Front Burner (CBC)
Episode: The stories that shaped our year
Date: December 24, 2025
Host: Jayme Poisson
Co-host (this episode): Matthew Amha
Producers/Guests Referenced: Mac (audio), Nick (executive producer), various contributors
Overview: Reflecting on a Tumultuous Year
This special end-of-year episode takes listeners behind the scenes at Front Burner, answering audience questions and unpacking the biggest news stories and podcast moments of 2025. The team offers candid reflections on covering a year marked by political upheaval, war, and cultural shocks on both the world stage and in Canada. The episode also explores the craft of podcasting, balancing Canadian and international content, and plans for the year ahead.
Key Themes & Insights
1. Year in Review: Biggest Stories Covered
- Global Upheaval: Wars in Ukraine and Gaza; instability in the Middle East (Iran, Syria, Lebanon).
- US Politics: The rapid, destabilizing actions of Trump’s administration, including threats to annex Canada and internal crackdowns (02:01–04:41).
“The threats by Trump to annex us.” – Jayme Poisson (02:01)
- Canadian Politics:
- Trade war with Washington.
- Dramatic Liberal Party comeback; election dynamics.
- Trudeau and Freeland’s political saga; the rise of Mark Carney (06:17–06:49).
- Pierre Poilievre’s near-win and subsequent leadership questions.
- Colorful provincial politics: Doug Ford’s publicity stunts; Danielle Smith’s pipeline ultimatums.
- Pop culture moment: Trudeau’s relationship with Katy Perry.
2. Canada’s Moment in the Spotlight
- International Attention:
“For a good stretch of 2025, it felt like every American, Brit, et cetera, we had on this show wanted to kind of hang around afterwards and talk about what was happening here.” – Jayme Poisson (03:00)
3. Podcasting the News: Craft and Process
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On “Meme Shooters” & Charlie Kirk Assassination Episode:
- How the team tackled explaining online subcultures post-Kirk’s assassination and the danger of misunderstanding meme culture’s links to violent extremism.
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“Our guest essentially did for us a kind of meme anthropology and framed this phenomenon as an online world of irony and violent nihilism that by its very design was completely unintelligible to anyone outside its orbit.” – Matthew Amha (11:31)
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“[The guest] referred to the Charlie Kirk killing as a shitpost.” – Matthew Amha (12:14)
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Production Choices: (13:28–15:04)
- All music, clips, and supporting audio are added after interviews to enhance clarity and provide “digestion breaks.”
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“We add everything after the interview's done… It’s really about flexibility.” – Mac, audio producer (13:28)
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Jayme’s Interviewing Style: (16:24)
- Focused preparation creates confidence and allows for informality and intimacy.
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“That preparation actually helps you be more casual…you can be a little bit more spontaneous and you don't have to follow everything to a T.” – Jayme Poisson (17:36)
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Editorial Independence: (18:48)
- CBC’s Journalistic Standards and Practices guides all coverage.
- Podcasting allows for depth, longer form, and less formulaic pacing—but not less rigor.
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“No one tells us here at Front Burner what questions to ask…There is a lot of editorial independence.” – Jayme Poisson (19:46)
4. Balancing Canadian and US News
- Audience Feedback: Some listeners question why a Canadian news show covers the US so much.
- Response: Most US stories have significant Canadian consequences (trade, security, tech), and these episodes attract wide interest.
“We are constantly trying to keep this balance in mind and we do prioritize Canadian news…But if I could defend the American news coverage a little bit, though, I think everyone will agree that this [Trump] administration...is extraordinary in breadth and scope.” – Jayme Poisson (21:06)
- Canadian Angles: The team actively seeks Canadian relevance or perspectives for international news.
5. Approaching Difficult & Sensitive Stories
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Episodes on Trump, Hitler, and Democratic Threats:
- Decision-making behind comparing Trump’s methods to historical subversion of democracy; how to center discussion around scholarship and historical expertise (24:21–25:30).
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“We had to take care in how we were navigating a conversation which included discussion of the current US President and Adolf Hitler.” – Matthew Amha (24:50)
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Speculative Journalism and Canadian Vulnerability:
- Behind the “What if the US Invaded Canada?” episode: The difference between idle office talk and actionable journalism, and the responsibility to avoid alarmism while probing real anxieties & vulnerabilities (26:40–29:29).
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“You can get high on your own supply of patriotism, and we are like, let's just check. Check this.” – Nick, executive producer (28:41)
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Reporting on War and Conflict:
- The importance of covering global suffering, even when it doesn’t “crush the charts.”
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“If you asked me why I wanted to get into journalism, I would tell you it was to try and give voice to people who do not have power and to the suffering.” – Jayme Poisson (30:10)
6. Looking Ahead: Plans for 2026
- Greater emphasis on on-the-ground reporting; connecting listener concerns to people in power.
- Soliciting more listener feedback for future story ideas.
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“We love hearing from you.” – Jayme Poisson (33:04)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On US-Canada Tensions
“This country deserves a real choice in the next election.” – Christia Freeland (06:17)
- Jayme on US Politics:
“It did feel like there were some guardrails on, and now it does feel like those guardrails are off.” (04:41)
- On Podcast Intimacy:
“I appreciate kind of the news being delivered to me calmly and...in a way that...feels a little bit more kind of intimate.” – Jayme Poisson (17:09)
- On Editorial Responsibility:
“No one tells us here at Front Burner what questions to ask...If you think that we have really messed up an episode...we did that all by ourselves, probably.” – Jayme Poisson (19:46–20:33)
- Balancing News Fatigue:
“These stories matter...at the core of all of those stories this year is human suffering at staggering levels in Gaza, in Sudan.” – Jayme Poisson (30:10)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Reviewing the Year’s Top Stories: 01:11–03:40
- Canadian Political Turmoil: 06:17–08:42
- Trade War & US Tensions: 01:46–04:41 & 20:56–23:30
- “Meme Shooters” Episode Debrief: 09:54–13:28
- Production Technique Q&A: 13:28–15:04
- Jayme’s Interviewing Style: 16:24–18:19
- Canadian vs US Coverage: 20:33–23:18
- Trump, Hitler & Democracy Episode: 24:21–25:30
- Speculative Journalism (“What if US Invaded Canada?”): 25:52–29:29
- War Coverage & News Fatigue: 29:29–31:49
- Plans for 2026: 31:59–33:04
- Holiday Media Picks: 33:04–34:36
Tone & Style
The conversation is frank, sometimes irreverent, but deeply earnest about the stakes of the stories covered. There’s a visible mix of journalistic rigor and personal candor—a hallmark of Front Burner’s accessible, thoughtful podcasting.
Final Thoughts
Front Burner’s season wrap is both a look back at a landmark year for Canada and its place in a volatile world, and a meta-conversation about how journalism deals with urgent, messy, sometimes overwhelming news. The episode stands out for its transparency, willingness to tackle critique, and commitment to collective self-examination.