Podcast Summary: Next Comes What – Why Journalists Ignore Reality

Host: Andrea Pitzer
Date: September 4, 2025

Overview

In this incisive episode, Andrea Pitzer explores how journalists and public intellectuals often "miss the forest for the trees," reverting to a mode of perception akin to that of very young children—unable or unwilling to connect the dots between events before their eyes and the bigger picture. Using contemporary and historical examples, Pitzer critiques the media's tendency to accept government narratives uncritically, drawing lessons from the rise of authoritarian regimes and offering practical advice for resisting misinformation and defending democracy.

Key Discussions & Insights

Media Framing and Avoidance of Reality (00:00–04:00)

• Pitzer opens with recent media coverage juxtaposing violent crime statistics and debates about deploying the National Guard. She illustrates how headlines and televised interviews frame issues in ways that support prevailing power narratives—sometimes ignoring contradictory facts.

• Example: Contrast between ABC News’s focus on urban crime and the New York Times highlighting higher crime rates in Republican-led states.

  • Quote:
    "The piece by David Chen noted that Memphis...has long been one of the most dangerous cities in the country with a murder rate about twice as high as the nation's capitol..." (00:55)

Comparing Journalistic Behavior to Child Psychology (04:00–06:40)

• Pitzer draws a compelling analogy between her experience teaching self-defense to children—who can spot concrete dangers but struggle with abstractions—and journalists who similarly fail to generalize lessons from concrete political events.

• She describes how empowering children (and, by extension, the public) to "spot the con" could help resist manipulative narratives.

  • Quote:
    "I couldn't accelerate their brains into working in an abstract mode, but I could help them start to recognize the set of concrete behaviors that they could observe...the kinds of things people use when they're trying to fool you." (05:10)

Historical Parallels: The Gulag, Walter Duranty, and the Murder of George Polk (06:40–14:53)

• Pitzer recounts three historical examples where journalists failed to hold oppressive governments to account:

  • Maxim Gorky’s visit to Solovki: Despite witnessing hints of abuse, his reporting omitted the truth about Soviet camps.

  • Walter Duranty (New York Times) in the USSR: Won a Pulitzer while whitewashing Soviet atrocities.

    • Notable Quote: "You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs." – Duranty (10:38)

  • George Polk’s Murder in Greece: U.S. reporters, under pressure, participated in a whitewashing process, avoiding uncomfortable truths about U.S. ally misconduct.

  • Analysis: The same self-interest, comfort with insider status, and fear of becoming outsiders leads journalists to echo the views of those in power, rather than question them.

  • Quote:
    "They simply could not write or act independently when they had agreed to be part of a group." (14:07, paraphrasing Catherine McGarr)

Patterns Repeating Today: Crime, Gaza, AI, and Institutional Focus (14:53–22:24)

• Press Coverage of Crime: Even when evidence contradicts the administration’s narrative, media often frames reporting in a way that avoids challenging power.
• Gaza Coverage: Major outlets hesitate to call out atrocities and only acknowledge them when utterly unavoidable.
  • Quote:
    “It has obliterated Gaza. It has killed tens of thousands of non-combatant women and children, erased cultural heritage and fired directly on the people it has been actively starving.” (17:44)
• AI Hype: Tech media forget foundational facts—like the dependence of large language models on human-generated knowledge—due to self-serving narratives.
• Institutional Survival Over Democracy:
  • Pitzer cites Ben Smith:
    "I guess I see the political moment primarily in the story of attempts to destroy or maintain or rebuild institutions, rather than in more abstract terms." (20:11)
  • Pitzer criticizes this focus on institutional continuity over substantive engagement with threats to democracy.

Why Newsrooms and Public Intellectuals Look Away (22:24–24:13)

• Pitzer notes:

  • Big media organizations ally with power, producing lengthy reports that ultimately say nothing.

  • This tendency is a continuation of historic failures.

  • Independent voices (journalists and outlets) are vital for surfacing truths and resisting authoritarian drift.

  • Quote:
    "Legacy news organizations have just caved to a power consensus...But in the end, they will manage to say nothing at all." (15:27)

What To Do Now: Active Resistance and Supporting Independent Journalism (22:43–24:30)

• Pitzer urges listeners to:

  • Call out misleading coverage and public figures on social media.

  • Support independent journalism (naming outlets like Boltz, Law Dork, The Handbasket, LA Taco).

  • Bring attention to abuses through local action (school boards, city councils).

  • Recognize the importance of ordinary people and independent journalists countering official narratives.

  • Quote (Izzy Stone, via Pitzer):
    "Someday perhaps the truth will be known and these men will blush for their role in its unfolding." (22:43)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |---|---|---| | 00:55 | Andrea Pitzer | “The piece by David Chen noted that Memphis... has long been one of the most dangerous cities in the country with a murder rate about twice as high as the nation's capitol...” | | 05:10 | Andrea Pitzer | “I couldn't accelerate their brains into working in an abstract mode, but I could help them start to recognize the set of concrete behaviors that they could observe...” | | 10:38 | Walter Duranty (referenced by Andrea Pitzer) | "You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs." | | 14:07 | Pitzer, paraphrasing McGarr | "They simply could not write or act independently when they had agreed to be part of a group." | | 17:44 | Andrea Pitzer | “It has obliterated Gaza. It has killed tens of thousands of non-combatant women and children, erased cultural heritage and fired directly on the people it has been actively starving.” | | 20:11 | Ben Smith (quoted by Pitzer) | "I guess I see the political moment primarily in the story of attempts to destroy or maintain or rebuild institutions, rather than in more abstract terms." | | 22:43 | Izzy Stone (quoted by Pitzer) | "Someday perhaps the truth will be known and these men will blush for their role in its unfolding." |

Suggested Actions & Takeaways

• Hold media to account: Critically examine news framing; call out misleading narratives and omissions.
• Support independent journalists: Subscribe and elevate outlets unafraid to challenge entrenched power.
• Engage locally: Push for truthful discourse at community forums.
• Recognize patterns: Learn from historical failures in journalism; don’t repeat them.

Conclusion

Andrea Pitzer's trenchant analysis in Why Journalists Ignore Reality calls for a renewed public commitment to recognizing manipulative narratives and supporting those who refuse to look away. The episode challenges listeners to bring vigilance, skepticism, and courage to our media consumption—and to champion institutions (and individuals) willing to tell the truth, even when it’s inconvenient.