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Defector

David Roth

Malcolm Gladwell and Carlos Watson speak onstage during OZY Fest 2018 at Rumsey Playfield, Central Park on July 22, 2018 in New York City.

Podcasts

Feeling Like Ozymandias, With Susie Banikarim

Giri Nathan

Year In Review

Presenting The 2024 Shams Charania Award For Excellence In Divulging Of Information Through Syntax Comprehended By Many

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Carlos Watson caught mid-speech in a press conference.

Media Meltdowns

Carlos Watson Played The Wrong Game And Lost

Journalismism

ABC’s Trump Settlement Is A Bad Omen

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">Tom Scocca is the editor of <a href="http://indignity.net">Indignity</a>, a subscription-supported newsletter of news, essays, and commentary.</div>
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Tom Scocca

President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth leaves a meeting with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) with his wife Jennifer Rauchet as he continues to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill on December 5, 2024 in Washington, DC.

Margin Of Error

What Makes A Scandal

Tom Ley

1940s YOUNG BOY STUDYING IN ROOM WITH ARMY NAVY PENNANTS ON WALL

How To Be Sure You Are Reading Some Dumb Bullshit

Albert Burneko

Lightning strikes in the desert outside Tucson, Arizona.

Can Someone Please Write Normally About This Fascinating Woman?


<p>charismatic megafauna (they/them)</p>


Sabrina Imbler

WASHINGTON, DC - May 23: Laura Helmuth of The Washington Post via Getty Images poses for a portrait on Tuesday May 23, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Science

Do Not Accept An Unscientific American

Robert F. Kennedy looking like an old shrunken russet potato at some Trump rally.

What The Fuck Is A “Vaccine Skeptic”?

Jeff Bezos Made Someone Else’s Business Decision

A big campaign sign that is just Kamala Harris's head, in front of a blue sky with scattered clouds.

The Candidates Have Nothing Left To Tell You

Shams Charania speaks with Mike Miller (L) and Donnie McGrath during the Paolo Banchero All Star Weekend kickoff party

Shams Charania’s Syntactical Talents Are Headed Toward A Bristol-Based Location

Patrick Redford

The Truth Is An Inconvenience For Jake Tapper And Dana Bash

A splitscreen image. On the left, New York magazine reporter Olivia Nuzzi. On the right, former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Sending Horny Texts To RFK Jr. Is Not A Public Service

Adrian Wojnarowski on ESPN discussing trade proposals for Jerami Grant

What Is The Cost Of A Woj Bomb?

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski looks on at a Lakers game

Adrian Wojnarowski Leaves The Scoopster Life For A Job With His Alma Mater

Israel Daramola

Beyoncé Comes Off As Very Real And Human In Email Interview With GQ

LOUISVILLE, KY - MAY 16: Fans check in at the ESPN Bet members lounge to receive Callaway golf balls on the 13th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/PGA of America via Getty Images)

Gambling

Penn’s ESPN Bet Scheme Looks Increasingly Grim

Luis Paez-Pumar

Presentation by two secretaries of the typing robot at the exhibition 'Happiness in the office', in Paris, France, on October 13, 1960.

The Machines

ESPN Masks Cynical AI Pivot As Benevolent Coverage Of “Underserved” Sports

Podcaster Alex Cooper poses before a game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on June 26, 2024

For Wondery And SiriusXM, Spending Big Isn’t The Same As Thinking Big

Italian Sports Journalist, Fabrizio Romano, looks on with his phone prior to the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on May 25, 2024 in London, England.

Soccer

Why Is Soccer’s Most Famous Scoopster Doing PR Work For Mason Greenwood?

Bigots Need Their Useful Idiots

Barry Petchesky

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 26: An exterior general view is seen of Sphere prior to the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft on June 26, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held at the Sphere on June 28 and 29, 2024. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)

Jeff Marek Got Fired For Leaking Draft Picks To The Wrong Person

Ray Ratto

Sideline reporter Pam Oliver interviews head coach Mike Vrabel of the Tennessee Titans at halftime against the San Francisco 49ers at Nissan Stadium on December 23, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Scourge Of In-Game Coach Interviews Spreads To The NFL

A flyer with information about Project 2025's plan to expand oil drilling inside the United States, stapled to a pole on a city street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.