Podcast / Tech Won’t Save Us / Apr 23, 2026

The Problem With “CEO Said a Thing” Journalism—With Karl Bode

Paris Marx and Karl Bode discuss how tech journalists and corporate interests are irresponsibly raising the profile of tech CEOs, damaging public trust in institutional journalism.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

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The Problem with “CEO Said a Thing” Journalism w/ Karl Bode | Tech Won’t Save Us
byThe Nation Magazine

Paris Marx is joined by Karl Bode to discuss how tech journalists coupled with corporate interests are irresponsibly boosting the profile of tech CEOs, further damaging public trust in institutional journalism and highlighting the need for publicly funded media organizations.

Karl Bode is a freelance reporter and writes The Fine Print newsletter.

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Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026.

(Krisztian Bocsi / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Paris Marx is joined by Karl Bode to discuss how tech journalists, coupled with corporate interests, are irresponsibly boosting the profile of tech CEOs, further damaging public trust in institutional journalism, and highlighting the need for publicly funded media organizations. Karl Bode is a freelance reporter and writes the newsletter The Fine Print.

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/podcastsubscribe.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

War Breaks in Tigray, Brazil Elections, Houthi/Ansar Allah Attacks Hit Saudi Airports / American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Derek has returned, but he keeps trying to get Danny to go to some seminar led by a charismatic “mentor” he encountered in his travels. In this week’s news: war breaks out in Ethiopia’s Tigray region (0:43); Flavio Bolsonaro wins the first round of Brazil’s presidential election as the right makes major gains (6:46); in Yemen, the government’s counteroffensive against Ansar Allah stalls (9:51), the group attacks airports in Saudi Arabia and Yemen (12:40), and Saudi Arabia seeks outside military support (13:42); the U.S. prepares to resume its war against Iran as the Islamic Republic intensifies attacks on oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz (17:44); in Japan, a U.S. Marine’s arrest for alleged murder sparks protests against the American military presence on Okinawa (22:18); Sudan’s military advances in North Kordofan (25:20) and Sudanese military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan rejects peace talks (28:06); in Mali, Tuareg rebels withdraw from Kidal as government forces retake the town (29:54); the U.S. and the WHO seek information about suspected plague cases at a Russian lab (29:54); Russian attacks across Ukraine kill at least 25 (32:57); Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez calls a snap election (35:00); the U.S. bombs another alleged drug boat in the Caribbean (37:12); and Trump creates a new AI task force called the Super Intelligence Force (38:12).

Note: Since recording, Trump has said that the U.S. will not attack Iran before the November midterm elections.

Watch a replay of last night’s livestream with journalist Michael Fox about Brazil’s elections.

Subscribe and check out our History of Modern Palestine series with Rashid Khalidi.

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Paris Marx

Paris Marx is the author of Hyperscale: The Ambition and Excess of Big Tech's Data Empires. He hosts the Tech Won’t Save Us podcast and writes the Disconnect newsletter.

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