January 5, 2026
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#1290 How the New York Times Shapes Canada’s Image
I am so deeply bored of the little brother, little cousin, whatever vibe I find it so unuseful. -Matina Stevis-Gridneff
Bruce Thorson
Senior Producer
Caleb Thompson
Audio Editor
Jesse Brown
Host & Publisher
max collins
Director of Audio

One of the most powerful voices in Canadian media isn’t Canadian. And she doesn’t work for a Canadian news outlet. Matina Stevis-Gridneff is the New York Times correspondent for Canada.

Canadians have a weird relationship to the NYT. In one sense, it’s the most powerful newspaper in Canada. It has more digital subscribers than any Canadian publication, although The Globe and Mail has more readers.

On the other hand, of course, it’s American, and we are living in the biggest transformation in our relationship to America since Confederation. Canadians have changed their travel habits, changed their consumption habits. They want  fewer American things, less America in their lives.

But  that hasn’t applied to the Times. Its reach is still expanding, even as the Times has grown more conservative, and even though their op-ed writers have kicked around the idea of annexing Canada.

Matina Stevis-Gridneff joins us today to talk about what Canada means to the NYT and what the NYT means to Canada.

Host: Stephen Marche

Credits: Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)

Featured Guest: Matina Stevis-Gridneff

Fact checking by Julian Abraham

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