Episode 195: Throwbacks with Michael Weinreb

Author, journalist and screenwriter Michael Weinreb joins Brian to talk about newsletters, carving out a writing career in the digital world, the intersection of sports, politics and culture and the value of works in progress. 

We start out by talking about Michael’s time writing for Grantland and how that site was almost our generation’s version of The National Sports Daily. Michael talks about what it was like to write for Grantland and be a part of a site that let writers indulge in the topics they wanted to write about, 

This evolves into a broader and frank discussion about a writer’s life and how Michael carves out writing and a career space in this current media environment. 

The main topic is Throwbacks, Michael’s excellent newsletter on Substack. He describes how it began during the COVID pandemic, how and why he started writing though a historical lens, and how forcing himself to write every week has helped him in his other writing projects.

Links

Throwbacks: A Newsletter About Sports History and Culture

Move Fast and Break Things (2012)

Michae’s books on Amazon

Grantland

The Greatest Paper that Ever Died

The Bronx is Burning

One Party Town podcast

The Genius: How Bill Walsh Reinvented Football and Created an NFL Dynasty by David Harris (the best thing Michael’s read lately)

Philip Bump columns at The Washington Post (the best thing Michael’s read lately)

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Episode 194: Magic in the Air with Mike Sielski

“I didn’t want this to be 300 pages of highlights. I wanted this book to surprise people in its depth and in the way it’s written and in the topics we cover.”

Mike Sielski returns to the show for a deep dive into the writing and reporting of his new book, “Magic in the Air.”

We start with the book’s subtitle: “The Myth, the Mystery and the Soul of the Slam Dunk.” Mike, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer and friend of the show, talks about he was inspired by Tyler Kepner’s book “K” and how he wanted to do a book where each chapter was its own entity

Mike describes how his reporting had him dodging rattlesnakes in Amarillo Texas teetering on the rabbit hole of finding the first person to dunk. He talks about why he wrote some of the book in first person, what it’s like to stretch that writing muscle, and how he used it to dunk on the NCAA. 

We also talk about his favorite dunk of all time and the surprising role N.C. State plays in the history of the dunk. And no, Olean is not the birthplace of the dunk.

“What I wanted to do is take the dunk and use it as a vehicle to understand how basketball has changed and how American culture and society have changed over time.”

Links

Pre-order Magic in the Air: 

Amazon

Bookshop.org

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (The best thing Mike’s read lately)

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Episode 193: Who Are These Women? with Jennifer Ashley Tepper

“What’s the book that I would write if I had time?”

Jennifer Ashley Tepper joins us for a deep dive into her upcoming book, “Women Writing Musicals: The Legacy That the History Books Left Out.”

Jennifer, a Broadway historian, producer and 2022 Tony Honoree (!!!), talks about how she came to the idea of writing about 300-plus women writers, dating back to the 1700s, who have written musical theater. She talks about how she started to write the book during deep isolation in Covid - but really started writing it even earlier than that. 

How do you do historical research during a worldwide shutdown, and how do you research people who have been left out of the history books? Jennifer talks about how online library resources and newspaper archives were so useful, and how restrictions can be helpful to a creative person. 

Jennifer and Brian talk about what stories get left out of the history books, how work that addresses the experiences or perspectives of women (or other marginalized communities)  during a past era might be seen as dated, and how cast recordings are a kind of unintentional gatekeeping. If something’s out of print, it’s like it didn’t exist.  

Rabbit holes include Toni Tennille’s long-forgotten environmental musical, which was produced by Roger Ailes, and watching TikToks on Instagram like a grown up.  

“To get to finally share these stories with people is thrilling to me, because so many of them are untold Broadway stories that deserve to be told.”

Links

Pre-order Women Writing Musicals: The Legacy That the History Books Left Out: 

All of Jennifer Ashley Tepper’s books 

Yellow Face (the best show Jennifer’s seen lately).

Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward (the best thing Jen’s read lately).

The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century from The New York Times.

(All links are Amazon affiliate links)

Support

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Episode 192: Let's Find Out Together with Stuart Turton

“I’ve got this crazy idea, it would be Agatha Christie meets Lost. They were like ‘how are you gonna pull that off?’ and I was like ‘I have absolutely no idea.”

Stuart Turton joins Brian to talk about the writing of his New York Times bestseller, “The Last Murder at the End of the World.” 

Stuart talks about how this was the hardest book he’s ever written, why it was so hard, and how he had to throw a full 130,000-word draft away and start over. He talks about how he knew things weren’t working and the changes he made that changed everything. Turns out, he killed the wrong person. 

Stuart and Brian talk about the unintentional symbolism of the fog, the beauty of the mourning lanterns, why Stuart hates red herrings, and how the constraints of writing a mystery novel are like a game of chess to him.

“That’s the thing that you started with, that was your premise, that was your holy grail, and that's the reason you started writing this book. But it's not working. So have courage and toss it.” 

Links

The Last Murder at the End of the World

All of Stuart Turton’s books

A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Eagen (the best thing Stuart’s read lately.)

Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley (the other best thing Stuart’s read lately.)

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson (the best thing Brian’s read lately.)

(all links are Amazon affiliate links)

Support

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Episode 191: We Wrote a Book with Matt Zimmerman and Lauren Burch

“After 190 episodes talking about other’s people writing, I finally get to talk about something I wrote!”

Brian is joined by Matthew Zimmeran and Lauren Burch, and the three of them talk about their new textbook, Introduction to Sports Journalism. 

We talk about how Matt started the project and how/why he asked us to be a part of it. We talk about our different writing styles and methods, how Brian’s writing habits give Lauren anxiety, and how our three voices turned into one cohesive book. We also talk about the challenges of balancing theory with the need for practicality, and how we to tried to balance writing something as permanent as a book about such a fast-changing industry.

Anyway, I’m super proud of the book and so proud that I got to do it with friends of mine. 

Links

Introduction to Sports Journalism (our book!) 

Buy it at Human Kinetics

Buy it on Amazon

Want: Sexual Fantasies by Gillian Anderson (the best thing Lauren’s read lately.

The Storyteller by Dave Grohl (the other best thing Lauren’s read lately)
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel comes home to Oklahoma by Jake Trotter and Chris Low (the best thing Matt’s read recently.)

Moneyball by Michael Lewis (the other best thing Matt’s read recently.)

Everyone On This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson  (the best thing Brian’s read lately)

Support

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Episode 190: Solving That Puzzle with Joe Posnanski

“I feel like my place as a writer is sort of that place between what happened and the mythology of what’s happening.” 

Joe Posnanski joins Brian for a deep dive into his new book, Why We Love Football: A History in 100 Moments. 
Joe talks about how he started with a list of more than 300 football moments and the process of whittling those down. It’s an honest and super nerdy discussion about how early drafts of the book weren’t working, what Joe did to work through those struggles, and how writing about The Drive unlocked the book for him

Joe also talks about how we was able to write a collection of essays while maintaining a central theme, how the Don Beebe-Leon Lett play is the perfect example of why we love football, and what kind of athlete “Brian Moritz” would be. 

“For me as a writer, the moment where the book came alive for me was when I started to think of it as a football game … every play is its own little universe in football.”

Links

Why We Love Football: A History in 100 Moments

Joe Blogs

The Poscast

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale Of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard (the best thing Joe’s read lately.)

Support

The Other 51 is and will always be free, but if you like my work (and the stuff I do at Sports Media Guy) and want to kick me a few dollars, you can do so here. I really appreciate your support. 

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Episode 189: Take it Deeper with Tyler dunne

“I think those fans deserve the truth. They don't need to be pandered to, they don't need to be misled.”

Tyler Dunne, the man behind Go Long and the best NFL feature writer working today, joins Brian to talk about Sean McDermott, Zay Jones and so much more. 

Ty talks about the aftermath of his Sean McDermott series, how the coach and the team responded to that explosive series and reached out to him and how he’s now credentialed by the Bills. Tyler talks about the conversation he had with McDermott at the NFL Combine and what it felt like to walk into that meeting. 

We then do a deep dive into his feature on Zay Jones that won him a first place award in the APSE National Writing Contest. Tyler talks about his tools for gently steering a conversation in an interview, how to handle the elephant in the room, and the value of doing extra reporting beyond the main interview. He also discusses how he protects his own mental health when writing and reporting heavy features, and how these stories make him want to be a better person.

“It's a people business, it's a human business, and you just want to have conversations and you just want to treat people like human beings.”

Links

Go Long

The McDermott Problem

I’m Still Alive: The Zay Jones story

Buffalo Bills Memory Lane with Chuck Pollock

The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek (The best thing Tyler’s read lately.)

County Highway (The other best thing Tyler’s read lately.)

Support

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Episode 188: A Book on Ya Ya with Jenn Billinson

“I think the role of the critic is to bring that nuanced understanding and historical context to explain the music.”

Dr. Jenn Billinson from Nazareth University joins Brian for a deep, deep dive into Cowboy Carter, The Tortured Poets Department, and the role of music writing in today’s media world.

Jenn talks about her recent research into gatekeeping in country music and specifically the reaction to Beyonce’s new album. What is it about country music that brings out such strong gatekeeping tendencies? Jenn talks about her role as a white woman writing about her reaction to Beyonce’s music.

Jenn and Brian discuss the role of a journalist or an academic in writing about music in 2024, especially in a world where fans are doing incredible analyses and album breakdowns on TikTok.

Rabbit holes include their favorite song on each album, the new Pearl Jam record, and staying up past midnight in your 40s.

Links

About Jenn Billinson 

Jenn Billinson on Threads

Daddy Lessons (Beyonce and The Chicks, 2016 performance.)

A Complete Review of Beyonce’s New Album on The Right Time

Raw Dog: The naked truth about hot dogs (The Best Thing Jenn’s read lately.)

He turned his garage into a nightclub. Now the city wants to shut it down and kick him out (the best thing Brian’s read lately.)

Support

The Other 51 is and will always be free, but if you like my work (and the stuff I do at Sports Media Guy and want to kick me a few dollars, you can do so here. I really appreciate your support. 

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Episode 187: Caution is Kindness with Jen Moritz

“When in doubt, choose not to harm somebody.”

Jen Moritz, senior editor and inclusive language specialist (and Brian’s wife) joins us to talk about inclusive language. 

What is inclusive language?

So glad you asked! 

Jen defines the term for us, and also describes how she got interested and involved in this area of editing. She tells us how the pandemic influenced her interest in inclusive language, how editing for inclusive language is an extension of her “Grammar Tingle” and what she does when that is activated by word or phrase, and how inclusive editing can help connect us back to our humanity in an increasingly digital world. 

We also go down a rabbit hole about the phrase “rule of thumb” and what to do when people think you’re wrong but you’re actually right. 

Other rabbit holes include dragon smut, fairy smut, banned books and Maintenance Phase.

Also, as far as we can tell, “flying by the seat of your pants” is not problematic. As a phrase, at least.  

“You will always be learning. You will never have perfect language and perfect representation. You’re just doing your best.”

Links

Jen Moritz on LinkedIn 

Maintenance Phase

The Conscious Language Newsletter 

Rabbit with a Red Pen

Abraham Piper

Flamer (the best thing Jen’s read lately.)

Other Words For Home (the best thing Jen’s read lately.)

Rebecca Yarros Empyrean Series (the best thing Jen has read lately.)

Sarah J. Mass books (the best thing Brian has read lately.)

Support

The Other 51 is and will always be free, but if you like my work (and the stuff I do at Sports Media Guy and want to kick me a few dollars, you can do so here. I really appreciate your support. 

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BONUS EPISODE: AP Style and obesity

Next week, our regularly scheduled episode with Jen Moritz will be out. We’ll be talking all about inclusive language. 

However.  

Early in April, the Associated Press announced updates to its style book. Including new guidance on writing about “obese, obesity and overweight.”

We, um, we have some thoughts. 

And so, a bonus episode. 

Enjoy! And be sure to listen to our non-bonus episode with Jen next week. 

This was largely inspired by the work of Maintenance Phase. 

Support

The Other 51 is and will always be free, but if you like my work (and the stuff I do at Sports Media Guy and want to kick me a few dollars, you can do so here. I really appreciate your support. 

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Episode 186: Working Stuff Out with Jared Paventi

“We all experience loss differently, but there’s common ground for all of us to find in that.”

Jared Paventi joins Brian this week to talk all about his excellent Substack, Dirt Nap. 

Jared discusses how he came to write a weekly blog/newsletter/Substack/whatever we’re calling it about death and grieving, how watching his oldest daughter grieve the loss of her grandpa inspired him, and how he uses writing to work through what he’s thinking and feeling.

Jared talks about how he’s looking to create a space for conversations about grief through his excellent Griever’s Digest series, how grieving can be about more than just the death of someone, and how the writing of A.J. Daulerio and The Small Bow inspired Dirt Nap, especially the tone. 

We also talk about what happened to his food blog, Blog AlDente, and what you do when a project starts to feel more like work than fun. 

Rabbit holes include HJ Magazine, how a deadline without a consequence is meaningless, and Brian’s move out of the basement. 

“This is some shit that’s going on in my head and my world. Maybe it’s happening to you too.”

Links

Dirt Nap by Jared Paventi

The Griever’s Digest series at Dirt Nap

The Small Bow by A.J. Daulerio

The Other 51 Episode 13: Anti-Federalists with Jared Paventi

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy (The best thing Jared’s read lately.)

Jean Hanff Korelitz books (The best thing Jared’s read lately.)

The Last Boy by Jane Leavy (The best thing Brian’s read lately.)

Support

The Other 51 is and will always be free, but if you like my work (and the stuff I do at Sports Media Guy and want to kick me a few dollars, you can do so here. I really appreciate your support. 

Follow us on Instagram. We’re on the decaying corpse of Twitter, but only because for some reason sports media won’t abandon the site. 

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Episode 185: Slime Time with Alex Brightman

“Come in for the show, stay for the tears.”

Alex Brightman joins Brian to talk about Broadway and writing, including a deep dive into his play “The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers.”

A two-time Tony Nominee (for School of Rock and Beetlejuice), Alex tells Brian how a YouTube series, a production of Grease, and a shared affinity for Old Hollywood led to him writing a one-man show for Marc Summers based on the Double Dare host’s life. What exactly is a “part interactive game show, part memoir?”

Alex describes the process of writing the show, including the ah-ha moment that made him realize there was something special here.

Alex also tells the story of how he and Drew Gasparini met, became fast friends and writing partners, and how they work together. Alex also discusses how he fits writing into an already busy acting schedule and some of the projects he’s working on now.

Rabbit holes include our shared reverence for calendars, and how Simon’s mom reacted to his message (IYKYK).

Links

Alex on Instagram

The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers (through June 2, 2024)

Spamalot (through April 7)

A Little Bit, sung by Alex Brightman, written by Drew Gasparini

Boom Town by Sam Anderson (the best thing Alex has read lately)

A Strange Loop AND Ain’t No Mo (the best shows Alex has seen lately)

Alex’s coming appearances: 

LvlUp Expo in Las Vegas April 26th-28th

GalaxyCon in Oklahoma City May 24th-26th

Rhode Island Comic Con November 1st-3rd

Support

The Other 51 is and will always be free, but if you like my work (and the stuff I do at Sports Media Guy and want to kick me a few dollars, you can do so here. I really appreciate your support. 

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Episode 184: Very Sparkly Writers with Joe Iconis

“Oh, I wrote a musical about me. I really did. This is just me.”

Joe Iconis, one of the best writers on Broadway and one of Brian’s favorite people, joins us on The Other 51 to talk all about The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical. 

Yep, that’s the title of Joe’s most recent show, which debuted at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego in 2023. 

Joe tells the story of the name and why it’s so appropriate for a show about Hunter S. Thompson. Joe also discusses why the show is unauthorized, what that meant for him trying to write a show without being able to use a famous writers’ words, and why it was scary but ultimately rewarding. 

Joe and Brian also discuss the show’s multivolume coffee table book trip from an idea in 2007 to the stage 16 years later, what’s next for the show, and the difference for Joe between writing music and writing a script.  

Rabbit holes include the coming Broadway Thinkpieces and Huey Lewis and the News. We also get a Diane Kitten update. 

“Let there be things that are weird and strange. And good and true.”

Links

Joe Iconis on the internet

Joe Iconis on Instagram

And Joe on Twitter

The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical

Buy Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas from The Strand

Oh Mary (the best show Joe’s seen lately)

Days of Wine and Roses (the best show Joe’s seen lately)

The Untold Stories of Broadway Vol. 4 by Jennifer Ashley Tepper (the best thing Joe’s read lately)

Support

The Other 51 is and will always be free, but if you like my work (and the stuff I do at Sports Media Guy and want to kick me a few dollars, you can do so here. I really appreciate your support. 

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Episode 183: Show Up with Liz Robbins

“Do the work. Show Up. Show you care by listening.”

Liz Robbins joins Brian to talk about her remarkable career as a journalist, covering everything from the NBA to U.S. immigration policy. 

Liz tells stories about what it was like to cover sports in Cleveland in the late 1990s, including how she broke the news that the WNBA would be forming and traveled on a private jet with Tim Couch. This was the last golden age of traditional newspaper sports journalism, and Liz describes what that was like. 

Liz also details how broke a story for The Times that led to the U.S. government literally changing one of its immigration policies. Writing topics include how Liz knows she’s done reporting and ready to write, how to build a network of sources, and how to protect your mental health while covering tough stories. 

Rabbit holes include the only time in Liz’s career that she was star struck, Susan Sarandon in Rocky Horror Picture Show, Larry Brown yelling at her, and the St. Bonaventure-Kentucky NCAA Tournament game in 2000. 

Links

Liz Robbins official website

Liz on Twitter

Liz at The New York Times

Post Office Fails to Deliver on Time, and DACA Applications Get Rejected

A Record Breaking 2023 in Sports

St. Bonaventure-Kentucky 2000 NCAA First Round

All the Sinners Bleed by Y.A. Cosby (the best thing Liz has read lately)

Roman Stories (the other best thing Liz has read lately) 

Criminal Record on Apple TV+ (the best thing Liz has watched lately)

Support

The Other 51 is and will always be free, but if you like my work (and the stuff I do at Sports Media Guy and want to kick me a few dollars, you can do so here. I really appreciate your support. 

Follow us on Instagram. We’re on Facebook the decaying corpse of Twitter, but only because for some reason sports media won’t abandon the site. 

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Episode 182: Feel Like a Writer with Dave Karpf

“I ended up throughout the midst of the pandemic feeling like I couldn’t write anything anymore.”

Dave Karpf, author of the must-read “The Future, Now and Then” on Substack, joins Brian to talk about writing, the internet, and more. 

Dave and Brian discuss this week’s news about Bluesky opening itself to the public, and why the years where there wasn't a lot of money in it was when the internet was the best.

Dave, a political science professor at George Washington University, talks about how he built a weekly writing practice on Substack, and how it helped him unstick as a writer. He talks about his writing about the intersection of technology and society, what we can learn about the present and the future by the stories tech evangelists told us in the past, and the most bonkers thing he’s read in the Wired Magazine archives.

“This is what happens when you give a guy like me tenure” 

Links

The Future, Now and Then by Dave Karpf

Dave on Bluesky

Brian on Bluesky

Brian on Threads

Lost Tempo by Matt (Best thing Dave’s read lately)

Dumb Money by Gary Wolf and Joey Anuff (Best thing Dave’s read lately)

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Best thing Brian’s read lately)

Support

The Other 51 is and will always be free, but if you like my work (and the stuff I do at Sports Media Guy and want to kick me a few dollars, you can do so here. I really appreciate your support. 

Follow us on Instagram. We’re on the decaying corpse of Twitter, but only because for some reason sports media won’t abandon the site (looking at you, ESPN folks). 

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Episode 181: Working with Words with Wendell Barnhouse

Wendell Barnhouse joins Brian to talk about his long and storied career as a sports journalist. 

Wendell talks about what it was like to cover Duke-Kentucky in the 1992 NCAA men’s  Tournament (the Christian Laettner shot), how doing layout and editing stories for 13 years helped him be a better writer, and why he views himself as more of a craftsman than an artist. 

Rabbit holes include the old SportsJournalists.com message boards, and the eternal question of how do you castrate an orange?

Wendell Barnhouse on LinkedIn

The Sunday Long Read

Dead Reckoning by Robert Kolker

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Episode 180: Get It On the Page with Joe Posnanski

Joe Posnanski joins Brian this week to talk all about his new book, “Why We Love Baseball.” 

In the introduction to this book, Joe writes that "This is the book I always hoped would be on the shelf” of his library when he was a kid. In this episode, he tells Brian why this would have been the perfect book for him when he was 10 years old. 

Joe discusses how he had the title of the book before anything else, how he developed the book’s structure, and how he came up with the structures for all 108(ish) essays in the book.

Joe also talks about what he has learned about himself as a writer over the yearsl, and the importance of discipline in writing.

Rabbit holes include our current Taylor Swift eras, Ozzie Smith YouTube, and the dump ballparks of our youth. 

Why We Love Baseball by Joe Posnanski

All of Joe’s books

JoeBlog

The Poscast

Walking with Sam by Andrew McCarthy

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Episode 179: North Star with Sam Borden

Sam Borden of ESPN joins Brian this week to talk about reporting, interviewing, and life as a foreign correspondent. 

Sam has probably the best job title of anyone we’ve had as a guest on the podcast — Global Sports Correspondent for ESPN. Sam talks about how he got that job, how he built a successful career as a sports journalist despite not being a sports fan, and how he finds stories to write. 

Sam and Brian also talk about what life is really like as a foreign correspondent. It’s not all Hemingway and lunches on the Seine. Sam talks about finding fixers who can help you report in foreign languages, and how he tracked down Darko Milicic at an apple orchard in Serbia. 

Sam also talks about the biggest difference between interviewing for broadcast and interviewing for a print piece, how the concept of the North Star can help any journalist. 

Sam Borden on Twitter

Finding Darko

The Most Dangerous Game

Eternal Champions

Open by Andre Agassi

More Myself: A Journey by Alicia Keys

Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead

Percy Jackson and the Olympians boxed set

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Episode 178: Post-Threads World with Jenn Billinson

Dr. Jenn Billinson from Nazareth University joins us to talk about the state of social media, and what the heck is going on with Twitter and Twitter replacements. 

Short answer: It’s a mess

Jenn and Brian talk about their reactions to Threads, why that seemed to fizzle out, and what’s next for space. Twitter/BlueSky/Threads. Jenn tells us how social media has changed in the decade she’s been teaching it, what research tells us about why people use Twitter (and twitter-like platforms), and how she teachers social media in a world like this. 

In addition, we break down the potential fight between Elon and Zuckerberg. There is some Barbenheimer talk, of course. 

Also, in what might become a new regular feature on the show, Jenn gives us the best TikTok Rabbit Hole she has gone down lately. 

Jenn on Twitter

And on Threads

And on Bluesky because why not?

Arabian Perfume TikTok

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Episode 177: A Newsman's Newsman with Chuck Pollock

How did a guy who started his career in radio become one of the most influential newspaper sports journalists in the history of Western New York?

Chuck Pollock, Brian’s former boss and the longtime sports editor and columnist for The Times Herald in Olean, N.Y., joins Brian to talk about column writing, journalism, and his 50-year career. 

Chuck traces his career from the Vietnam War, through radio in Pennsylvania, and to the newsroom on Norton Drive in Olean where he worked from 1973 to 2023. He talks about working for Mike Abdo and Bob Davies and why they were so influential on him. He talks about what it was like covering Buffalo sports in the 1970s writing for a family-owned newspaper, the changes in the industry, why he left the OTH and what’s next for him. 

We talk about the single-best definition of news either one of us has ever heard, and why having a column every day is so vital for newspapers. And where did Chuck’s unique typing style come from?

A heartfelt goodbye to TH readers

The Best Newspaper Man I Ever Worked With

Chuck Pollock: Ending the Absence of Writing

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

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