Erik Wemple

Washington, D.C.

Media critic with a focus on the ups and downs and downs of the cable-news industry

Education: Hamilton College, BA in Government; Georgetown University, MS in Foreign Service

Erik Wemple has been doing journalism for and about Washington for more than two decades. He started out covering export controls, with an emphasis on the Commerce Department’s long-since-renamed Bureau of Export Administration. But then he took a liking to local affairs, which turned into a position as the Loose Lips columnist for Washington City Paper. Then came a stint covering Washington for a New York-based, media-obsessed product of the Internet bubble (Inside.com, now defunct). After eight years as editor of City Paper and another year as editor of TBD.com, he landed at The Washington P
Latest from Erik Wemple

Fox News fears competitors will steal its ‘journalistic processes’

A questionable filing in the network's defense against a defamation lawsuit from Dominion seeks to maintain redactions in court filings.

March 13, 2023

5 insights from the Dominion-Fox News document dump

Fox News is a corrupt media organization, and each batch of internal correspondence that emerges from the Dominion defamation suit deepens the reality.

March 8, 2023

What is Fox News hiding in the Dominion lawsuit?

A filing by Dominion Voting Systems containing material unearthed in discovery is full of redactions by the No. 1 cable news network.

March 6, 2023

Rupert Murdoch isn’t sinking the Fox News legal case. Here’s why.

The high-profile defamation suit against the network won't turn on testimony like that cited from the media mogul this week.

February 28, 2023

The New York Times newsroom is splintering over a trans coverage debate

Times reporters express concerns over the possibility that coverage decisions can be cited in workplace complaints.

February 24, 2023

Fox News is worse than you thought

Internal communications among network officials show a concern for ratings and not much else.

February 17, 2023

Ron DeSantis’s latest culture-war target: Media libel laws

The Florida governor is taking aim at New York Times v. Sullivan, a staple of media freedom in the United States.

February 15, 2023

Tucker Carlson knows exactly what he’s doing

His segment on alleged wrongdoing by Hunter Biden and Joe Biden is a great example.

February 6, 2023

Rolling Stone said Jan. 6 leaders used ‘burner’ phones. Where’s the evidence?

Jan. 6 committee interviews cast doubt on a Rolling Stone exclusive alleging communications among Trump lieutenants and Jan. 6 rally coordinators.

February 1, 2023

3 takeaways from Tucker Carlson’s texts with Alex Jones

How far into the land of kooky conspiracies can Fox News host Tucker Carlson drift? As far as texting Alex Jones — that's how far.

January 19, 2023