Journalism is having a hell of a week. At least, the Washington Post is. Nancy and Sarah launch with the curious case of tech reporter Taylor Lorenz and her much-corrected story on social media influencers in the Depp-Heard trial. Discussed: Stealth editing, Twitter blocking, when journalists become the story. Then we turn to the saga of Dave Weigel, whose dumb joke (a retweet!) got him suspended for a month. Without pay. To unpack this drama, Nancy introduces us to the complicated character of Felicia Sonmez, a WaPo national reporter who led the drumbeat against Weigel’s re-tweet and has previously sued her own publication.
The story whisks us back to 2017, when Sonmez had a drunken encounter with journalist Jonathan Kaiman, a mess Nancy unfolds in her essay “The Shiv in the Hand of Kindness.” Discussed: Kobe Bryant, regret sex vs. sexual assault, and appropriating the pain of others to heal a hurt that can’t be touched.
“How have we made things better for women?” Nancy asks, and Sarah has some ideas, but it’s a good question. We end by discussing the shadow side of “happy hedonism,” why everyone’s so angry, and why sex can be something sacred.
Episode Notes:
Taylor Lorenz on Twitter
“Taylor Lorenz slams MSNBC over harassment segment: ‘You f—ed up royally’” by Thomas Barrabi (NY Post)
“Who won the Depp-Heard trial? Content creators that went all-in” by Taylor Lorenz (WaPo)
“Delayed Moves, Poolside Videos and Postmates Spon: The State of TikTok Collab House” by Taylor Lorenz (NYT)
Legal Bytes on YouTube and Instagram
ThatUmbrellaGuy on Twitter and YouTube
“What Are the Rules About ‘Off the Record?’” by Celeste Mitchell (MediaBistro)
“‘All Rippers and No Skippers’: How Taylor Lorenz Became Part of the Story” by Annie Goldsmith, story that Sarah couldn’t read because paywall (The Information)
About Being Blocked (Twitter instructions)
“The Washington Post suspends reporter David Weigel over sexist retweet” by Oliver Darcy (CNN)
Dave Weigel on Wikipedia and Twitter
Cam Harless on YouTube and Twitter
“Court dismisses Washington Post reporter’s lawsuit against the paper and its former top editor” by Oliver Darcy (CNN)
“The Shiv in the Hand of Kindness” by Nancy Rommelmann (Arc Digital)
“Get Out of My Bedroom, Andrew Cuomo!” by Nancy Rommelmann (Tablet)
“I’m Radioactive” (about Jonathan Kaiman) by Emily Yoffe (Reason)
The Problem with Everything: My Journey Through the New Culture Wars by Meghan Daum
“Ask a Former Drunk: It’s Time to Talk About Alcohol and Sex” by Sarah Hepola (Jezebel)
The Ezra Klein Show (NYT)
Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone, by Eric Klinenberg
Carl Sagan’s opening sequence of Cosmos
Outro: Lana Del Rey, “Love Song”
17. We Regret This Episode