EP 234: Harrison Lowman on James Bennet, The New York Times and the Era of Activist Journalism
Wed Feb 04 2026
This week on the Lean Out podcast we are taking a look at the chaotic summer of 2020, and the impact of that unrest on mainstream journalism. Our guest on the program this week has a new interview with the former opinion editor at The New York Times, James Bennet, who was famously ousted by a staff revolt. My guest says that now is a good time to think through how that historical moment — and its activists — has shaped our journalism.
Harrison Lowman is a Canadian journalist. He’s the managing editor of The Hub and a former producer of this podcast.
You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Substack at tarahenley.substack.com
More
This week on the Lean Out podcast we are taking a look at the chaotic summer of 2020, and the impact of that unrest on mainstream journalism. Our guest on the program this week has a new interview with the former opinion editor at The New York Times, James Bennet, who was famously ousted by a staff revolt. My guest says that now is a good time to think through how that historical moment — and its activists — has shaped our journalism. Harrison Lowman is a Canadian journalist. He’s the managing editor of The Hub and a former producer of this podcast. You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Substack at tarahenley.substack.com