There are plenty of options for news media consumers to find what they’re looking for in 2025. Here’s what my daily diet of news consumption looks like between the television and podcast spaces.
Even before my eyes are fully open, I routinely start my day with The New York Times audio app.
The Headlines
It is a 10-minute review of the top stories from the day before. Since it is recorded overnight, if there is a big story in the morning, The Headlines will not have it.
But it does summarize the previous day’s news well, and highlights some of The Times‘ own enterprise reporting.
It links me to important stories to read later in the morning.
The Daily
The single subject deep dive into the big story of the day, or some important tangent, if not on the day’s news.
The hosts are intelligent, ask good questions, and have the benefit of a team of producers that sometimes fan out into the country or internationally to bring voices and characters to life.
It’s well done and perfect to fill that half-hour to 45-minute commute on the subway or in your car.
Countdown with Keith Olbermann
Keith Olbermann’s a controversial, over-the-top counter to all the right-wing podcasts on the internet. Keith is unabashedly liberal and a ruthless attack dog on the Trump administration. His opening rant is entertaining, exaggerated in tone and substance, but fun to listen to.
Olbermann’s “Worst Persons in the World” segment identifies a small handful of nefarious characters each episode for the title of “Worst Person.”
And sometimes he tells an inside the media story that others may be afraid to reveal. They come from 50 years of broadcast experience at major market TV stations, CNN, ESPN, and MSNBC. For those of us in the industry, they are fun “stories I promised not to tell”.
Olbermann is no longer on daily, cutting back to two days a week after the election. But Monday and Friday mornings are more entertaining because of him.
Warning: if you are a fan of Trump or the right wing in general, you may spend the rest of the morning pounding your pillow with your fist in anger.
Last Week Tonight
In that same lane of sarcasm and humor is John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight. Oliver is a comedian, but with this huge staff of producers, writers and researchers, he may also be one of the best crusading journalists on TV.
If you want an example, take a look at his episode on RFK. Totally destroyed the new HHS secretary.
After the podcast portion of my day, I read The New York Times, Washington Post, and skim The Wall Street Journal before turning on the TV to see what I have missed overnight.
Dana Bash’s Inside Politics on CNN offers my morning politics fix and CNN News Central gives me the day’s developments before I move on. I do stick with CNN longer on big days, either in politics or as in today’s news, the Papal Conclave.
These type of special events are what CNN does best. It is often best positioned to cover the world, with correspondents still stationed around the world. So whether it a new development in Gaza, Ukraine or Rome, I am up to date quickly.
Otherwise, the best program on CNN isn’t news. The Sunday night feature Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain is educational, cultural programming along the lines of Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, which was critically acclaimed and highly successful.
Longoria’s Spanish adventures are of high interest to me, since my faraway ancestors were from Avila, Spain. But if you are into food and travel, this is a fun hour.
The Rachel Maddow Show
On CNN rival MSNBC, I routinely set aside or record Monday nights for The Rachel Maddow Show. A left-wing favorite, what I enjoy about Maddow’s show is its different approach to news. She doesn’t do headlines or necessarily the top story of the day. Usually, it is something different — an in-depth look at a political trend or outrage.
Her opening monologue or “rant” is in the style of Keith Olbermann, where she started her TV career, and strikes at the heart of the point and is written cleverly.
During the first 100 days of the second Trump administration, Maddow was on daily. now she is back on her once-a-week schedule.
Network Newscasts
As for the network evening newscasts, I used to watch all three when Norah O’Donnell was anchoring the CBS Evening News. But now I find the CBS Evening News unwatchable.
And now that Norah is no longer behind a network desk, David Muir, the best teleprompter reader in the business — with perfect hair and a strong team of correspondents — is the best 30-minute news broadcast.
Muir is not as strong when he is off the prompter and hosting special coverage. He adds little expertise in politics and usually repeats whatever the correspondent just said. It’s annoying. But his team of correspondents — Martha Raddatz, Mary Bruce, Pierre Thomas, Rachel Scott, and Jonathan Karl — are strong.
NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt is a close second, but his core of correspondents is not as strong as ABC News, and Lester is leaving the desk soon. Tom Llamas, who NBC News poached from ABC a couple of years ago, has been named the replacement. Let’s see if he grows into the job.
On Sunday, CBS has two standout programs. CBS Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley is a great way to lounge through to brunch. Pauley lends a certain calmness to the week, and their features reporters, from Martha Teichner to Lee Cowan, deliver. Also, my friend Ben Mankiewicz’s On Hollywood segments are well written and entertaining.
And, of course, 60 Minutes on Sunday night is a must-watch. Scott Pelley and Lesley Stahl lead the now parade of correspondents. Two new female additions are helping the show, my old colleagues from ABC: Sharon Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, the first Hispanic to front the ticking stopwatch.
I’m not much of a True Crime guy even though I played one on 20/20 for 15 years, but I do watch Dateline when my good friend from NBC, Josh Mankiewicz, is on. One of the best storytellers in journalism, it’s worth turning to when he is challenging suspects and weaving a tale.
Another friend that I listen to on YouTube is The Mark Thompson Show, where I appear every Friday for political commentary. Mark was a morning show host on KGO radio in San Francisco before the station sold out to syndicated betting programs and got rid of all its long-time broadcasters. Mark does 2 entertaining hours a day from 2-4 PM ET.
Lord knows it’s exhausting keeping up with all that every day. But it does keep me informed and frequently entertained. Pick or choose as you like.
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