When the news starts looking like a haunted carnival (panic at 6, Prozac at 11), who are we supposed to trust? This week, Nora and Marcus grab the scalpel and dig into our media's open wounds with writer/editor Maggie Mertens and journalist/therapist Sarah Stuteville. They talk billionaire capture of news, the gutting of public media, and "toxic empathy"—which, to be honest, is just what people say when they're allergic to compassion. Together, they sketch a sane news diet (follow people, not brands), make the case for independent, community-rooted outlets, and ask how we turn doom into doing—from ICE resistance to Gaza coverage. It's a much-needed bit of group therapy for anyone trying to stay human in the headlines.

Mentioned in the episode:

Maggie Mertens: The State of 'The Media' is Bad. What's an Independent Journalist to do? | Photo of pastor being pepper sprayed in Chicago | Toxic Empathy on Today Explained | NPR: One Palestinian Family Shares Their Story of Loss | Study: Profiling Misinformation Susceptibility | South Seattle Emerald | Study: empathy gap + privilege | Children zip tied in Chicago ICE Raid | Cascade PBS Layoffs | CPB is shutting down | Better Faster Farther | Mistakes Were Made | Margin Call

Follow Maggie: https://maggiemertens.substack.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.sarahstuteville.com/

Support the pod: Donate to Hinton Publishing to support In the Meanwhile

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Read Nora and Marcus's Books:

Crowded Out: The True Costs of Crowdfunding Healthcare | Readying to Rise

Music: No Tears for a Wolf · Ahamefule J. Oluo · Okanomodé. Used with permission.

Logo by Nikki Barron.

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