-to for breaking news. A true guilty pleasure. It's always open in my browser and refreshed at least a dozen times a day. I can even appreciate the frequent and glaring typos -- screw perfect spelling if it means timely coverage. Plus, those headlines!” -- Patrick M

18T) Substack, Semafor, Quillette, National Review 4

“I have constructed a virtual newspaper here on Substack which includes news, sports, weather, financial information, opinion, fashion, pop culture and other topics great and small. I change the Substacks based on what they’re saying, my belief that they are honestly representing their points of view, recommendations of others, etc. This approach seems to keep me informed of all points of view, including many I disagree with.” -- Frank Canzolino

“One of you recommended Semafor, and I’m loving it! I like that they divide their emails into a wide range of areas. Then they [do] quick overviews with links if I want to dig deeper. Their ‘nice news’ feature has been fun and a good palate cleanser during all the recent turmoil, but they are serious journalists.” -- Maryallene Arsanto

22) Bloomberg 3

“I'm aware, for e.g., that Bloomberg hates Trump. But they're highly unlikely to misreport a major news event.” -- BB

23T) The Hill, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, CNN, Fox News, Spiked 2

INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE, PODCASTS, & SMALL PUBLICATIONS

1) Jesse Singal 16

“I have a ton of respect for Jesse Singal when he puts his journalist hat on. He's honest, he researches, he's willing to self-correct. Extemporaneous Jesse is a classic libtard, though. He's bad on partisan politics. Ignore his Twitter habit, view Blocked & Reported as entertainment, but view his Singal Minded Substack and his other writing as more serious and trustworthy.” -- Colin B

2) Matt Taibbi/Racket News/America This Week 15

“Nominee for journalistic sainthood…. I started following him after reading one of his books. I love his old-fashioned journalistic ethics and his refusal to act like a Republican or Democrat.” -- Michael B.

3) Blocked & Reported 14

“Internet bullshit and science.” -- Larry Fine

4) The Megyn Kelly Show 9

“I’m…a big Megyn Kelly fan and especially appreciate her deep dives into legal matters.” -- Alison McCabe

5) Yascha Mounk/Persuasion 8

“Most things intellectualism and culture, though some writers more than others.” -- Larry Fine

6) John McWhorter 7

“I trust John McWhorter. I think he uses mostly very sound reasoning for the positions for which he advocates.” -- Kev

7T) Andrew Sullivan/The Weekly Dish, Razib Khan, Matthew Yglesias 6

“Andrew Sullivan [for] most things but especially U.S. politics and LGBT issues.” -- Larry Fine

“Razib Khan's Substack [has] so much good stuff on paleogenetics.” -- AP

10T) Conor Friedersdorf/The Best of Journalism, Dan Senor/Call Me Back, Josh Barro, Ezra Klein, Sam Harris, Kat Rosenfield, Coleman Hughes 5

“I agree with basically everything that Conor Friedersdorf … [has] ever written.” -- Mark Monday

“For Israel analysis I really like Call Me Back with Dan Senor. He leans heavily on a few good reporters and analysts. There is an obvious bias, but they are fair minded.” -- Philip Pomerantz

“Haven’t seen enough folks talking about Josh Barro. He’s a precision-take machine and a true centrist. Always thinking clearly, even when he’s wrong.” -- Brian

“Ezra Klein (NYT: Liberal / Progressive). The undisputed king of confirmation bias, yet still indispensable.” -- boogie mann

“Sam Harris, Michael Shermer, Kmele Foster. All three have a passion for science and love for truth-seeking that comes through in the most authentic way. Truth is the goal -- that’s it -- and I never question them on that point because they never give me a reason to. Plus they all have fun doing it.” -- Darren Henderson

17T) Nellie Bowles/TGIF, The Studies Show, Ben Thompson/Stratechery, Andrew Heaton/Political Orphanage, Ink Stained Wretches, Freddie deBoer, Ethan Strauss, Helen Lewis, Thomas Chatterton Williams, Ross Douthat, Scott Alexander, Alan Jacobs, Andy Mills/Reflector 4

“The Freep’s TGIF is basically worth the price of admission for making me laugh every week.” -- Rosemary

“The Studies Show pod: Two British stats dudes who break down the evidence behind public interest topics.” -- Sally Jane

“I’ve said before and will say again Ben Thompson of Stratechery. Stratechery was the original paid digital subscription that Substack was based on. His work on tech news, including anti-trust, the evolution of newspaper industry & media consolidation is unparalleled, but he also covers media bias exceptionally well. He alongside with TFC during COVID were must-listens.” -- Guy B

“Andrew Heaton: Not exactly ‘news’ per se, but his analysis and commentary podcast I trust.” -- Larry Fine

“[Ink Stained Wretches] are the best! Chris Stirewalt makes me happy, no matter the topic.” -- Sally Jane

“Freddie DeBoer for his cultural commentary. His politics are absurd.” -- Stasi Call Center

30T) Glenn Loury, Tracing Woodgrains, Kathleen Stock/The Lesbian Project, Michael Shellenberger, Megan McArdle, Greg Lukianoff, Douglas Murray, Glenn Greenwald, Lee Fang, Zaid Jilani, Joe Rogan, Michael Shermer, The Hedgehog Review, Peter Suderman, David French, The Good Fight, Dan Carlin/Hardcore History 3

“Anyone who will honestly state the opposing case buys some trust in my book (Glenn Loury is exceptional at this).” -- Nolan Grieve

“Tracing Woodgrains: Very thoughtful fellow from Blocked and Reported. I don't always agree but I trust him 100%.” -- Larry Fine

“The Lesbian Podcast with Julie Bindel and Kathleen Stock is hilarious and reminds me of the best part of 90s lesbian culture.” -- Desiree

“I rank Michael Shellenberger at the top of my journalists Pantheon. I've been following him for a few years, after I read one of his excellent books. He has never lied to me, and I've been watching. He and his people dig up information that I always find illuminating, and he has an uncanny talent for explaining things. I wish we could clone him to make thousands of new journalism professors.” -- Michael B.

47T) Nancy Rommelmann, Gustavo Arellano, Eli Lake, Haviv Rettig Gur, Josh Szeps, Meghan Daum, Triggernometry, Marginal Revolution, Getting Hammered, War on the Rocks, Minding the Gap, Holly Korbey/The Bell Ringer, Emily Oster, Gary Taubes, Nina Teicholz, Rhonda Patrick, Dan Williams/Conspicuous Cognition, Scott Aaronson, Erick Erickson, The Liberal Patriot, Helen Joyce, Victor Davis Hanson, Charles C.W. Cooke, Scott Lincicome, Aaron Sibarium, Ryan Grim, Leighton Woodhouse, Chris Williamson, Cathy Young, Damon Root, Breaking Points, Live From the Table, Gurwinder, Journal of Free Black Thought, The Line 2

TOOLS

1) Ground News 8

“Excellent news aggregator…. It balances left and right, lets you know the ideological lean and factual quality of each outlet, and presents ‘blind spot’ stories that are being overlooked by left and right.” -- Rosemary

2) AllSides 6

“They offer news in three flavors: Left, Center, Right, and sometimes in between. I can then navigate to the one I trust more, usually the center. They have some good stuff for us teachers who are not Marxists (which is most of us, the Fifth might be surprised to learn).” -- Jmac Teaching REAL HISTORY!