AT A GLANCE
- The Paper Drop is the official podcast of the San Antonio Observer, bringing the paper’s political reporting and commentary to audio and video.
- The show draws inspiration from Edward R. Murrow’s tradition of truth-first reporting and holding power accountable.
- The launch comes amid escalating legal, political, and financial pressure on mainstream and Black media.
- The podcast launches early 2026.
The Paper Drop is coming early 2026 to Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. Click HERE, to subscribe.
The Murrow Way: The Paper Drop Podcast Brings Independent Journalism Back to the Mic
Edward R. Murrow started See It Now to bring serious and courageous journalism to television, expanding on the success of his radio program Hear It Now. The show became famous for confronting Senator Joseph McCarthy, using McCarthy’s own words and footage to expose his bullying tactics, challenge the anti-communist hysteria of the era, and show how television could hold power accountable.
Journalism has a responsibility to challenge authority and inform the public. Often called the Fourth Estate, the press serves as an independent check on government and every institution that holds power.
The media landscape today sits in a place Murrow may recognize. Across the industry, mainstream and Black, the examples are clear. Trump has sued several news outlets, CBS, YouTube, Disney, Meta, for defamation over negative coverage, false reporting, and biased framing. Companies have paid more than $90 million in settled lawsuits filed by President Trump and unresolved cases are in the billions in sought damages.
Covering the Pentagon now requires signing an agreement that binds reporters to rules aligned with the administration’s preferences. Now, there is even a White House webpage publicly labeling a “media offender of the week,” calling out outlets that dare to report outside the terms the administration favors.
In Regards to Black Media
In regards to Black media and representation, minus the major advertisers backing away from Black outlets in response to Trump’s DEI polices, companies like BET is undergoing one of its most significant leadership, cultural, and network shifts ever.
Scott Mills has recently stepped down as president and CEO of BET, and BET Studios is shifting under the CBS Studios division. The network’s pause of the BET Hip Hop Awards and Soul Train Awards drew heavy criticism, with artists like Fat Joe and Jadakiss calling the move cultural gentrification.
Ebro in the Morning was just cancelled due to Hot 97 navigating a shakeup in urban radio. Joy Reid’s MSNBC program The ReidOut was canceled in February 2025. In September, Karen Attiah was fired for her comments on Charlie Kirk from the Washington Post. Kirk’s death also sparked a significant crackdown on speech deemed critical of Kirk or conservative views.
A government backed campaign encouraged penalties of more than 600 people across the country were fired or disciplined, including a sports reporter, a Starbucks barista, several educators and even Jimmy Kimmel’s show was suspended.
News is under attack. Real news. Mainstream and Black. Journalists with real training and experience are being silenced and censored. Black media is being blackballed by major advertisers.
The Paper Drop Coming Early 2026
With that in mind, my co-host and I will launch The Paper Drop podcast in early 2026. In tradition of the Black press, this podcast is an independent political commentary and education podcast grounded in truth. We will feature guests from San Antonio and beyond, informing the public, asking the hard questions, and cutting through the thick wall of misinformation that now defines our era.
Podcasts have grown into a parallel information network where people actually listen, watch, share, and follow, and their impact in the 2024 presidential race proved it. Often dubbed as the “podcast election,” as shows like The Joe Rogan Experience, Theo Von’s This Past Weekend, Call Her Daddy, Charlamagne Tha God’s The Breakfast Club, and more became key campaign platforms for politicians.
Candidates used them to bypass traditional media and Trump and his populist rhetoric dominated the space.
My First Column
When I wrote my first column for this paper, I said, “I aim to establish the same trust, relationship with the modern American society, and venerate the truth and credibility of a true journalist.” I wrote that with no podcast in mind.
Though after all these incidents and the waves from the second Trump administration crashed through American society, I began thinking of Murrow and the need for such clarity during these times.
While I am pessimistic that I will ever match Murrow, I hope to give someone the insight of the veracity.
Until then, goodnight and good luck– and stay tuned.
