Every day, in every newsroom around the world, there's a meeting to decide what leads the news.

It's often argumentative and occasionally heated.

In this new podcast, you'll get to hear the argument for yourself.

As each week, three journalists pitch the story they think mattered most.

And at the end of each episode, I'll decide what comes out on top.

I'm James Harding and from Podomo and Tortoise, this is the News Meeting.

Find it wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to Deconstructed, I'm Ryan Grimm.

So earlier this week, we learned of the tragic death of New York Times journalist Blake Hounchel.

His family set an statement, quote,

It is with great sorrow that we have to inform you that Blake has suddenly died this morning after a long and courageous battle with depression.

I'll go fund me, has been set up for Blake's wife and his two children and will include a link to it in the show notes.

I spoke earlier this week on the program counterpoints with Representative Rokana

and his reflections on Blake get it what made him different in the world of media.

It was devastating and shocking.

I mean, I had sat down with Blake actually when my book came out and we spent an hour and a half, two hours,

time out philosophy, talking about economics. He was someone so well read, so thoughtful and he had texted me in December saying,

let's get together in the new year, just totally shocking.

My heart goes out to his family, he had children and he was really one of the thinkers in journalism.

Right, and I think that's well said, he did stand apart in that way.

He did. I mean, he was at the New York Times, but he had also a little bit of an independent, he had his own newsletter.

He'd do longer form pieces. It wasn't always for him about the news of the day.

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