The New York Times

The organization successfully transitioned from a print-first, ad-reliant model to a subscription-first digital business.

“When you say that "We figured it out," I think that's understating it quite a bit. It's been a remarkable story. To me, as someone outside the Times now for a long time but who used to be there, the story that I tell myself in my head is that the Times legenda…”

Discussed as a news organization that has successfully pivoted to become a major publisher of digital games.

“If you are looking for evidence that Eric Zimmerman is right to call this the ludic century, at least from a commercial perspective, consider the following numbers. The video game market today is valued at nearly $200 billion, up from just $13 billion at the t…”

The organization is discussed regarding its evolution into a games company and its core mission of high-quality journalism.

“I hate to say it. I think you're wrong, really wrong. The New York Times is not becoming a games company. We really see persistent demand for everything that we do. Our games get massive attention because they are uniquely good, but also because they are assoc…”

The organization producing high-quality, human-made puzzles that consumers value over machine-made alternatives.

“It's not. But these conversations are what it's all about, and that's because there's a human behind it. Picking a five-letter word every day might not seem like that complicated of a job, but when you think about the trend over time and the cadence of what ar…”

The organization is expanding its digital portfolio by integrating games like Wordle and live coverage into its subscription model.

“We're almost at about 13 million subscribers. So I feel like we are on a very confident path to get to 15. This is where games becomes really interesting because you might come in for Wordle or the mini crossword, and then you might find yourself watching last…”

The company that acquired Wordle and is developing it into a TV show, while managing a growing portfolio of games.

“The Times won't divulge what it paid for Wordle, but it was reported to be in the low seven figures. And how many new users did Wordle bring to The Times?”

Discussed in the context of whether the organization is transitioning into a games-focused company.

“In this episode, we will hear about game design, and we will ask if The New York Times is becoming a games company.”

The organization behind the games discussed, including Wordle, Connections, Strands, and Crossplay.

“I think that's a great point. We have our mantras that we try to live by. Time well spent is one of the most important ones. We wanna feel like this is your time, that we're respectful of it, that you have agency as a user. Some people like to wake up first th…”

Mentioned as the organization where Jonathan Knight and Alex Hardiman work.

“That, again, was Eric Zimmerman. We also heard from Jonathan Knight and Alex Hardiman from The New York Times. I would love to know which games you find beautiful and why. Our email is radio@freakonomics.com. We will have more episodes on games in the coming w…”

Kareem Rahma worked at The New York Times and helped launch Times Video.

“I was doing the same thing. I, like, helped start Times Video, which now makes film and television and-”

The news organization reporting on the rumored executive order and currently suing AI companies.

“Yeah. So let's talk about what's been going on and some of the data points that support the idea that the Trump administration is sort of changing its AI posture, or at least has several different AI postures that it's considering. But first, let's do our AI d…”

Reported on Matt Gaetz's Venmo payments in relation to a federal inquiry.

“[laughs] Yeah. Also, you know, the p- uh, public by default Venmo transactions gave us many great stories over the years, including Joe Biden's secret Venmo, uh, which was a BuzzFeed story. Uh, JD Vance had a public Venmo that Wired reported on. Matt Gaetz's V…”

The outlet reported on the failed takeover bid between GameStop and eBay.

“All right, this next one comes to us from our colleagues at The New York Times, eBay rejects GameStop's $55 billion takeover bid. Last week, GameStop offered 55 billion to eBay in an unsolicited takeover attempt. Uh, according to some interviews, they appeared…”

Reported on a Chinese think tank's attempt to lobby Anthropic for model access.

“So there was some, uh, reporting in The Wall Street Journal last week that both the US and China have been considering a series of official discussions around AI. We know that AI is on the agenda for President Trump's meetings with Xi in China this week. And w…”

Mentioned as the publisher of the podcast.

“[upbeat music] Hi, everyone. This is Pivot from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network. I'm Kara Swisher.”

Mentioned as the source of a story regarding pediatric cancer research funding cuts.

“Or cuts off, you know, there was a, a really upsetting story in the New, in New York Times, a woman writing about her kid who died of cancer. But, like, they've cut cancer, pediatric cancer things, and so these, you can't get in these studies 'cause they don't…”

Investigated suspicious betting patterns on prediction markets.

“[upbeat music] Okay, Scott, let's hear a prediction. I will note that people should... Something we have talked about and have been in our predictions, a New York Times investigation, which you should all read, found that over eighty Polymarket users have plac…”

Reported on the shoddy construction of a reflecting pool project associated with Trump.

“He doesn't have any objectives. It's worse than before. He's made it worse, and it's not a war. Like it's not, it's... He's kind of right. It's not. It's something else where it's just a disa-- it's just a big fucking mess, the same as his casinos and, you kno…”

Cited as a source for polling data showing a decline in Trump's approval.

“No, I think the polls are really striking. Um, they're both good polls, and you always want to compare apples to apples. So once you compare them to previous polls by the same outfits, the same organizations. The CBS poll has-- The approvals ticked down a poin…”

Mel Robbins references Dr. Vonda Wright's book, Unbreakable, as a New York Times bestseller.

“In your New York Times bestseller, Unbreakable, I am, uh, looking at this entire chapter, and you even have recipes in this book.”

Mentioned as the publisher of the bestseller list that ranks Dr. Vonda Wright's book.

“... you've authored 44 research studies, you are a renowned orthopedic surgeon, you are a team doc for professional sports, you are an expert in longevity, you have the number one book in the world, uh, ranked in longevity right now, the New York Times bestsel…”

Cited as a source for government officials providing information on Iranian military capabilities.

“Government officials talking to The New York Times and The Washington Post-”

Cited as the publication where George Kennan warned about the consequences of NATO expansion in 1998.

“then they just went ahead anyway, and the Clintons, uh, you know, went along with it, too. And in fact, in the, in the Clinton years, one of the major proponents of NATO expansion was a guy named Strobe Talbott, who originally opposed it. And by the way, so wh…”

Cited as the source for reporting on the meeting between Netanyahu and the U.S. President.

“Dude, I'll tell you what, that New York Times article, did you read that one where Netanyahu came and they sat across from each other at the table like this instead of Trump sitting at the head of the table, and Netanyahu gave him the whole presentation about …”

Cited for publishing satellite imagery showing the extent of damage to U.S. bases in the Middle East.

“They weren't letting Americans have access to the satellite photos when you could get them online, whatever other countries had them. And then you've had The New York Times, and I hate to cite CNN, but it was a well-sourced story, where they got all these grea…”

The publication that leaked the original Defense Planning Guidance document.

“Right. And by the way, they did rewrite it 'cause it was a scandal. It was leaked to the New York Times, and so they went back and rewrote it, and they just said, "Well, we'll bring our friends, you know, from the international institutions along too."”

The publication that originally published Mordechai Vanunu's revelations about Israel's nuclear weapons.

“But he gave the whole story to The Sunday Times, the London Times, and they published it back in, I'm gonna say '86. And then, um, what happened was he was on Twitter. He may still be on Twitter. Um, but um, I had an anecdote from Daniel Ellsberg, the great, u…”

The publication that stood by the investigative piece written by Mendel and Ken Vogel.

“And The New York Times stands for that piece, so why should I be, you know, feeling bad about that?”

Cited as a source that confirmed insights regarding the Biden administration's role in the war.

“Oh, they were almost done, yeah. And, uh, I was explained in details that they agreed for everything, and furthermore, which is very important, they said that Zelenskyy personally agreed to give away Donbas. And I, I was shocked. At that moment, it was a shock…”

Mentioned as the source of a commenter's quote and the creator of the Wordle game.

“[laughs] All right. Here is your last quote. It's from a commenter on the New York Times website.”

Reported on customers being fed up with excessive restaurant text messages.

“Faith, this week, The New York Times reported customers are getting fed up with restaurants that just won't stop doing what?”

Referenced for providing tips on double dating.

“The New York Times offered tips this week for how to double date when your friend's partner is a dud, in their words. And if you're looking around the table during a double date and you're wondering, "Well, who's the dud?"”

Reported on the original ending of the Michael Jackson biopic regarding abuse allegations.

“Yes. That's, that's what the New York Times is reporting, that originally this biopic, uh, Michael, ended with an a- a- an attempt to address the abuse allegations and an attempt to take down of some number of the accusers, maybe just Jordy, maybe more. I don'…”

Criticized by Megyn Kelly for their reporting on the Michael Jackson film via their podcast, The Daily.

“Wow. Now, the movie ends before Michael Jackson was accused of sexual abuse of children. Uh, it originally did not end there, but it does in the version that you're seeing in the theaters. Uh, despite the film ignoring the controversy surrounding that, you kno…”

Cited as the source for information regarding Michael Jackson's financial state at the time of his death.

“Yes. Uh, it's, it's like a rite of passage, sadly, for a lot of women. But boy, oh, boy, the, you, you get tougher, that's for damn sure. All right, before we go, I wanna put a period at the end of the m- the MJ discussion because the real question is what, wh…”

The organization where Lauren Jackson worked as a journalist, finding motivation in its mission.

“I threw myself into work. I did what I'd always wanted to do, which was be a journalist. I was really motivated by the mission of The New York Times. I worked all the time, all the time.”

The media organization producing the podcast.

“[instrumental music] From The New York Times, I'm Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily.”

The publication where debates regarding the religious revival trend are taking place.

“It's a really good question, and it's one that has sparked a lot of debate, both in the pages of The New York Times and also in the people I'm speaking to on the religion beat. You know, plenty of people have declared this a revival. That's a strong word, and-”

Cited as the source of a new poll showing negative trends for the GOP.

“... of the voters. This just in, we've got a couple of polls. N- none of them is good news for the Republicans, unfortunately. But, um, here's one from, let's see, uh, pulling it up. Hmm. Brand-new New York Times poll. Dan Pfeiffer of Team Obama, biased, but s…”

Jonathan Alpert mentions writing an opinion piece for the publication in 2012 criticizing perpetual therapy.

“Well, like you said, therapy is just everywhere, and it really should stay confined to the therapist office, but it's not. And, uh, back in 2012, I wrote an opinion piece for The New York Times called In Therapy Forever: Enough Already. And in that piece, I ar…”

Reported on the CIA director's demands regarding intelligence posts in Cuba.

“pretext to U- US military action so that they can then turn a- around and be like, "We said it was pretextual." Right? You gave your audience absolutely no context for all the bullshit you just heaped upon them. You just wanted the exclusive. You want to be pa…”

The publication Howard Beck wrote for when interviewing Jason Collins.

“... rest in peace, Jason Collins. Um, I only had very brief interactions with him during the course of his career. Um, and mostly toward the end of his career when he came back. He, he first came out in a Sports Illustrated cover story in 2013, and a month or …”

Mentioned as the publication where David French wrote a critical column about a candidate.

“Yeah. But he, he, Platter is going to... You, you saw, uh, David French wrote a very tough column in The New York Times this week about him, and, uh, I mean, not that people read that, but that was a, the tenor of what he... You know, they're gonna go back at …”

Mentioned as an institution that attempted to pay the speaker for favorable coverage.

“But I will take money from China tonight, for sure. The New York Times tried to give me money to say nice things about them, and I said no. So, I, but I will take money from China, an institution I respect. Um, and, [laughs] but it, we, we, we do have to come …”

The news organization producing the podcast segment.

“From The New York Times, I'm Natalie Kitroeff. This is The Daily. [upbeat music] For the last three weeks, a messy, dramatic battle has played out between two of the most powerful titans of tech in the world, Elon Musk and Sam Altman. In a high-stakes lawsuit,…”

Michael Kimmelman reported on the aftermath of the bombing for this publication.

“Michael Kimmelman of the New York Times traveled to Florence to report on the situation several weeks after the fact, and his description was printed in papers around the world. One section describes a gallery that looked over the street where the car had been…”

The Uffizi director spoke to this publication about the significance of the painting restoration project.

“Um, it's a very famous effort. When the partially restored painting was set to make its debut in 2018, the Uffizi's director, Eike Schmidt, told The New York Times that this whole project was really about much more than art. Quote, "For Florence, Italy, and th…”

Mentioned as an organization that set strict guidelines for reporters regarding AI usage.

“Right. So you also let the CEO of, uh, the transcription company Otter.ai make a Joanna agent that was cloned from past interviews you sent them. You sent your Joanna bot, and it interviewed sources. 'Cause you talked about you wanted this as- your assis- your…”

Mentioned as a potential high-profile outlet that might receive exclusive review access.

“And then they go to, like, New York Times [laughs] or some shit like that.”

Jonathan Wolfe is identified as a reporter for this publication.

“New York Times reporter Jonathan Wolfe.”

Cited for an article regarding political campaign donations.

“I don't know. It's, I think it's a little bit above my pay grade, but what I will say is that the midterms, I think, are probably gonna swing more based on these recent gerrymandering rulings from the Supreme Court and what happened in the Virginia Supreme Cou…”

Reported on the merger between Wellington and Ivest, noting that observers felt Wellington paid too high a price.

“[laughs] Yeah. $2 billion for Wellington, $17 million from Ivest, 60/40 split on the equity. There's a quote in The New York Times in a lead story about this merger. "Some observers feel that Wellington paid too high a price for management personnel. Many pers…”

Dr. Joy Harden Bradford read a column in this publication about the beauty of getting weirder as one ages.

“Ooh, so I actually just read something, I think it was in The New York Times, a column about getting weirder as we age. And I think that that is one of the most beautiful things about getting older, is that you kinda like let go of some of those ideas around f…”

Source of an article regarding Meta's investment in the metaverse.

“And we'll release clips of this, but it was difficult for them, and, and, um, but it was still nice that they came. And, you know, a lot of things are changing. I read this article in The New York Times, you can grab this, that Meta, which is this mega company…”

A publication referenced during questioning of Senator Collins.

“Got it. Senator, are- Thank you... okay. Are you comfortable with the reports in The New York Times regarding-”

The publication where Claudia Goldin wrote an op-ed regarding WNBA salary gaps.

“We exchanged emails with Claudia. She didn't wanna come on because she wanted the focus to be on the players, and she said the math she was doing for them was not actually complicated. It was simple. It's all laid out in an op-ed she wrote last year for The Ne…”

The organization that funded Rachel Cohn's attendance at the attention class.

“Great, great questions. Great questions. Um, yeah, no, I still have all my hair. Um, it only cost the Times $250 to send me to one class. Most of the classes were free. The first thing people think, I think, when they hear school, is they think, like, elementa…”

Used as an example of a newspaper that might contain a local supplement.

“'Cause if you live in a little town, maybe all the copies of The Times that go here also have the Barry Gazette, for example.”

Referenced as a source for reliable news and historical context.

“But, you know, the facts, they shouldn't be uncertain, and, uh, that of course, is where The Times and The Sunday Times come in.”

The news organization reporting on the trial and the utility merger.

“And why a deal between two of the largest US electricity providers is likely to face scrutiny from regulators. It's Monday, May 18th. I'm Alex Osule for the Wall Street Journal. This is the PM edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories that…”