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Meant For YouAuthor: Polina & Yelena
We believe we all have paths that are meant for us, but getting to a place where we are living a life we won't regret, while juggling the demands of our families and everything life throws at us is a daily saga. In each episode, we give you a new perspective or idea, introduce you to fascinating people, make you smile or help you realize you are never alone. When you are openminded, even the smallest shifts in mindset, can set you on a path that allows you to live your fullest life. We aim to give you the mindset shift that connects you to choices that feel meant for you. As moms, and news junkies, alongside books, philosophy, travel, culture and careers, we also cover current events. Our topics revolve around living a full life and finding the courage to reveal our true selves. Clarity comes through action, so we want to encourage you to take the next step. while not missing the beauty and lessons each day brings us. We are just getting started on our midlife adventures and excited for you to join the ride. Follow us on Instagram @meantforyoupod or reach out to us at meantforyoupod@gmail.com Language: en Genres: Business, Careers, Religion & Spirituality, Spirituality Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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All the News That's Fit to Spin with Ashley Rindsberg
Tuesday, 17 March, 2026
How much power does The New York Times really have , and what happens when that power is used to shape narrative instead of pursue truth? In this episode of The Curious Middle, we speak with Ashley Rindsberg, author of The Gray Lady Winked, about the Times' reporting on some of the most important stories of the last century: the Nazi invasion of Poland, Stalin's Soviet Union, the Holocaust, Israel, the 1619 Project nd more. Ashley Rindsberg is an investigative journalist and author focused on media malfeasance, information warfare, and the hidden systems influencing public discourse. Ashley joins us to explain why he believes the paper has repeatedly protected power, buried inconvenient truths, and helped shape public opinion in ways that changed history. We also talk about the Sulzberger family, the culture inside elite newsrooms, the collapse of trust in journalism, and how listeners can build a healthier media diet today. Follow Ashley's Substack In this episode: What first inspired Ashley to write The Gray Lady Winked Why the New York Times is unlike any other media institution The Times' Holocaust coverage and what was buried Soviet propaganda, Stalin, Hitler, Cuba, Iraq, Israel and the Intifada, The 1619 Project and narrative-driven reporting The Tom Cotton op-ed controversy, safe spaces, silencing dissent and newsroom ideology Why media trust has collapsed How to find better journalism in a fractured media environment Key Quotes "They set cultural agendas, they set the news agenda, they influence politics, they influence culture." "They didn't want to appear to be the Jewish newspaper that was advocating for Jewish lives or Jewish people. So they did the exact opposite." "You don't bury a story about tens of thousands of people being murdered in Europe by accident." "The narrative was so overpowering for them that it obliterated what was in front of their faces." "It became a culture of silence." Timestamps 05:13: Origin Story of the Book Spark: reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich Shock discovery: NYT reported Poland invaded Germany (1939) Core question: "If they got that wrong, what else did they get wrong?" 08:42 – Why Focus on The New York Times 11:32 – Ochs-Sulzberger Family Ideology German-Jewish assimilation philosophy: Judaism = religion only (not identity) 14:23 – Holocaust Coverage Critique Only 6 front-page Holocaust stories in 6 years 17:56 – Historical Parallels to Today Narratives like: "Jews cause wars" "Israel manipulation" 20:34 – Could Coverage Have Changed History? 21:12 – Fascination with Power / Dictators 24:15 – Ukraine Famine Denial (Walter Duranty) 26:43 – Publishing Barriers Publishers avoided book due to: Fear of NYT retaliation Bestseller list control Insight: NYT bestseller list = editorial, not purely sales-based 30:12 – NYT Power Today Less local dominance, more global reach ~600 million monthly users Now a digital ecosystem 32:32 – NYT Lack of Accountability 35:30 – State of Journalism Today 38:48 – Misleading Image Example (Second Intifada) Photo falsely captioned: Palestinian victim → actually Jewish man being saved Example of narrative overriding facts 41:20 – Mohammed al-Dura Case Widely reported killing blamed on Israel Later forensic evidence contradicted it NYT never corrected narrative 43:10 – The 1619 Project Claim: U.S. founded on slavery, not liberty Criticism: Historians said key claims were false Still: Won Pulitzer Entered school curricula 51:54 – Tom Cotton Op-Ed Controversy 57:55 – Future of Media 59:27 – Advice for News Consumers (GREAT CLIP) 🔥 "Unbundle the news like Spotify unbundled albums" 1:01:09 – Closing + Current Work Focus on: Narrative spread across platforms Wikipedia, Reddit, AI manipulation Company: NPOV Follow @thecuriousmiddlepod Contact us: thecuriousmiddlepod@gmail.com













