The Kicker

Dave and Pete discuss why it matters that White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer allows friendly outlets to ask questions at press briefings. CJR correspondent Corey Hutchins calls in to discuss fake news at the local level. And freelance journalist Jenni Monet, who was arrested while reporting at Standing Rock, joins to discuss coverage of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. Thanks for kicking it with us as we worked through technical difficulties this week. Like Sean Spicer, we're learning on the job.

Why are so many news organizations expanding into Australia? What is the state of health journalism as Obamacare hangs in the balance? Why were so many journalists talking about CNN anchor Jake Tapper's interview with Kellyanne Conway? We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where David Uberti is joined by CJR Editor and Publisher Kyle Pope, health correspondent Trudy Lieberman, and Delacorte Fellows Pete Vernon and Shelley Hepworth.

How has Breitbart used memes to build a huge audience on Facebook? Should journalists' notion of objectivity change in the face of immoral or un-American acts? What aspects of press freedom may change under the Trump Administration?We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where CJR's David Uberti is joined by Nausicaa Renner and Pete Vernon. Special guest Jonathan Peters, a media law professor and correspondent for CJR's United States Project, gives us the scoop on press freedom under Trump.

Is the Trump Administration trying to bait aggressive reporters when it offers up "alternative facts"? What does a recent New York Times report tell us about the way its business model and editorial strategy are changing? How should journalists respond to charges of a liberal media conspiracy?We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where CJR's David Uberti is joined by Nausicaa Renner, Pete Vernon, and Christie Chisholm.

Did BuzzFeed make the right call by publishing unverified memos detailing Russian efforts to compromise Donald Trump? How is The Undefeated, a new publication by ESPN, tackling this moment in race and politics? What did Trump's first press conference as president-elect tell us about how he'll treat the media going forward? We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where CJR's David Uberti is joined by Pete Vernon, Carlett Spike, and Vanessa Gezari.

What does Fox News' primetime lineup say about its direction under the Trump Administration? Why should we care about the fate of the publishing platform Medium? What's the deal with all these misreported stories about Russia? We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where CJR's David Uberti, Nausicaa Renner, and Pete Vernon discuss the week in journalism.

What media trends from 2016 were the most alarming? The most encouraging? We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where CJR's David Uberti, Nausicaa Renner, and Pete Vernon break down the good, the bad, and the ugly from a tumultuous year in journalism.

How does the atrophy of local media affect the way we understand sports? Are professional athletes getting more political, or are we just noticing it more? How is ESPN changing its business model? We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where CJR's David Uberti and Pete Vernon are joined by Richard Deitsch, a media writer for Sports Illustrated.

Should a bad tweet be a fireable offense for reporters? What can the history of fake news tell us about the challenge facing journalism today? Who are the biggest media names to switch jobs in the post-election shuffle? We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where David Uberti is joined by Nausicaa Renner and Pete Vernon.

Should mainstream journalists be engaging more with the right-wing press? Was print media too quick to jump on the digital bandwagon? Why do foreign news outlets seem to be getting all the scoops about the Trump transition? We discuss all that and more on The Kicker, which is guest-hosted this week by CJR Managing Editor Vanessa Gezari. Vanessa is joined by CJR Tow Editor Nausicaa Renner and CJR Delacorte Fellow Shelley Hepworth, along with special guest Michael Rosenwald, a reporter for The Washington Post.