Happy 2026! Scott's back and he's angry. Everybody's talking about Prime Minister Mark Carney's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. After countless articles and panels waxing poetic about how great a moment it was for Canada, few felt the need to criticize anything about it except for its possibility at implementation. In this monologue, Scott uses Carney's speech as a lightning rod for everything wrong with the modern journalism landscape in Canada. In short, it's not good; Welcome to The Bullshit Years.

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Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading at:

https://readthecatch.ca/monologue-the-bullsh-t-years-podcast

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So the first full-year of The North State has wrapped up. What a time it's been! This podcast has interviewed journalists from Karyn Pugliese, to Rachel Gilmore, to Sarah Samuel and not to mention that one that happened recently. But since Scott's always the one asking the questions, it's that rare time of year where you can pose them to him. Eric Wickham, Ontario reporter for PressProgress and podcast producer extraordinaire, joins The North State to look at the year in review, the state of news media, his contentious interview with a certain indie media figure and pose your questions to the host.

Follow Eric on Bluesky and TikTok.

Check out his reporting for PressProgress.

Follow Scott on Bluesky

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading at:

https://readthecatch.ca/the-north-state-q-a-fest-2025-ft-eric-wickham-podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a tumultuous year in Canadian federal politics, it seemed that the 2025 Parliamentary Press Gallery Dinner was geared for virality before it even began.Then NDP interim leader Don Davies stole the show with his self-deprecating humour. Pierre Poilievre stunned with his other-deprecating humour. But these moments lead us to assume that the relationship between politicians and the press is, after all is said and done, a cordial affair. This assumption blankets the dinner and leads to some questionable outcomes. Rachel Gilmore, independent journalist at Bubblepop Media, joins Scott to discuss her experience with the event, how it shows legacy journalism's coziness with politicians and how a room full of journalists laughing at jokes made at the expense of marginalized people may, in fact, be bad.

Submit your questions for the Q&A here!

Check out Bubble Pop with Rachel Gilmore

Follow Rachel on Bluesky.

Follow Scott on Bluesky

Intro Music: Vigilante - Cross Dog

Artwork by Zo at Studio Bonjourhi

Sources and further reading:

https://readthecatch.ca/killjoys-ruin-parliamentary-press-gallery-dinner-ft-rachel-gilmore-podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.