Has There Ever Been a Worse Time for Journalism?

David McCraw has gone to battle with Harvey Weinstein, Sarah Palin, Justin Baldoni and Presidents from Bush and Obama to Biden and Trump. Today, Nayeema asks the lead newsroom lawyer for the New York Times what he’s learned fighting powerful people … what’s normal (or not) when it comes to tension between the government and a free press … and why the recent appearance of federal agents with subpoenas at the homes of New York Times journalists should shock the conscience of every American.  Nayeema gets David to give grades to each President (um, does anyone get an A on press freedom?). They talk about The New York Times’ unique role in protecting the first amendment (is David basically Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard?). Plus: the Nerdy Legal 101 you didn’t know you needed. **ps: even if you hate the news these days, this episode is worth listening to. It will make you smarter. Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ.  Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR MOM and YOUR LAWYER. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices