People on the left have been reaching out to Tara for years, saying that they feel like the mainstream media has become politicized, is biased in favour of the left — and they no longer trust it to report the news fairly. Now, a group of international scholars has published an interesting research paper that addresses this dynamic. It finds that when people perceive institutions to be politicized, they lose trust. Even if they happen agree with its politics. Azim Shariff is a professor and Canad...
May 24, 2023•21 min
Life in North America is becoming increasingly lonely — and this trend is impacting all areas of our lives, including our physical health. So much so, in fact, that the United States Surgeon General recently issued an advisory on loneliness , characterizing it as a critical public health concern. But Tara's guest today says that that report fails to grapple with the drivers of our loneliness epidemic, including economics. Brendan Case is the associate director for research at the Human Flourishi...
May 17, 2023•25 min
One of the questions of this podcast has been: How do we begin to rethink feminism — given the fact that, in the current era, so many women are so unhappy ? A group of powerhouse writers and thinkers gathered at Harvard last month to contemplate that very question. Tara's guest on the podcast today moderated that panel, which, one could argue, marked a major turning point in feminist thought. Erika Bachiochi is an American legal scholar and author, and a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Ce...
May 09, 2023•33 min
Since the pandemic, we’ve been hearing more and more about the mental health crisis impacting teenaged girls. Tara's guest on the program today is a journalist with a special interest in the well-being of young women. In her own adolescence, she was hospitalized nine times for anorexia — which she’s written about in a new book — and in recent years, she has dug into the issue of gender dysphoria, trying to understand the surge of cases among teen girls. It was coverage of gender issues that ulti...
May 02, 2023•35 min
With the rising tensions in our society has come increased conflict, including generational conflict. There are now lots of stereotypes being thrown around about existing generations, from Boomers to Millennials. But our guest on today’s program prefers to deal in facts. Her latest book analyses data from 39 million people, debunking dominant ideas about generational cohorts — and, in a departure from the consensus within her field, points to technology rather than major current events as the ma...
Apr 26, 2023•27 min
In recent weeks, on the Lean Out podcast, we’ve been exploring the issue of declining fertility in rich countries . And Canada is not exempt from this trend. Canada’s fertility rate has been dropping for years, and is now at 1.4 births per woman — well below population replacement levels. Tara's guest on the program today argues that these statistics represent a world of hidden personal pain. The think tank she’s a fellow at recently conducted research that found that “ nearly half of Canadian w...
Apr 19, 2023•26 min
Liberal feminism is predicated on the idea that more is always better. More freedom, more technology, more autonomy. But Tara's guest today says this ethos is dissolving the bonds between men and women, between women and children, and between women and their bodies. And she argues that it’s time to rethink feminism. Mary Harrington is a columnist and contributing editor at UnHerd , and a fellow Substacker . Her new book is Feminism Against Progress . You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraR...
Apr 12, 2023•40 min
On the Lean Out podcast, we delve into the subjects that don’t get talked about enough in society. And one of the topics that’s still considered third rail is women’s fertility — even as the birth rate in Canada has dropped to a record low . My guest on the podcast today writes a lot about this issue, and she recently published a fascinating piece on South Korea, which has the lowest fertility rate in the world. Anna Louie Sussman is an award-winning journalist who reports on gender, economics, ...
Apr 05, 2023•29 min
One of the goals of the Lean Out podcast is to complicate the dominant narratives. And Tara's guest on today’s episode does this all the time in his work. He’s an independent thinker, a prolific essayist — and, as we’ll hear, his conclusions are often surprising, rarely conforming to the orthodoxies on either the left or the right. Wilfred Reilly is a political science professor at Kentucky State University . His latest book is Taboo: 10 Facts You Can’t Talk About . You can find Tara Henley on T...
Mar 30, 2023•41 min
Earlier this month, a federal court judge went to speak to students at Stanford Law School. Judge Kyle Duncan has referred to the explosive protest that ensued as a “ struggle session ,” while student hecklers have defended their actions as counter-speech . Tara's guest on today’s program has some thoughts on this free speech controversy — and where the university should go from here. Alex Morey is a First Amendment attorney and the director of campus rights advocacy at the Foundation for Indivi...
Mar 22, 2023•35 min
If you’re a regular listener of the Lean Out podcast, you know that it has not been a good couple of years for the media. From the lab leak theory to the Hunter Biden laptop, we in the press have gotten a lot of big stories wrong. Tara's guest on the program today is a media veteran, and he has some insights on how this all has happened — and where we go from here. Steve Krakauer is a journalist, media critic and author. He’s executive producer of The Megyn Kelly Show and host of The Fourth Watc...
Mar 14, 2023•31 min
One of the themes of the Lean Out podcast is open inquiry. And Tara's guest on the program today has some thoughts on this. He’s concerned about the suppression of discussion and debate and viewpoint diversity in the field of addiction — and he points to specific actions from the B.C. government and the B.C. Centre on Substance Use. But, as we’ll learn at the end of today’s episode, both view the issue quite differently. (See below for statements.) Julian Somers is a clinical psychologist, a dis...
Mar 08, 2023•47 min
After much anticipation, Justice Paul Rouleau has released his final report for the Public Order Emergency Commission , finding that the Canadian government’s use of the Emergencies Act against the trucker convoy was appropriate, but noting that he came to this conclusion reluctantly. Tara's guest on the program today had a front row seat — both for the convoy protests in Ottawa and the Commission — and he joins us today to talk about what this report means for Canada going forward. Paul Wells i...
Mar 01, 2023•33 min
Who am I? What am I here for? These are fundamental questions in life — and throughout human history, they’ve often been answered through relationships to kin. But with the collapse of the family unit and the atomization of individuals, Tara's guest on today’s program argues, we have become unmoored. And we are now experiencing a crisis in identity, “a psychic howl” that’s shaping our culture and politics in profound ways. Mary Eberstadt is an American essayist, novelist, and cultural critic. He...
Feb 15, 2023•29 min
In July of 2020, in The New Statesman , Tara's guest on today’s program wrote, “I fear that history will judge lockdown as a monumental mistake on a truly global scale.” At that time, there was surprisingly little debate over an unprecedented public health intervention. But that dialogue is starting to happen now, and Tara's guest’s recent book is one reason why. Mark Woolhouse is a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh. He’s also the author of The Year the ...
Feb 08, 2023•33 min
This past week in Canada, a controversy erupted around the National Arts Centre’s plans to reserve an upcoming theatre performance for Black audience members only, with many questioning why any organization would want to open the door for racial segregation , in any form. (And indeed, since this podcast was recorded, the NAC has issued an updated press release , indicating “everyone is welcome at all our shows.”) It’s the latest example of a movement that, as my guest on today’s program argues, ...
Feb 01, 2023•34 min
Without freedom of expression, there can be no great art. Artists must have the ability to express themselves fearlessly, and take risks, in order to create authentic work. So, what happens when this fundamental value is eroded within our culture? It’s a question that Tara's guest on the podcast today has thought a lot about — and one he tackles in his first Substack newsletter , dedicated to a recent incident which saw London’s Field Day Festival rescind a booking request for the rapper M.I.A. ...
Jan 25, 2023•31 min
On the Lean Out podcast, we’ve talked a lot about the state of open debate in our society. The public conversation these days frequently involves highly contentious and nasty arguments — and science is no exception. Michael Powell at The New York Times recently reported out one such example , involving the naming of a telescope after a late NASA head, and allegations of homophobia. Several of the scientists behind the movement to rename the telescope have issued a statement since The New York Ti...
Jan 18, 2023•36 min
In recent weeks on the Lean Out podcast, we’ve been doing a deep dive into the rise of independent journalism , and looking at some of the big stories that independent journalists broke this past year. Tara's guest on today’s program, taped in December, saw several of her own pieces draw international attention in 2022 — including her reporting on the trucker convoy crisis in Ottawa , and, as we’ll discuss today, her r eporting around Canada’s controversial Medical Assistance in Dying program , ...
Jan 11, 2023•28 min
One year ago today, the Lean Out podcast launched with an interview with the American journalist Batya Ungar-Sargon . Now, 12 months later , Lean Out has listeners in 135 countries and 2900 cities. To mark this milestone — our first anniversary — we invited Batya back on the show to talk through some of the big stories of 2022. Batya Ungar-Sargon is the deputy opinion editor at Newsweek, and the author of Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy . You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at ...
Jan 05, 2023•31 min
Throughout the month of December, here on Lean Out, we’ve been having conversations with the independent journalists that we admire. Today, Tara is happy to welcome back to the podcast a writer and thinker whose work kept us sane during the pandemic. Meghan Daum is an essayist and author. She’s a former columnist for the L.A. Times, host of The Unspeakable podcast , and with Sarah Haider , co-host of the podcast A Special Place In Hell . You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and o...
Dec 28, 2022•32 min
Today is a day of rest and reflection for many of us — and, with any luck, of joy and gratitude and communal celebration as well. With that in mind, we have a surprise bonus episode of Lean Out, featuring a special guest. He’s here to offer us all a little hope and inspiration for Christmas, and for the year to come. Reverend Christopher White is the minister at Kedron United Church in Oshawa, Ontario, in the greater Toronto area. You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Subst...
Dec 22, 2022•19 min
This month at Lean Out, we've been speaking with journalists we admire — and having conversations about the state of the mainstream media, and the rise of the independent press. Tara's guest today runs an independent outlet in Ottawa, and she joins Tara to talk through some of the year’s biggest stories. Holly Doan is an award-winning journalist, and the publisher and owner of Blacklock’s Reporter . Lean Out did request comment from the Parliamentary Press Gallery on the recent eviction of Black...
Dec 16, 2022•30 min
What does it mean to be politically homeless? Tara's guest today describes herself this way, and jokes that her tribe is tribeless. We relate. A lot. This month at Lean Out, Tara has been speaking with independent journalists who are changing the media landscape. Today’s guest is an opinion writer that always makes us think — and laugh. Bridget Phetasy is a comedian, writer, and podcaster in Los Angeles. She’s a columnist and contributing editor at The Spectator , and host of the shows Dumpster ...
Dec 14, 2022•51 min
This summer on her podcast, Bari Weiss described Tara's guest today as one of the best writers in America . We think she’s right. During the month of December, here at Lean Out, we're speaking with independent journalists that we admire. And we're particularly pleased to bring you today’s conversation, with a Substack writer who’s had a big impact on Tara's thinking. Freddie deBoer is an independent journalist in Brooklyn, New York. He’s the author of The Cult of Smart: How Our Broken Education ...
Dec 09, 2022•31 min
On the Lean Out podcast this year, we’ve talked a lot about the failings of the mainstream media , and the reasons why the press has lost the public’s trust . But for the month of December, we’ll be focusing on one of the bright spots of the media landscape — and that is the independent press. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be speaking with some of the journalists that I most admire, who are doing fantastic work, at Substack and elsewhere. We kick off this series today with Leighton Woodhouse . H...
Dec 07, 2022•22 min
On the Lean Out podcast, we spend a lot of time delving into the big problems of our age. But one thing we haven’t paid enough attention to is the forces that distract us all from solving these problems. What are the bread and circuses of our time? Tara's guest on the podcast today argues that we are in thrall to shopping — and that this shapes our culture in profound ways. Paul Berton is an award-winning Canadian journalist and the editor-in-chief of The Hamilton Spectator. His new book is Shop...
Nov 30, 2022•23 min
On the Lean Out podcast, we’ve been talking about the state of the modern male. And today, Tara's guest on the podcast is going to walk us through his landmark study on an invisible crisis afflicting prime working-aged men in America — and that is the collapse of work. Nicholas Eberstadt holds the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute. His latest book is Men Without Work ; it’s recently out in a post-pandemic edition. You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @...
Nov 22, 2022•35 min
There’s a group of people in our society who are in deep trouble. They lag behind in education and employment — and disproportionately die of suicides and overdoses. Who are we talking about? Boys and men. Tara's guest on the podcast today says that while this issue has long been taboo, it’s time for a conversation about it, as its impacts are felt all around us. Richard V. Reeves is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, where he directs the Boys and Men Project . His new book is called ...
Nov 16, 2022•36 min
“I hate it when I find myself agreeing with people with whom I usually disagree.” These are the opening lines of a book written by Tara's guest on the podcast today. She’s a progressive professor, but she now finds herself breaking ranks with the left over which works of literature are acceptable to be read and discussed in America’s classrooms. Deborah Appleman is the Hollis L. Caswell Professor of Educational Studies at Carleton College, and an instructor at the Minnesota Correctional Facility...
Nov 08, 2022•38 min
