Munk Debate Podcast: Mainstream Media Debate

Public trust in mainstream media is at an all-time low. Critics point to coverage of COVID-19, the 2020 election, and the Ottawa trucker protest as proof that legacy outlets like the New York Times, The Globe and Mail and CNN can no longer be relied upon to provide unbiased reporting. Activist journalists are using pen and paper to push political agendas while their bosses lean into the profitability of polarization. Mainstream media’s defenders argue that their institutions offer an invaluable public service that alternative outlets are either incapable or uninterested in providing: careful fact-based reporting on important issues and holding the powerful to account. In a brave new world of “fake news” and “drive by” journalism, traditional news organizations are essential to democracy and a bulwark against corruption, misinformation and the private interests of the powerful.
Arguing for motion was the associate editor of The Spectator magazine, Fox News contributor, and bestselling author of The Madness of Crowds, Douglas Murray. He was joined on stage by Substack publishing sensation, former Rolling Stone contributing editor, and investigative journalist, Matt Taibbi
Arguing against the resolution was the internationally acclaimed author, podcaster and veteran New Yorker staff writer, Malcolm Gladwell. His debate partner was Michelle Goldberg, New York Times columnist, MSNBC contributor, former American Prospect senior correspondent and senior writer for The Nation.
The audience voted on this resolution prior to hearing the debate. 48% voted in favour of the resolution, while 52% voted against the resolution.
At the end of the debate, another poll was conducted. 67% voted in favour of the motion, while 33% voted against it, representing a 39% vote gain for the PRO side.
munkdebates.com/podcast/mainst...

[@oldchicken2]

I’m an hour and ten minutes into the debate and I’ve lost all respect for Malcolm Gladwell. Trying to tar your opponents as racists as a way of salvaging a poor debate performance is pathetic and beyond the pale.

[@KdogPrime]

That's what happens when you have to defend the indefensible.

[@encostello]

His entire performance is superficial and juvenile.

[@thehagification]

Malcolm Gladwell is the typical personification of the leftist media, pompous, arrogant, condescending, out of touch with any opinion except his own and as usual, resorting to insulting his opponents as his defense.

[@geofherb1]

Same, I've read a couple of Gladwell's books and used to have a high opinion of him. That is all gone after this performance

[@drjasonhughes]

Agreed. This debate changed my whole opinion of him. His straw manning and outright slander was just over the top. And the way he referred to Douglas as “Doug”… classless.

[@RyanAustinDean]

As a longtime Gladwell fan, this debate crushed me. He’s lost his mind (and his manners). Trying to paint Matt Taibbi as a racist because America trusted Walter Cronkite is a despicable thing to do.

[@RunBayou]

Its a dumb trick the left always does. If you ever say anything was better in the 20th century, they automatically say you want racism.

[@philmusson1265]

Amen

[@BrianCrouch]

And his comment about Walter Cronkite wasn't even a huge focus, he just said that Cronkite was considered the most trusted person in America but that would never happen today, and didn't go any further, and then Gladwell says things like "his affection for the fifties."

[@ashleygraham1011]

I think the comments are replete with people not understanding the distinction Gladwell was trying to make and the hypocrisy of Taibbi. Taibbi holds the Cronkite era up as a standard while saying media needs to simply report and let everyone have a voice regardless of their ideology. However in Cronkite's time, media was very controlled, much more exclusive and presented a much more narrow view of the world. It was very biased news. I wish Gladwell would have said that more explicitly so people would not have focused on the racial point of his example, but his example very much stands and Taibbi's own bias is evident.

[@dont4get2wipe]

Gladwell lost his mind years ago - listen to “talking to strangers” - it’s a joke!

[@couragecoachsam]

Malc did more to convince me to distrust the mainstream media than either Matt or Douglas

[@mvargasmoran]

this

[@jayr.7209]

Oh i guess the last 20 years of lies and death and destruction wasn't enough for you.

[@matthewsmith5374]

But why stop at the mainstream media? Why not distrust EVERYONE and EVERYTHING? That I felt was Malcolms main point. I mean if we’re going to talk distrusting someone, how about some of the obvious factual errors Sir Douglas made in this very debate? Why should I trust him AT ALL?

[@firstnamelastname2197]

@@matthewsmith5374 if it was his entire point then why was he arguing that the media is reliable because of all the fact checkers…i think you wanted that to be his point. You should have taken his place

[@matthewsmith5374]

@@firstnamelastname2197 he was saying even with fact checkers you can get things wrong. Fact checking comes up because he was addressing accusation that due to budget cuts the NYT and the New Yorker had downsized their fact checking departments, a dubious assertion, and it’s not something Douglas who’s an outsider would know, and if the msm and the alternative media outlets are both wrong at times doesn’t that make them both untrustworthy? His overall point would be more accurately stated as he himself put it; Trust has nothing to do with content, trust is about process.

[@thegeist79]

Smearing your opponents as racists instead of discussing the topic is literally why the mainstream media shouldn't be trusted, he did more to prove Douglas's and Matt's point then they could.

[@michaeldoran4367]

55" wide KOCK only 3" long. Black CHODE tip rubbed onto a genie's ear. BLOODY KOCK slapped against the school bus window, scaring the school children. HUGE BALLZSAX swaying in the wind.

[@greigdoug]

Gladwell was nasty, unprepared, complacent and dishonest. Not even being able to get his opponents’ names right but we should trust his takes on the mainstream media.

[@Him__Downstairs]

I lost any respect I had for him.

[@gstar3569]

exactly like mainstream media!

[@akidwithaclub]

there's nothing to prepare, his side is wrong and dogshit

[@jamesmiller5331]

At least he didn't forget to reach for the old leftist tripe of accusing someone of being racist. Always have to get that one in.

[@19MichaelDixon]

The mispronounciation was absolutely intentional to show how much he loathes Matt. He admitted that he is familiar with Matt's father and grandfather, so he 100% knows how to properly pronounce "Taibbi."

[@michaelfox5448]

Taibi and Murray argue that the mainstream media can't be trusted, and then Gladwell and Goldberg do their best to prove this hypothesis.

[@tomdivittis2688]

Absolutely perfect, succinct summary.

[@FreakazoidRobots]

At least Goldberg did a reasonable job of being intellectually honest, but I agree with your broader point.

[@michaelfox5448]

@@FreakazoidRobots I can agree with that. I do think she unknowingly made points that hurt her stance. Unlike Malcolm who's blatant dishonesty in the debate only enforces the idea that people in the mainstream media are dishonest.

[@darbyheavey406]

Uncle Walter lied to us too….we just didn’t know it.

[@darbyheavey406]

@@FreakazoidRobots Russia Collusion was total BS yet she clings to it.

[@oddajkredki]

The yawning gap between Douglas' intellectual alertness and outspokenness and his opponents intellectual void is just stunning. This sad performance of Goldberg and Gladwell is very indicative of the current state of mass media. Well done, Matt and Douglas.

[@dst1311]

It was a friggin holocaust

[@siegfriedbraun5447]

Or, it's the gap between the two positions, irrespective of the beliefs of the sides. It is far easier to defend what Douglas and Matt were given, than to upend it.

[@johnricercato740]

@@siegfriedbraun5447I tend to agree with you. But…if Gladwell and Goldberg didn’t think they could defend their position they shouldn’t have taken the gig; if they did think it defensible they should have prepared far better, and not relied on insults, strawmanning, and a pathetic and repeated use of the race card when they ran out of ideas. (After about five minutes.)

[@GeneralBlorp]

@@siegfriedbraun5447no. Gladwell has his head in the sand and up his own ass. He got utterly dominated intellectually and he failed to keep his cool. Very telling that his “logic” is emotionally based monkey patched stories that btw have been proven false

[@banedon8087]

@@siegfriedbraun5447 Yes, but when one side is not debating in good faith and actively attacking the reputation of the other side as a distraction, it speaks to their inability to legitmiately defend how the main stream media have been acting. Matt Taibi and Douglas Murray didn't stoop to this. What Malcolm Gladwell did was really what they increasingly awful side of the MSM have been doing and I think the audience recognised it for what it was. Matt Taibbi isn't a racist and Mr Gladwell knows this, but he used that slur to try and destroy Mr Taibbi arguments rather than address them. Pretty disgusting. He's (Malcolm) seems to not realise it'sa not 2016 and people don't tend to fall for this these days.

[@chrisdabfabbott]

I have been a huge fan of Malcolm Gladwell and have read most of his books. My respect for him totally tanked after watching this debate,

[@dipset4016]

He's probably not a good debater. He's a fantastic writer though. Two different skills.

[@tupacalypse88]

similar liked his revisionist history podcast this definitely wasn't a good look for him.

[@AJHart-eg1ys]

@@dipset4016 I'm seeing this posted elsewhere. It seems equally plausible that his lean toward being disingenuous simply doesn't play as well live as when it's rough edges have been able to be smoothed over in the editing process.

[@Tweston3ny]

Me too. Mean spirited and disingenuous

[@Andrew-fy9wu]

@@dipset4016 If the content is the same, he is terrible at both. Just because people like him doesnt mean he is good.

[@SevenRiderAirForce]

Taibbi: They used to have good processes. Not anymore. Gladwell: They still do Matt: No, here are several enormous stories that showed they followed no such process whatsoever. Goldberg: The media just makes mistakes sometimes. Gladwell: You haven't defined mainstream media Taibbi & Murray: Here are two clear definitions with many examples. Gladwell: They just refuse to provide a definition. Moderator: How do you restore trust? Taibbi: You have to get the story right, repeatedly, for a long time, and when you don't, correct it publicly as fast as possible. Gladwell: Taibbi just wants to go back to the 1950s with no black people. Gladwell is a joke.

[@avengemybreath3084]

Perfect

[@SevenRiderAirForce]

@@marmite_popsicle Dang, where's the timestamp for that one? I must've missed it amidst his other nuggets of wisdom.

[@marmite_popsicle]

@@SevenRiderAirForce 48:40

[@SevenRiderAirForce]

@@marmite_popsicle Hm, technically he said they don't need to get their *predictions* right, and that it's to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. The first part is not even wrong, since journalists shouldn't be making all but the obvious and qualified predictions to begin with, and the second one is wrong, since the job is to tell the truth, regardless of who it "comforts" or "afflicts."

[@TomYeeha]

Taibbi said Fox News isn't mainstream media....

[@bigbox1431]

Malcolm Gladwell is insufferable here. Eye opening.

[@92ninersboy]

All four of the debaters made extremely strong arguments for why the MSM should not be trusted - Murray and Taibbi through facts and logic, Gladwell and Goldberg by example. The con side dug their own graves - meanwhile the moderator, like some cheap game show host, kept insisting how great it all was, and how he "loved it" as one side tried to smear the other side as racist rather than actually debating the topic.

[@eagleandy1]

That's the state of Western journalism sadly. Don't bring up supporting facts, just smear the opposition with buzzwords.

[@natyong]

Goldberg could at least hear the facts and logic. She would abandon here positions as they fell apart. I can respect her for that. She`s willing to retract when she is wrong. Eventually she will start being less wrong. Gladwells inability to listen is unbelievable. "day r all racists" doesnt fly for me the first or the last time. Harvard and MSM needs to produce better!

[@yog-sothoth37]

Moral of the story - you don't call Douglas Murray "Doug" or you will get humiliated

[@guymross]

It’s amazing how unintelligent intelligent people can sound when they’ve gotten used to never having to defend their beliefs.

[@JeffCaplan313]

Which is why all politicians are either idiots or liars. 😔

[@seekfirstthekingdom4388]

That’s because the intellect is all ego and no common sense. That’s why there’s the push for everyone to become ‘educated’ at post secondary school.

[@IIImaxpayneIII]

"there are stupid ideas that only an intellectual can defend and even believe" thomas sowell, george orwell

[@solid1378]

It's bizarro that Gladwell was anointed as some genius, when clearly he's a clown!

[@88wildcat]

So many of these people see themselves as intellectuals when they actually are not. A true intellectual is interested in learning and absorbing as much knowledge as they can. These people think they have already absorbed all of the knowledge on earth and therefore have no need to even try to learn anything else. People who truly believe they know everything there is to know about everything are not capable of learning anything they need to learn about anything. They believe they have always been the smartest person in every room they have ever been in and they are never going to believe anyone who tells them they are wrong.

[@samdg1234]

Scrolling through these comments, I'm glad to see that Gladwell's performance was seen as the vacuous tripe it factually was.

[@kevinbear4873]

Here for the same…

[@BigWhitePerson]

Couldn't agree more. I was reluctant to scroll the thread, fearing I would want to spend an hour defending Matt against an onslaught of accusations calling him a right-wing stooge. Thanks god

[@4tdaz]

Agree. His TED was my introduction to him and I could not believe how devoid of serious thought he was. It was like listening to someone defend The Last Skywalker as the greatest cinematic feat of all time...and then watching people applaud the...bravery???

[@ManicMindTrick]

Ordinary people in general are tired of the elites with their luxury beliefs. Gladwell symbolizes this phenomenon perfectly.

[@pnwlady]

I’m surprised how disappointing his performance was. He usually holds up conversation and rationality, but treats his opponents and their idea with derision and disdain. Sad showing. I had to wonder if his shaking hands indicated stress. If he was prepared better maybe he wouldn’t have relied on ad hominem attacks and straw men for his rebuttals.

[@rupertoldham]

Douglas Murray is simply magnificent.

[@mckernan603]

He's trying to do a Hitchens impression, basically 1:16:18 haha

[@sigmarine]

I know homosexuality is not a choice. I know that. I am sorry for what I am about to say. Douglas Murray seriously makes me question my sexuality.

[@Killllian]

@@sigmarineDoesn’t mean you’ve chosen anything. Perhaps it’s in your very nature to be sexually attracted to eloquent, well groomed, British men. We’re all friends here, you are loved and you are accepted. Unlike our poor friend Malcolm Gladwell.

[@maggiemae4584]

Michelle went to the trucker protest and all she you say was she was in a truck with a guy on shrooms and people we’re lonely and hugging. Wow! She totally missed the whole point of the middle class working hard for their families and communities. I actually felt ashamed for her with those comments. She blind to the reality of the working class who make her life much easier. Makes me sick how she sticks her head in the sand.

[@ramacass108]

The fact that Malcolm brought up and accused Matt of racism based on absolutely nothing, just blows my mind, this is seriously where we’re at? We’re going to do this? Holy crap

[@savedfaves]

Woke mind virus

[@meditationasmovement]

All the more ironic considering Matt is native Hawaiian.

[@anybody2501]

Let's be real here. This is where the fanatical political left is at. People with sense have long since distanced themselves from that toxic political cult.

[@dont4get2wipe]

Malcolm Gladwell’s newest book was also a joke like this - filled with the corniest examples used as ways to try to convince the reader that everyone is a racist jerk under the surface

[@stevenwright7290]

A (sad) sign of the times

[@ethanbartlett1676]

I've never had less respect for Malcolm Gladwell.

[@deenzmartin6695]

i've never had any respect for malcolm gladwell.

[@anybody2501]

@@deenzmartin6695 Same. I was supposed to read the tipping point in high school years ago. Read the first chapter about hush puppies and that was it. What a snooze fest

[@vino140]

Gladwell is a known fool.

[@spindriftdrinker]

Gladwell seems to feel that the bigger lie he tells, the better it will go over. Not quite. He claimed that journalists in the 1960s never talked to blacks, women or poor people. I consumed plenty of mainstream media in the late 60s and the 1970s and saw lots of interviews with ALL those groups on a daily basis in the MSM. A complete lie on his part.

[@karenmurphy9111]

I liked The Tipping Point but recently someone mentioned he wrote something in it promoting big tobacco and he likely got paid by them. I don't recall reading anything like that years ago and ignored the comment but now I will recheck the book due to watching his display here as it seems possible now. Meaning the way he is prostituting himself for MSM by manufacturing a lie that Taibbi is a racist when clearly he isn't makes me compelled to go back and check if he actually did that now.

[@84thomascox]

There is no one quite like Douglas to deliver a savage verbal beat-down and sound like a perfect gentleman while doing it.

[@michaeldoran4367]

78" veiny black COX glistening in the MOONLIGHT after exiting the BUTTTWHOLE of an old man who was the unwilling PARTICIPANT of some BUTTTWHOLE magic. Volleyball sized BALLZSAX with a 2" SHAFT, trying to enter the scene. "You're too short!" The 78" KOK shrugged. A Puerto Rican whipped out his WEENER on the school bus. 65" Diameter COK only 1" long. Bloody WEENER exits the BUTTTWHOLE of a Walmart employee's BUTTTWHOLE. BUTTTWHOLE DESTROYED. DEMOLISHED BUTTTWHOLE. BUTTTWHOLE WRECKED. Pieces of the bloody BUTTTWHOLE remains vacuumed up by a Honduran maid.

[@alexrennison8070]

I like it when Douglas speaks quickly. When he’s sat in a chair in an interview I sometimes feel like I’m listening to him in some kind of slow motion fever-dream😅

[@mattiereid77]

Christopher Hitchens did it the best.

[@GamingCaveman1989]

the elegant savage

[@jamesjun6393]

Munk Debates is where Michael Eric Dyson and Malcolm Gladwell go to self-destruct. EXCELLENT!!!!

[@FOTAP97]

Perfectly true.

[@trustmetours57]

Dyson's dissection by Peterson and Fry was a thing of absolute beauty.

[@JohnSmith-ki2hl]

I was thinking that the 3 most disgusting vacuous people I have seen are "Michael Eric" Dyson - what a pompous asinine fool. His insistence on that name should give one a warning. Michelle Goldberg - lacking an ounce of self reflection. And now Malcom Gladwell - what a fool. I have been interested in reading his books but now I don't think I would trust his conclusions seeing what an "ideologically possessed" nut he is. There have been several other left wing nuts on the Munk Debates. The Conservatives have usually been excellent and thoughtful, like Douglas Murray. And Matt Taibbi is a thinking centrist/center left that has been driven out by the herd.

[@ConfusedGeriatric]

Dyson is next level terrible. All pomp and bluster, zero brains 🤦‍♂️

[@CathyPism]

I will have to watch the Michael Eric Dyson debate next.

[@osu7356]

Now i understand why the MSM is so unwilling to engage in fair debate.

[@shaunkellison1761]

Communism only works when you can talk at people. It does not work when people have a response to the things you say. This is why communism was able to take off 100 years ago, but is having such a hard time taking foot without massive censorship like China is doing.

[@normanmccollum6082]

It's because those you cannot trust in the mainstream media are leftists, and leftists cannot stand debate or even the honest discussion of differing ideas, because their ideas suck. It's the same thing I've said to those who believe in a conspiracy regard the 'people of Israel,' to put it somewhat vaguely. You know, the Hebrew people, God's chosen as per the Old Testament. They make up but a small minority in the population yet are WAY over-represented in places such like woke Hollywood and mainstream media and what not. It is also the case that, yes, there have been those of God's chosen people who have given anti-White sentiment. Anthony Bourdain is one, whom is ethnically of God's chosen people due to his mother. These are true facts... however anti-White sentiment and wokeness are LEFT-WING problems. It is not a RACIAL MOTIVATION thing, it is their POLITICS, and besides there's also people like Ben Shapiro whom is a DEEPLY religious example of God's chosen people yet he seems to hold no anti-West notions or hatred for White people. And then the stuff going on with children's schools and rainbow flags. You can be upset at the school system but the problem boils down to left-wing politics. It is everywhere, it is degrading society, and people need to see it for what it is and vote accordingly. Oh also Fox News (whom I regard as being with the mainstream media but being uncharacteristically a more-trustworthy part) has their show 'The Five' if I remember it correctly and they ALWAYS have at least one person there with left-leaning tendencies. The person changes from time to time, but they always have representation and it's also been seen with both Tucker Carlson and Jesse Waters that they'll have on a left-wing or even far-left person like the LONG-necked 'Antifa professor' or the guy who walked dogs in his 20s or 30s yet believes that people shouldn't have to work or something along those lines. So basically a socialist or commie, "Gimme, gimme, gimme." "Gibs me dat." - Karl Marx lol That's a joke-quote, obviously, but yeah pretty much. Anyhow, the REASON why mainstream media doesn't want fair debate is because they are leftist and leftists STATISTICALLY from a psychological perspective have a high proclivity of being unable to articulate their views well. Perhaps that is why they tend to stick to buzzwords and straw-manning and reciting what they have heard or read because well firstly they don't question it or build on it or modify it so none of it are their thoughts but also even if they managed to FORMULATE their own thoughts, the tendency is to lack the ability to articulate them. The fact echo-chambers exist only further harm them, because like in the Channel 4 BBC interview with that "So what you're saying is..." woman, they do not speak to the person they're talking to. Instead, they speak to WHO THEY THINK THAT PERSON IS. Thus, Matt Taibi, whom I looked it up and he allegedly has a mixed Hawaiian/Filipino ethnic background but EVEN IF HE WAS AS WHITE AS I AM (I am very White, happily so, even elatedly so) Malcolm FOUR TIMES played the 'race card.' Like, he heard Walter Cronkite... and that was good enough for him. Like the non-journalist he is, he got his story and he ran with it because it fits his narrative. Malc Gladwell, I suspect, did more to convince the audience not to trust mainstream media than either Douglas Murray (whom Malcolm Gladwell had incorrectly called Doug twice) and Matthew Taibi (Malc pronounced it Tiabi several times and my research informed me that it's I think an Italian last name that originates in Lebanon, correct me if I'm wrong, it's based on memory and I may be mis-remembering) put together. Like really, that woman basically had 3 opponents making the case for mainstream media NOT to be trusted while she did her best but well... she still used such typical divisive and hypocritical language as 'far-right' too. Hypocritical because such people NEVER EVER EVER talk about any political far-left. Or if they do, it's to play defense... like "Fiery but mostly peaceful." Still, she seemed to be genuinely trying her best, even if I think she's pretty much completely wrong and I hate that she basically lumped in the Freedom Convoy and Trump with 'far-right' and then alluded to 'further right,' only adding to the hypocrisy because I doubt I could find ANYTHING she had said or written in her career about 'far-left' let alone the concept of 'further-left than far-left.' 100% absolute double-standard, which she herself conveyed to the audience, so even SHE had helped convince the audience but in a far less obnoxious and aggressive way lol This was a mess. Three adults trying to speak while a man-child obsesses about identity politics... and yeah, it should come as zero surprise that this was a train-wreck for the CON side. Well done, Douglas and Matthew. Matt was classy, and Douglas was very right to rip into that 'Malc' demon who was muddying waters and sewing division and pushing an agenda just as I am certain he's been doing on a professional basis for decades with his wasted mind enslaved by left-wing politics... that poor intelligent fool. And I DO believe he's intelligent, I believe it is there, but he certainly doesn't seem to be using it in a way that respects truth and honesty and civility.

[@GeneralBlorp]

😂 they have never won a single debate and melt away ❄️

[@TheCinemaElite]

Very reassuring to see Gladwell's attempted smear of Taibbi as "racist" and "misogynistic" fail so catastrophically. Five years ago that would have worked, but I think people have woken up to the grift.

[@ajbridgewater]

Watch the video if you can. There is a girl (presumably native) seated behind Gladwell, and she is noticeably annoyed with him when he makes these attacks.

[@tomoneill9372]

@@ajbridgewater how can I see the video?

[@williamerdman4888]

I think I picked that up too... same sentiment.

[@JH-ji6cj]

@Aaron Bridgewater can you link to the video? Or is it a Paid Sub link only?

[@pandafox12]

They smear anyone they disagree with Saul Alinsky tactics and wonder why we don't trust them

[@TheKatieLea]

The irony of Gladwell trying to play up his mixed race parentage at one point while ignoring Matt's a few minutes later is a bit too on the nose for this debate

[@hamonryechinaski180]

Gets Matts name wrong repeatedly before calling Douglas 'Doug' repeatedly is pure school yard bs. Wow, hes been in a bubble way too long. Strawmanning even in his closing argument. What a piece of work Cladwell... Edit; let's take a moment and feel the pain of having to follow THAT closing remark by Douglas, ouch!!

[@michaeldoran4367]

78" veiny black COX glistening in the MOONLIGHT after exiting the BUTTTWHOLE of an old man who was the unwilling PARTICIPANT of some BUTTTWHOLE magic. Volleyball sized BALLZSAX with a 2" SHAFT, trying to enter the scene. "You're too short!" The 78" KOK shrugged. A Puerto Rican whipped out his WEENER on the school bus. 65" Diameter COK only 1" long. Bloody WEENER exits the BUTTTWHOLE of a Walmart employee's BUTTTWHOLE. BUTTTWHOLE DESTROYED. DEMOLISHED BUTTTWHOLE. BUTTTWHOLE WRECKED. Pieces of the bloody BUTTTWHOLE remains vacuumed up by a Honduran maid.

[@darinpearson2554]

Taibbi: Here are widely published examples of why you should not trust mainstream media. Gladwell: Here are unverifiable, alleged personal experiences that I offer as a rebuttal.

[@bruce3909]

It fits into the biden laptop story and his dismissal of it. He has completely discounted the media’s actions so it’s not worth thinking about. He’s too busy calling out the “racists”

[@realMaverickBuckley]

You forgot 'You just love white men Teeyabhi!!'

[@kenricnarbrough8191]

Look, one guy is a shaven headed thug looking white guy, the other is a sweet messy haired hippy looking dude, I have made my decision! I don't even need to hear their arguments!

[@HH-ru4bj]

@@realMaverickBuckley it was konda sickening he had such a strong preoccupation with "white men," it's the definition of can't see the forest through the trees.

[@pnwlady]

Ya, diminishing legit points as Twitter feed fodder was pathetic, since it’s the media elites who tanked confidence in journalism by relying on their Twitter bubbles in lieu of real reporting.

[@chewyismycopilot788]

Malcolm Gladwell just gave us a Jedi master level course in psychological projection and why most people distrust cretins like himself.

[@azzif888]

In a debate trying to disprove mistrust in MSM, Malcolm just proved his opponents correct. What a worm

[@danielhill5075]

Malcom Gladwell did immense damage to his reputation. Douglas Murray was incredibly strong!!

[@jcb9207]

After this debate performance, Malcom Gladwell's career as a writer and public intellectual should be over.

[@miked5809]

He prefers to be called Malc.

[@greg6782]

He'll probably get a promotion at the New Yorker.

[@Dimera09]

No matter what their profession is, and irrespective of their actual political views and persuasions, I've always found people who slander and deliberately misrepresent others as Malc did are an absolute cancer for society. Humans' ability to listen and discuss is our ultimate mechanism to move forwards and explore truth and thereby provide security in civilisation. How can this man be employed to convey the news to millions of people? It is honestly so disgraceful. However if Malc read my comment, he'd dismiss my criticism as "a person who is made uncomfortable by Malc having different views to my own".

[@hedleyparis397]

It was kind of the opposite of cutting out a man’s tongue if one fears what he has to say. In Gladwell’s case he manufactured rope with which to hang himself. Only the irrational seek to cancel.

[@jonthibault5509]

It won't be. The Left smears those with whom they disagree as racists, bigots, homophobes, transphobes, xenophobes. etc. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN a go-to strategy for them. Only now, thanks to the internet, is it becoming obvious to the masses. It's somewhat amusing that Murray actually points out that Trudeau smeared the truckers in the same way, but like a brain-damaged child, Gladwell still couldn't help himself.

[@davinderrehal9391]

Before debate: Pro: 48% Con: 52% After debate: Pro: 67% Con: 33%

[@coolworx]

Thank you. I thought I missed the final vote!

[@philovance1940]

Interesting results however not surprising . Don’t trust msm. Abolish the cbc.

[@jdsull]

@@coolworx you did not. It was never announced.

[@chriskeene241]

Who are the 33%, I feel sorry for them. Ok I don’t really feel sorry for them

[@dannyarcher6370]

@@jdsull Sus.

[@marcelbodog9335]

I didn`t think it was possible to lose respect for somebody that fast. You will be missed Malc

[@TBRCHUD]

"Trust is not about content" has to be one of the most batshit insane things I've ever heard. If they're wrong about everything but are proud of themselves for how they got to be wrong it's ok? That's supposed to be reality?

[@27Pyth]

lol... yeah good catch... that remark got lost in Gladwell's self immolation... but yeah... batshit! Process is about quality reliable content or its irrelevant. Content us the point.

[@michaeldoran4367]

​@27Pyth 78" veiny black COX glistening in the MOONLIGHT after exiting the BUTTTWHOLE of an old man who was the unwilling PARTICIPANT of some BUTTTWHOLE magic. Volleyball sized BALLZSAX with a 2" SHAFT, trying to enter the scene. "You're too short!" The 78" KOK shrugged. A Puerto Rican whipped out his WEENER on the school bus. 65" Diameter COK only 1" long. Bloody WEENER exits the BUTTTWHOLE of a Walmart employee's BUTTTWHOLE. BUTTTWHOLE DESTROYED. DEMOLISHED BUTTTWHOLE. BUTTTWHOLE WRECKED. Pieces of the bloody BUTTTWHOLE remains vacuumed up by a Honduran maid.

[@SusanPederson]

Incredibly dumb! 😂

[@SomeBoredGuy69]

Malcom and Michelle are so partisan that they could not resist pushing their ideology even during a debate. Hilariously ironic!

[@wessexmom]

They're not one and the same though. Michelle's main sin is living solely within her Brooklyn bubble; Malcolm is a lazy, ignorant, malicious jackass.

[@skylanh4319]

The bubble these idiots live in is proof enough you can’t just watch mainstream media. They are so caught off guard when they even hear the other side or are still in straight denial.

[@robosoldier11]

I got to be frank I dislike these types with a passion. Not only are the journalists self aggrandizing and frankly over value themselves. But their defenders are even more obnoxious. Taibbi comes way more genuine of a reporter in the fact he recognizes the problem. These other two are literally in the trenches snobs thinking they are clever.

[@honeybadger5933]

Michelle: "Politico reported a red wave which actually went against their own polling" Also Michelle: "over reporting a red wave affected people's willingness to donate". Yet she couldn't see the correlation.

[@skidmoda]

They are an embarrassment, pushed Jan 6th BS during the debate.

[@Nmaslow1974]

I’ve never heard such a holier-than-thou defense of corruption as Gladwell has done in this debate. And his side unequivocally LOST the debate due to his snarkiness which is ENDEMIC to his circles

[@MrVvulf]

Your comment was eloquent and accurate. You'll never get a job at the New York Times.

[@erikaoliver2591]

Yep. His arrogance was glaring. It was at its worse when he was calling Murray and Taibbi conspiracy theorists, completely missing that the legacy media is no longer ideologically diverse. They don't have to collude, they don't live or work around people that challenge their group think.

[@cecilcharlesofficial]

His 'circles' are very wide... and his attitude is everywhere. Yes, people are waking up (precisely because media can't control speech and info anymore, and because ultimately the truth is stronger than in-group dynamics), but we've a long way to go still. This head-down-commitment-to-the-Party is everywhere, and our tendency toward it (toward collectivism, fearing the threat of ostracism over truth) is part of being human. So we'll always have to battle it. But at this point in time, we're doing a really poor job teaching ourselves about it - about our psychology and tendencies and why freedom is so important.

[@stevencrisp753]

Every time he spoke I thought "that probably gets lots of "well said" and "hahaha" around your dinner party table with your friends, but you do realise it's not a serious argument right?" The epitome of capture inside an ideological bubble...

[@any0n378]

As a longtime fan of Gladwell, I find it ironic that someone making all his money pointing our our blind spots can be so oblivious to his own.

[@GrumpleSenior]

Douglas wipes the floor with Gladwell. It must’ve been expensive for Gladwell buying tons of straw for his argument. A perfect example of what the opposing side was proposing.

[@ikaraca]

I am as surprised as relieved to find out that i wasn't the only one who lost all the respect for Malcom Gladwell. As someone who had read all his books, i was appalled to see how pathetic and weak himself and his arguments were 🤯

[@tatsunithelennyking2540]

I don't really know who he is and his books, what good things has he done? From this debate alone, this guy looks like an absolute buffoon and just another mainstream media jester you shouldn't listen to. Everything he says is just word salad, buzzwords and ad hominem attacks. Who is this guy?

[@xycap8351]

He is the personification of ideological prostitution.

[@davinderrehal9391]

Kudos to Taibbi and Douglas for actually debating the laid out topic. Both Gladwell and Goldberg had nothing but ad hominem attacks. It was embarrassing to watch and it honestly pissed me off. They were both smug and utterly unserious.

[@backtofacts]

Not to mention, they wavered from anecdote to anecdote to try to muddy the waters when it comes to actual examples of msm getting things horribly wrong. Come to think, they squandered the entire debate pushing narratives as any sort of real-time reaction at all. It wouldn’t matter what the Pro-side said; Goldberg and Gladwell would stick to the script. And they did. Narratives that make me vomit, they’re so predictable.

[@jeffdougherty9387]

Standard procedure for the left. They don’t like the argument, so they attack the person not the argument. I lost a great deal of respect for Gladwell.

[@GeorgeSmiley77]

When Munk hosted Goldberg and Michael Eric Dyson vs Jordan Peterson and Stephen Fry debating political correctness, Dyson brought bitterness and recriminations, while Goldberg brought ad hominems. JBP and SF cleaned up.

[@Brian-gw5hg]

Goldberg is famous for this "debate tactic". In the end, she still wins with her sycophants.

[@grantwithers]

"we're just here to prove the exact point of mr. douglas" lololol

[@pagexx]

I read four of Malcolm Gladwell's books and now, watching his performance here...wow. Where was the careful, level-headed, fair author whose writing I used to admire? How in the world can anyone accuse Matt Taibbi of racism from anything Matt said in this debate? How lazy! Where was the guy who wrote Talking To Strangers? Anyway, Douglas Murray is once again outstanding.

[@Richard.Atkinson]

He’s actually always been like this. His books are mostly pseudo-intellectual psychobabble masquerading as insight.

[@kevinprzy4539]

@@Richard.Atkinson yeah the amount of people in the comment section saying they used to enjoy his stuff shows how many people fell for his pseudo bs.

[@sigmarine]

I would love to see the initial drafts of his books, now. The final product is probably so tailored that they would make Giorgio Armani blush.

[@SynnJynn]

He had an Editor ^-^

[@lievenyperman9363]

This debate illustrated perfectly what is wrong with mainstream media today.

[@michaeldoran4367]

78" veiny black COX glistening in the MOONLIGHT after exiting the BUTTTWHOLE of an old man who was the unwilling PARTICIPANT of some BUTTTWHOLE magic. Volleyball sized BALLZSAX with a 2" SHAFT, trying to enter the scene. "You're too short!" The 78" KOK shrugged. A Puerto Rican whipped out his WEENER on the school bus. 65" Diameter COK only 1" long. Bloody WEENER exits the BUTTTWHOLE of a Walmart employee's BUTTTWHOLE. BUTTTWHOLE DESTROYED. DEMOLISHED BUTTTWHOLE. BUTTTWHOLE WRECKED. Pieces of the bloody BUTTTWHOLE remains vacuumed up by a Honduran maid.

[@ghostface93wu4eva9]

This has to be the biggest ass whooping I have ever seen in a debate. Congrats to Doug and Matt.

[@jasondashney]

Michelle Goldberg was also in another Munk debate which she lost in epic fashion. It was her and Eric Dyson versus Jordan Peterson and Stephen Fry. I think you can figure out how that went. It was absolutely beyond belief, and Eric Dyson makes Malcolm Gladwell sound alt-right.

[@KentBuchla]

You need to watch Christopher Hitchens and Stephen Fry take down the Catholic Church. The was the most brutal battering ever caught on video. It was like sending Connor MacGregor to fight Stephen Seagal.

[@miked5809]

She most likely is in her position because of nepotism. Check her last name.

[@pnwlady]

Yeah, I used to listen to a NYT podcast and she was a predictably generic liberal but willing to move as far left as required to keep her status. One wonders how they can consider themselves thought leaders. 😂

[@VACatholic]

Douglas.

[@chrisr6749]

When Gladwell mispronounced Matt Taibbi's name repeatedly it told me that he was unfamiliar with one of the best journalists alive today. Says a lot about the bubble he exists in.

[@seancrapola]

I kept waiting for Murray to correct him. "His name is pronounced TIE-Eabie, Malc."

[@surrealistidealist]

Reminds me of his "Igon values" controversy. 😅

[@karenvanhook6748]

The part that got me was when he kept calling Douglas Murray "Doug," even after he was corrected. That's incredibly rude. I was glad when Douglas threw it back at him -- "Malc."

[@seancrapola]

@@surrealistidealist I remember that. Pinker had fun correcting him on that.

[@chrisr6749]

@@karenvanhook6748 That part too - he came off as rude and petty. Trying to paint Matt as a racist 4 times was the kiss of death, no one should take the man seriously after that performance.

[@michaeljay4816]

I can hardly believe it… but my faith in the KZbin comments section is being gradually restored. Even many who have admired the work of Gladwell have objectively analyzed and dismissed his position here.

[@kurt5079]

I honestly do not know if I have seen someone embarrassing themselves so throughly in a debate as Malcom did.

[@johntc8840]

You misspelled "Malc".

[@kurt5079]

@johntc8840 Dame, that was a missed opportunity...

[@sirsmitty8815]

Murray was the master here. He owned the debate. The self-righteousness of the opposition was insufferable. They had to defend the indefensible…journalistic corruption that most can see with their own eyes

[@garyluciani1082]

I agree Murray was the master. I think Taibbi made a couple of good points and Goldberg came across to me as well intentioned and authentic although naive. Gladwell? Oh my goodness! A terrible performance I'll leave it at that.

[@charliebarton]

British education with emphasis on debate and style. It reminds me of that little weasel Shapiro getting a smack down when he appeared on BBC. Shapiro is from Harvard, and the British host was from... Oxford if I remember right. But Jesus, it's just high class British education VS Ivy League. Ivy League is repeatedly embarrassed when they engage. But also, Taibbi has his life experiences and a strong sense of curiosity. I think it's funny that Taibbi and Murray are facing off against two careerists. Careerists don't win, their institutions win for them - possibly.

[@realMaverickBuckley]

​@@charliebarton Sadly, the British education system has been going down the toilet the last 10 years. And currently it's full of teachers who would agree 100% with Gladwell.

[@deeznutz8320]

​@@garyluciani1082 Well intended LMAO She is a Jew nothing is well intended with them

[@firstnamelastname2197]

@@garyluciani1082 I expecr goldberg’s presentation is a calculated veneer

[@profe3330]

Taibbi and Murray KILLED this thing. Not just because they're better debaters overall, but because what they're saying is so blatantly and obviously true.

[@mathieuguillet4036]

Shockingly, as I write, Leftist journos in Twitter are aligned to say that Musk's information dumps are "nothing burgers" and "kooky conspiracy theories". As a class, the mainstream media Leftists have learned nothing. They are doubling down on disinformation.

[@alstroemeria227again4]

And they didn’t engage in ad hominem attacks or the three w’s… wacists, wamen, wussia.

[@charlesw852]

I agree, and Matt certainly held his own, but Murray has got to be the clear MVP here.

[@CedarOutpost]

Old Malc really showed his true self. Making straw man arguments reveals a small mind. He was unable and unwilling to address the resolution.

[@shelleyscloud3651]

Ooh that Gladwell fella is a rather mean, twisty, bad faith chap isn’t he?!

[@CreationInEmotion]

Malcom is so not intelligent enough to be in this debate but is simultaneously a perfect example of the reason for this discussion.

[@quentondaniels8536]

That’ll be Malc.

[@HeyHerdy]

The problem with the media is exactly what Malcolm Gladwell tried to do with his closing remarks

[@anthonyreed480]

The most ludicrous claim Gladwell made [among many strong contenders] was that there's no conspiracy among MSM to be on message. We've all seen dozens of compilations of dozens of newsreaders parroting lines as though from a script. So him rolling his eyes at that notion is gaslighting of the highest degree.

[@pnwlady]

The only Twitter feed fodder that matters is the elite media folk’s bubble where they delude themselves into thinking they’re still journalists of note. 😂

[@disf5178]

I thought the same thing. There's definitely an almost daily talking point that gets beamed out to all the msm execs..and their mouthpieces stick to it like glue.

[@robelyncooper4555]

The Borg do not conspire-they don’t need to because they have been assimilated.

[@robelyncooper4555]

The way “Manufacturing Consent” describes the media landscape, ideology & propaganda are so immersive it is actually possible for them to be 99% on message without actually conspiring or distributing talking points, which is probably even more damning than if they WERE conspiring.

[@AJHart-eg1ys]

I've been in journalism for decades. There's a nuance people don't see when they start talking about media conspiracies. I agree that you'll find people regurgitating this or that line across many outlets on many platforms. It's because they're too lazy or incapable of coming up with something of their own, but more often simply because they all go to the same sources for their narrative. It's just a modernization of how everyone used to go to the NYT every morning to see what news was worth pursuing at their individual pubs/networks. But I would argue that things fall short of this public idea that executive editors are breathlessly waiting by some modern form of fax machine for what their opinions are supposed to be. The problem is the people in journalism. The overwhelming majority have already been conditioned to believe that what comes from the Left is what should be advocated for. No conspiracy is needed. Everyone's already pulling the wagon in the same direction. There's little more actual conspiracy here than if we accused a shortstop and second baseman of conspiring to turn a double play, when all that is actually needed to set a desired result into motion is for the ball to be put in play. Take care.

[@rleeboston33]

Douglas Murray is a treasure.

[@notalmostfamous9773]

Malcolm really gave Michael Eric Dyson a run for childish debater of the year award. Well done Malcolm!

[@Nonplussed1]

Don’t!! …the memory of Dyson’s incoherent word salad during the political correctness debate is coming crashing back. What a bellend

[@brendanbrown3100]

It was kinda like snake oil hukstering.

[@hacorn96]

Oh no, Dyson still takes the crown on that one. Malcolm was just catty

[@AGripOBabys]

i would interject it was very racist behavior but sure

[@robosoldier11]

@@brendanbrown3100 I remember that insult it truly is accurate in these type of combative speakers. Seems entirely like a facade.

[@-Gorbi-]

Gladwell is clearly in a huge cultural and class bubble, and Murray Taibbi are absolutely wiping the floor with him. It’s like Ode to Joy

[@George-vf7ss]

Love this....

[@deenzmartin6695]

it wasn't even close.

[@travtotheworld]

The fact that he would dismiss the Hunter Biden laptop story as something no one would care about shows he's shamefully out of touch. Reminds me of the old "I can't believe Nixon won. Nobody I know voted for him" story.

[@BridgesOnBikes]

I absolutely saw this coming with Malcom. He’s been painting himself into the woke cult corner for years now and it was only a matter of time that he was exposed for this. Hopefully he can learn a lesson here, but something tells me he won’t.

[@jeremyellismusic]

Gladwell talks about the fanciful idea that media and the powerful get together to decide the agenda and how ridiculous that is. Funny story, but true: I was the musical guest at Google Zeitgeist about 10 years ago when Gladwell was one of the speakers. You see, every year Google gathers 500 of the richest, most powerful and influential people in the world for three days to watch TED talk style presentations from people like Gladwell. And then they have fancy breakfasts, lunches and a dinner event where the guests are sorted into tables according to their influence. Like, you literally see the heads of Google having dinner with the head of the Federal Reserve and network news talking heads. Imagine what happens at the hotel room parties after the fact. So yes, theses people literally do get together and decide what the agenda is and Gladwell has been at the party. His speech was actually titled something like, "Why would I speak at Zeitgest for free?" And the basic conclusion in his own words was because he wanted to be invited to the party and be in the room, in good favor, with the rich and powerful people at Google. The way he portrays that here in this debate is just him flat out lying and denying what he knows and wants to be a part of.

[@cflederman]

Wow. Mind blowing. Such an important comment, thank you for sharing

[@Thor-Orion]

Comment and liked to boost.

[@jaredspencer3304]

Malcom saying that Matt and Douglas long for the era of white supremacy, and Douglas countering with calling it "chutzpah", was the absolute perfect response. Oof, gave me chills.

[@savedfaves]

What does that word mean?

[@jamesr2179]

@@savedfaves it's yiddish for cajones

[@RikkSpencer]

Pretty interesting for Matt especially, considering he’s not White - people just presume that he is because of his complexion. Sort of like that time on CNN the host was speak to a black guy on the phone and told him to check his white privilege, except in this case they’re doing this nonsense face-to-face.

[@Generative_Midi_]

@@savedfaves Overconfidence. Poor manners or even projection in Gladwells case I suspect. He is likely to be the only racist on stage.

[@TheTurinturumbar]

@@savedfaves It was explained to me as: You murder your parents and in court plead for leniency because you're an orphan. That is chutzpah.

[@HatefYaminiOnline]

Never thought I’d see Gladwell fall so far from grace. He should be ashamed of himself. Douglas and Matt killed it.

[@kahwigulum]

(Gladwell had always been a disgrace. everything he's fed you in the past was a carefully designed illusion to get past your defenses and feed you the state's narrative. the difference here is that you were proved the ability to contrast it against a more rational take on the corporate media.)

[@jenniferspurlock4953]

They have no shame and that is part of the problem.

[@deenzmartin6695]

gladwell is a deranged lunatic.

[@TTFMjock]

@@jenniferspurlock4953 Narcissists through and through. Thoroughly alien to normal people.

[@gerryturple527]

I've always known that Gladwell was propped up but this was actually embarrassing. How he managed to stay smug throughout that travesty boggles the mind.

[@pyeriotsquad]

The vocal tone and pitch of the 2 sides was worlds apart. MT and DM spoke in a clear authoritative manner. Malc and Goldie often squealed like shrill whelps, horrified to hear criticism of their ivory towers.

[@georgewashing9731]

🎯 Those lie and accuse others are usually the ones lack of self esteem and confidence.

[@societopathyobserved9785]

Gladwell’s first argument: “Taibbi really shouldn’t be against the mainstream media because they still carry on the time-honored tradition of handling information in a responsible manner.” Gladwell’s second argument: “It’s really strange and amusing that you would respect those old timely journalists because those were a bunch of stooges for the government.” It’s really a beautiful irony that he would dare suggest that his opponents need to get their story straight in the course of making THIS argument.

[@BradSamuelsPro]

This is an excellent point that nobody else has brought up. Does Malcom Gladwell imply that nobody should have trusted the mainstream media until he was part of it?

[@fribersson]

That’s cognitive dissonance for you. Generally smart people are not immune. And it makes anyone sound, and act, like a narcissist.

[@michaeljohnston6965]

Good catch. I'm surprised your post isn't at the top of the section.

[@jamesmiller5331]

" you two need to meet up and get into lockstep just like we leftists are!"

[@godisnowhere8017]

I noticed that contradiction in his two arguments as well. Not only that, but then the bit where he tells Matt & Douglas to “get your stories straight” contrasted against his accusing them of believing in conspiracies where people get together to decide their stories and sync them up (just like Michelle revealed them to have done before the debate), is just an example of projection on his part.

[@B-Nice]

Holy Hell. Malcom and Michelle were avoiding factual comments and trying to use insults as their arguments, while trying to make Douglas and Matt appear to be the ones arguing in bad faith. The tantrum type style of their 'debate' reminds me of my children arguing why they should be allowed to eat ice cream even though they are both diabetic. Malcom and Michelle really did an impressive job at misrepresenting Douglas and Matt's position. So sad.

[@dont4get2wipe]

The scariest thing is that people with the exact same overall attitude are in charge of most of our institutions at the moment. Fake “do-good” losers

[@VectorZero]

Agreed, folks. In respect to Gladwell, the old adage: "Better to be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and confirm it" has changed to "better to be thought a great writer and thinker, than to open your mouth and debunk it".

[@vodoojones3630]

I'm really late to the party, but this is so true. Gladwell ran into a buzzsaw and at the same time managed to come off as petty and spiteful.

[@sirozone540]

Matt & Douglas did the damn thing.💯💪🏿 The other 2 just embarrassed themselves and their respective institutions. 🤦🏿‍♂️

[@rustlecompton]

I'm very unimpressed with Gladwell, what an intellectual lightweight

[@bondapovon]

He always has been the lord of the mid-wits. Amazing people are only now figuring this out.

[@travtotheworld]

I read his book Outliers and was so appalled by the speciousness of it that I've never bothered to read anything else from him.

[@skylanh4319]

Why would you still call him an intellectual? He is broadly published but far from intellectual. It is sad that we associate fame with intelligence or wisdom.

[@rustlecompton]

@@skylanh4319 why I was at university, The Tipping Point came out and everyone worshipped it... The book to me seemed uninsightful, but what do I know? Maybe I watched to much Kronkite as a kid

[@profe3330]

@@bondapovon Well put! 😂 In fairness, though, the vast majority of the corporate pundit class fits that bill exactly. I honestly can't think of an exception.

[@zwergie4444]

This was like a 'show and tell' at school - Gladwell and Goldberg showed in real time exactly what Taibbi & Murry were talking about

[@JH-ji6cj]

Perfect succinct description 👌

[@ConradSpoke]

My respect for Malcolm Gladwell just took a nosedive.

[@podiumnutter]

Having Gladwell on this debate is absolutely great casting on your part. He is the epitome of this discussion topic.. And damn rude thrown in for good measure!!

[@DukeLitoAurelius]

This was a masterclass by Murray and Taibbi. What struck me the most was how genuinely sad Douglas Murray in his closing argument was by the current state of affairs with the mainstream media. It has become poisoned with ideology, abhors dissent, and ultimately does not seek the truth. It seeks adherence to it’s leftist ideology. I am am member of Munk Debates and watching Malcolm Gladwell’s performance was even more dramatic and pathetic than just the audio. He truly became a South Park character. I don’t mind people having and holding an ideological point of view. I just want honesty and openness. Gladwell is neither. He is a zealot. This was the greatest defeat in a Munk Debate ever. A 39% swing in favor of the resolution: “Be it resolved, don’t trust mainstream media.” If this was a FIFA World Cup 2022 match, the score would be 7-1. My thoughts on Gladwell, of whom I own several books, is one of pure disappointment. He has lost me for good. He ran out of substance quite early in the debate and resorted to the typical playbook of ad hominem attacks and race-baiting. After the debate you could see that Gladwell did not want to be around Murray and walked away from him and Matt. NCAA…no class at all. These elites despise the average, normal, working class people. They only talk to each other and smell each other’s farts. This was on full display in the debate. Hitch would be pleased with Douglas Murray’s performance.

[@wessexmom]

God I had the same thought about Hitchens!

[@88wildcat]

People need to stop calling them the mainstream media. That is not what they are. Call them what they actually do and are--mainstream political operatives.

[@DukeLitoAurelius]

@@88wildcat Truth.

[@rutlandfuel2637]

If it were a boxing match they would've called it TKO in the 4 round after the third race baiting comment Gladwell made. Lost in the shuffle was a great point by Goldberg, that the death of local news rooms has stifled journalism and objectivity and hence trust.

[@cbcsucks2205]

Hitchslapped!

[@andrewgammage8088]

Gladwell was unprepared and insufferable.

[@wyrdwik4610]

When is he not?

[@kkay3784]

Had no clue he was like that.

[@anthonyreed480]

Douglas made Gladwell sound like a total fool. The worst kind too - an arrogant fool who isn't aware he's losing the argument, and is smug whilst losing.

[@joeows6537]

When armed with history and facts it's nearly impossible to lose the debate. Matt Taibbi has proven integrity and is one of the most respected journalists in today's mainstream and Social media forums. Stay Gonzo Matt... it definitely is working for you.

[@josephtaormina1748]

Never seen Malcom Gladwell get hammered like this. Someone call him in the morning and make sure he’s ok.

[@dontvoteforanybody3715]

Malc was hammered equally hard the last time he participated in a Munk debate. Don't know why they keep inviting him back. He's just a race-baiting hack now.

[@travtotheworld]

@@valuedCustomer2929 The fact that he thought no one would care about the Hunter Biden laptop story shows you are correct.

[@theycalledglass2077]

Matt showed class by not getting personal with Malcolm after being repeatedly attacked and insulted. This debate really showed more about the left than they would hope for.

[@oleeb]

Gladwell and Goldberg are not at all a part of "the left". They are a part of an influential social and professional class that is socially liberal and economically neoliberal which is to say right wing, pro-corporate and pro-billionaire class.

[@kevinstfort]

I wouldn’t consider the CON side as the left. I think Taibbi would be more on the left than Gladwell.

[@eemoogee160]

Dear God these shitlibs are the furthest thing from being left. And Taibbi is a Bernie Bro.

[@wills242]

@@eemoogee160shitlibs=left

[@ramroid]

@@kevinstfort definitely. Matt is absolutely left 1000%

[@KyriosHeptagrammaton]

Malcolm did a great job changing people's mind. Can't believe I liked some of his stuff.

[@michaelwarenycia7588]

I once read his books too. It's downright embarassing to see how he loses his facade of reason and resorts to race-baiting pettiness as the only tool in his arsenal. He provides, ironically, evidence for Douglas and Matt's position by his own behavior.

[@larreye8451]

This will be known as the moment in time where the world was made aware of the shallowness of Gladwell's thinking. The fact that he, purposefully, keeps calling his opponents by the incorrect first/last names tells me all I need to know.

[@guymross]

I hope no one else so prominently represented on my bookshelf is as disappointing in person as Malcolm Gladwell.

[@Everson33]

Get him outta there, friend.

[@gazlives]

fortunately for me i saw him on rogan and was very unimpressed. what douglas murray said about his inaccuracy about northern ireland was no surprise. i think because i wasn't influenced by having read a book of his i was able to see his true qualities or lack there of on rogan's show.

[@yeyito2818]

He gets the book on the shelf with the spine hidden treatment. Shame shame shame

[@cbcsucks2205]

As a follow-up on freakonomics he should do a regression analysis of the media

[@theotheo7241]

As Murray stated during the debate , Malcolm" books (or at least some ) are full with inaccuracies

[@jpudg5008]

Malcolm and Michelle kept proving the proposal! Malcolm - “You think mainstream media was better in the 1950s? It was corrupt even then” Michelle - “Look at who owns the mainstream media. It’s not an issue of right vs left ideology. It’s the elite plutocracy vs the peasants.”

[@ZoOnTheYT]

Although I concur with most commenters on the abysmal performance of Gladwell, I'm surprised I had to scroll down this far for this comment. I was thinking the same thing. The most definitive arguments against trusting MSM were put forth by those, supposedly arguing for it. Honestly, it was surreal as far as debating points are concerned.

[@meticulousperversions9064]

@@ZoOnTheYT Jesus, just her opening statement flies in the face of her argument.

[@terryf3282]

Gladwell just came across as a snarky bully. Getting their names wrong again and again on purpose. It's funny how the most physically weak men try their best to be verbal bullies in a safe setting.

[@tidemeo]

Malcom should prob do 9,998.5 more hours of debating

[@user-cu3qz9rb2w]

Itd be better for his career to retire and become a hermit considering they hung lying journalists at Nuremberg.

[@cecilcharlesofficial]

noice

[@ejcash7234]

Low blow dude but genius. Playing to his theory of 10,000 hrs before becoming on expert. Brilliant! 💯

[@VelkePivo]

Lol. Nice

[@advancedtech6094]

Haha brilliant - underrated comment!

[@arydant]

It is glaring that Matt and Douglas gave examples to support the premise, but Michelle and Malcoln attacked their characters. This is typical of the media landscape nowadays - when you differ from the prescribed message, you are attacked and maligned.

[@yourewelcomeamericathepodc1601]

Love hearing Douglas speak. Seeking out more from him now. Sorry Malc, ya lost that one 😉

[@mvargasmoran]

Douglas Murray was really good, like always.

[@johnosullivan954]

Malcolm is incapable of engaging with the actual debate and spins off into nonsense. He has nothing.

[@neverbeabletoremembe]

"Malc" :⁠-⁠)

[@GERBOY90]

I was just happy Murray was there to put him in his place

[@The_Ballo]

He's a dumb, racist, egomaniac.

[@keepkalm]

Never lost as much respect for someone as I did for Malcolm Gladwell. What a joke to include him.

[@garyluciani1082]

As it turns out the best thing that could have happened for Taibbi and Murray was to have Gladwell on the opposing side. He proved their point with his performance in this debate.

[@dachurchofeppie850]

Ms Goldberg is really conjuring her own personal reality here. Holy cow. No wonder the crowd shifted.

[@sonninnos]

The forced theatrical intonation alone was extremely off-putting

[@paulsmashupchannel1442]

Malcom is an empty vessel. What an embarrassing attempt at debate on his part.

[@chrisr6749]

He really did his best to appear as an out of touch elitist during the whole debate.

[@annettemacdonald9192]

He definitely succeeded

[@gravitaslost]

One should never be embarrassed for doing ones best, when that best is repeatedly poor however, one should turn ones hand to something else.

[@oleeb]

He was, in fact, refusing to debate. All he did was attack Taibbi's character and imply without the slightest evidence that his opponents were conspiracy theorists.

[@Hobie152]

I expected very little from Michelle Goldberg…I saw her weak performance in the Peterson debate. But as a fan of his, I was very disappointed in Gladwell. Race baiting and strawmanning is beneath him, and not what I expected.

[@Will-jc2cw]

... But he did strawman and race bait, so it's clearly not beneath him lol

[@gazlives]

he is part of a creed that has come to dominate MSM. Michelle like in the peterson/fry debate is a lightweight and, no offence, seems like a diversity input in both debates.

[@ironymatt]

Her "I knew they'd bring up the laptop" as if it was some meaningless tidbit blown all out of proportion was beyond embarrassing. Nothing to see here folks, just leave 10% for the big guy...

[@JammyTom]

A Gladwell fan would describe things as beneath them

[@nunliski]

Everything Gladwell does is bs.

[@mollkatless]

After reading through many of the comments, it seems almost universal amongst the commenters that Murray/Taibbi won the debate going away, which is what the final poll showed as well, but more interesting was how many commented on how poorly Gladwell in particular performed. There are many who state they were a Gladwell fan, or have at least one of his books, and were shocked by how poorly he comported himself in this debate. I agree completely with that sentiment, I think I have 1-2 of his books somewhere on a book shelf. Gladwell so thoroughly embarrassed himself, and Murray also thoroughly, I hate to say it because it implies intent, but Murray just thrashed and humiliated too, though I don't sense that was his intent. Two questions, does Gladwell have any awareness of how badly he was perceived after this debate? And does anyone know where I can trade 1-2 Gladwell books for one of Murray's?

[@33rpm97]

If you want to see the car crash get considerably worse then Gladwell does an autopsy on his absolute tanking on his podcast but having similary lost so much repsect for him havent listened to it yet but the comments (having quickly scanned) basically say he admits he got his balls cooked but basically doubles down on the racism insinuation which is f***ing astounding and really sums up this BS point we are at: where grifters pull the race card out at every opportunity and mainly in situations where they are left wanting... Really really disappointed in Gladwell as prior to this $hit show held him in quite high esteem having read a few books. Conversely Douglas Murray who I too hvae read a few of his books only continues to leave me in awe at his beautiful articulation and continues to entertain me with his absolute savage retorts to any ill prepared clown who thinks it appropriate to hit him below the belt shots cos man does Douglas hit back with the force of a prime Mike Tyson wearing a f***ing freddy kruger glove whilst rammed to the eyeballs full of meth. Without doubt the verbal samurai that the truth deserves and f*** me does he instantly induce regret in wallopers who arrogantly think its fine to start the trash talk.

[@edmundhalley5087]

Malc really embarrassed himself, it was tough to watch

[@ShibbyKoyote]

I lost all respect for Malcolm Gladwell today. Jesus Christ

[@CoverSlaves]

Wanted to slap my speakers

[@hrossaman]

Completely

[@dontvoteforanybody3715]

Malc wasn't any better in the previous Munk debate he participated in, so I had no respect for him left to lose. It's disappointing he can't even learn from his experience, though.

[@acetate909]

He completely embarrassed himself and showed what a shallow thinker he is.

[@latebloomer6179]

Same for me. My God, what a complete douchebag he has shown himself to be!

[@alexrediger2099]

Malcolm Gladwell confirmed what I had suspected about him. He was vicious and unhinged and was trying to do his weird "outside the box" witticisms. I really appreciated the Taibbi side on this one.

[@velocitor3792]

His rant about conspiracy theories at the end is a ridiculous strawman. Nothing he "debunks" has actually been said by anybody.

[@Jon-yn4pq]

The fact that he has his hands in anything that is consumed as "facts" is infuriating.

[@edwoodsr]

@Robert Swaine Are you comparing Gladwell before & after Epstein's downfall & death?

[@LauraMichlig]

"Well Malc...." 🤣 I love Douglas!!

[@PaulMiil]

That Matt and Doug are the only ones who shared links to this debate on Twitter indicates something.

[@flowergirlie945]

Douglas

[@gregoryreynolds3612]

@@flowergirlie945 Douglas Murray

[@lw1zfog]

Doug M

[@SynnJynn]

​@@lw1zfogthat you Malc?

[@lw1zfog]

@@SynnJynn nah, it’s Vincent Price, who are you ?

[@jamesscanlan6240]

Gladwell was never more insufferable than he was in his closing arguments; his ad hominem attacks on Matt Taibi were particularly infuriating and underhanded.

[@thatguyfawkes2328]

Absolutely underhanded they are supposed to be debating ideas and concepts and perception and he ran out of arguments and just started trying to smear his opponent and it was very transparent to anyone with any reason in their head with the ability to critically think as he attacked him with smears with the grace of a rhinoceros and those kind of sloppy deflections only work on simple minded lemming's....He made himself look very bad in this debate thanks for showing us the true colors of mainstream "journalist" bunch of duplicitous snakes.

[@ClintByrne]

I was baffled that he thought that was appropriate.

[@shaunkellison1761]

“ so how long have you been a member of the kkk, James”?-Sadwell

[@No_Ghosts]

@@shaunkellison1761 Matt: "it all start when I noticed Walter Cronkites beautiful, pale skin"

[@guest6398]

@@ClintByrne Well, it's not really baffling. It's the current leftist standard operating procedure. People are getting increasingly fed up with it, though.

[@alexeyrodokanakis8827]

Yet another display of Douglas’s tremendous verbal alacrity.

[@specwargru]

When she said, in her closing remaks "I don't even know if objectivity is the right frame" and "its only the mainstrean media that sort of has that ethos , if you read conservative media..." Right there says it all.

[@tabronholloway5821]

What a bloodbath. MSM side literally proving Taibbi and Murray’s points for them lol

[@savedfaves]

Legacy media is simply doomed. They’ve no way out. Online voices are taking over completely. All legacy media can do at this point is lie harder and all it’s doing is digging their own hole quicker. So obviously in the last few years they’ve turned increasingly to censorship and fear tactics. But that cannot work indefinitely. Their time is running out

[@White1148]

I have almost all of Malcolm's books on my shelf at home. The #1 thing I gained from this debate is a, sadly, reduced respect for him. I hope he has the wisdom to listen back to this debate and has the ability to be introspective, read some of these comments and notice that none (that I have seen) are criticising Michelle but all focused on him. And I really hope he asks himself why and learns from this to do better in the future. Maybe he will realise that he might be somewhat in a bubble or that his perspective is a little more biased or skewed than he thought.

[@aranisles8292]

You are generous. The problem is Malcolm's views are not his own, they are boiler plate 'views', ie. received, self-serving right think. That's why he can't properly defend them and resorts to the standard dishonest smears that are common in his circle. He's a very articulate fellow but not a genuine thinker, or at least that wasn't on display here.

[@RunBayou]

If he was capable of introspection, this debate would have never gone that way

[@steffenla4]

Honestly I'm not sure Michelle even made a point that was tangible enough to criticise. Most of it seemed very vague and incoherent to me. Gladwell repeatedly playing the race card was absolutely despicable. If these two are the best defenders the mainstream can muster, then it's all but over at this stage

[@MegaGo68]

Well said. The mainstream media needs a defense and Michelle was fine. Malcolm was just terrible.

[@White1148]

@@steffenla4 not saying I agree with her points but I didn't have any real problem with what she said and she also made points, arguments and counter points rather than strawmen and ad hominem statements. I expected a hell of a lot better from Malcolm. I honestly don't think he really knows who Matt is and especially doesn't know his work and probably has a very superficial and biased knowledge of Douglas. I think he was guilty of what he thought of the two of them. Meaning he embodied himself the image he had of Matt and Douglas. Michelle was fine she just didn't convince me but made decent points.