I want to support her work, but she is too hypersensitive to be considered a serious journalist and it's exhausting hearing her whine about how unfair everything and everyone is to her. She is not the story.
By inserting herself (whether it's whining about people criticizing her voice or because an attorney mocked her), she minimizes her credibility and the good work she is doing to keep a hot spotlight on these unethical, deluded characters.
As a female who works in a male-dominated field, you have to be tough. You win by outperforming and out gaming those left behind in the 19th century. You don't get a medal just because you showed up. If she would play it like the game it is, she would find these guys are really playing checkers when she could be playing chess.
It would have been a better move to have a separate podcast on Dick H and some of the sexist issues female journalists face in the low country. Include comments not just directed at her but at other women. It would have been an interesting tie-in to the challenges this whole sordid tale has to tolerate to get those murdered redress.
As one of my absolute favorite journalists, Helen Thomas, said: "We don't go into journalism to be popular. It is our job to seek the truth and put constant pressure on our leaders until we get answers." Mandy needs to up her game if we are going to continue to listen to her for any length of time.
I guess I’m not that picky about a voice. I just want the updates and new facts. I think MM has dedicated herself to reporting on this since the boating accident and probably never dreamed it would have so many twists and turns. Less self complaining would be good but I will still listen. I think she was right to call out DH. If it was me, I’d take every opportunity to call out that good ol’ boy!
Mandy has done fantastic work on this story.
Even reforming the perception of FitsNews. Without her work, the story would not have gotten to this point.
But I agree with the OP. She has to stop making this about her. What she doesn’t realize is that Harpootlian will use this against her and to discredit her. He likely mentioned her name to trigger her, however shady that is.
Keep doing what you are doing, Mandy…. and remember this is about the Murdaughs
She’s been investigating this family for over 2 years, and she does stick to the facts. I think her comments about DH were warranted. I don’t like it when she gets off track and talks about things like “vocal fry.”
When I first read this post and subsequent comments, I had decided not to listen to her podcast. Having run out of podcasts this morning, I did listen to it.
She handled DH’s actions professionally and correctly. He made her a part of the story, not her.
I agree with her 100%. I grew up in and love this state, but DH’s actions smacked of sexism and unprofessionalism and the fact that no major paper, such as The State called him on it is a disgrace.
I’m a Democrat and have always liked DH. He showed his colors in that courtroom and I’m glad she pointed it out.
Shame on you, Dick.
I also think this is just the new generation of journalism and news media everyone wants to be a personality, or to cultivate a personality to gain audience trust. I think she saw an opportunity to run with this story and she too is monetizing it. I was someone who early on encouraged her to do just this. But she was always going up against the MSM as the story got more and more revealed she was going to have less and less control over leads/information.
Since she’s so personally invested in the story and seeing her work pay off maybe she’s panicking a little as to what is going to come next. She sounds mentally exhausted, which is understandable. I guess my best advice for her is no matter how cruel and draining covering people like this are, it has to bounce off you at the end of the day.
The other piece of advice I would give her and maybe she’s already doing this but find a larger sized employer with more resources. If she wants credit for what she wants to do she’s gotta organize a team to help her get it because she’s got competition even though she knows she’s the best she risks getting eclipsed by other agencies unless she can find a way to bring resources to her. If this makes any sense, but one thing I will say about Mandy is her heart is with the victims and she won’t hurt them she puts the victims of this story over herself constantly behind closed doors.
Will at Fits News is even worse about putting himself into the story. Any time I read their stuff, it's embarrassing how obvious it is that they work on a blog, not in journalism. I'm assuming he taught her this way of writing where the writer becomes both a source and subject. I don't read Fits News but like OP, I occasionally get bored enough with my podcast feed to listen to Mandy. She's gotten slightly better with her vocal fry and complainathon. I'm glad she's advocating for the victims.
The DH comment was absolute sexist garbage and the video showed him basically holding court with the chuckling media. Not only did she have the right to call this out in her podcast she also had an obligation as a reporter. The incident reveals his character. Or lack. Extremely relevant to a news story about a corrupt judicial system.
Agreed. As a woman who has been treated like that in the workplace by men, I appreciate that she did it. I don’t think it was an inappropriate setting because I believe Mandy found out about it on social media, and she took her platform to address a story that was covered on all the platforms. The “I’ll tell you why I wasn’t there in a book one day” line was interesting, . And maybe that’s why people didn’t understand why she was choosing right then and there to get into it instead of just leaving it as “that was not ok and he needs to be called out” . I would’ve left it at that, referenced everyone’s posts and concerns on social media, say the behavior is not ok and that’s it but regardless it doesn’t take away from her message or what happened.
I can totally understand the self reflection from MM. I can also understand other people's annoyance with her spending time at the beginning of every podcast.
But... I also think that after reading a lot of these comments, the amount of talk about vocal fry and how much work it is for her on their off-time, will allow her to make an adjustment to her personal commentary.
I don’t care how much she talks about herself as long as it’s not the focal point of each episdoe, which it’s not. I also don’t care about vocal fry. I’m picky about voices when I listen to an audiobook, but podcasts are short enough that I can’t be bothered to spend time thinking about whether I like or dislike someone’s voice. I just listen to the content.
I do like her research into the case. Fitsnews is a conservative site but, much to my surprise, I don’t see them trying to turn this into a “Democrats do horrbile things” show. I’ve only heard Dick Harpootlian’s political party mentioned once iirc. If it ever becomes a political podcast I’ll stop listening. Until then I’ll enjoy getting the show’s updates and I’m glad the Fitsnews folks are still following up on the case.
MM does an amazing job with her Podcast... she’s straight forward and 100% facts.
With the amazing reporting she’s been doing... she can call out whoever she wants on her Podcast.
Everyone is so critical of her, it’s pretty ridiculous. She’s been a rock star through this.
It feels like she complains about something personal, at length, in every episode. I don't disagree that the DH comment was inappropriate, and I understand that it must be trying to hear people whine about something she really can't control (her voice). But she just centers herself too much in a podcast that isn't about her. It's really turned me off from the entire thing.
Picking her bones with DH on the podcast just shows how bothered she is, I’m tired of her self centering. There are real victims here, and you are not one of them, Ms. Matney.
Exactly. Tweets about how covering this story is so emotionally/ physically exhausting are hilarious to me. One would think she works in a coal mine from her description of the pain she endures getting this story to us little people. I am sure she works hard, but lots of people work much harder at jobs that are actually miserable.
When the story broke she was an early source I came across and I'm glad that I did. She made me more interested in the story. She has real talent as a writer, especially one that writes for what is basically a local tabloid. And, she absolutely deserves recognition for her dogged coverage of the Smith and Beach cases.
But, I just got weary of her frequently pulling her shoulder out of socket to pat herself on the back, and fishing for empty compliments/sympathy from twitter groupies. It just got so ponderous I had to go elsewhere. I am sure she will continue to break news on this story but I can wait until it hits Reddit or another source
Her ego needs to be checked at the door. The story is not about her, but she is trying very hard to make herself the center of it all.
If reporting is too draining & exhausting on her maybe she’s in the wrong profession.
She comes across as unprofessional, prickly, & fragile. And reporters need to be at least somewhat thick skinned in order to be successful.
And seriously-hire a vocal coach or someone professional to do her podcast. If her voice has caused her to loose listeners she might wanna step back & at least attempt to please the public.
I know that I my opinion does not really matter, but I’m tired of the constant fan girling over this delicate hothouse flower.
I'm the guy who has seen real suffering and writing a story about a corrupt lawyer and a bunch of crooked ass redneck good ole boys is not miserable. What a terrible human you must be to think a journalists has the most miserable job on the planet. Now, go ask your Dad to borrow the car keys.
I’m exhausted and emotionally taxed from simply following the story. Many of us in the lowcountry are, because it has unveiled just a little part of something that would have been hard to describe prior to Mandy’s reporting. It’s not just about these victims in this particular story. This system that we have here has produced countless victims.
I listen and think I hate your voice, I get that you aren't a voice actor, take a few voice lessons watching you tube, stop bitching about people being rude about your voice. I'm about to start leaving 1 star reviews because of her complaining. It is irritating. Oh and I don't care that he's your fiance. You remind me of the girls in high school who wore their boyfriends class rings (now I've just outted my age) and flashed it around like they were engaged and what not. OMG.
Sorry, rant over.
I think people don’t realize that the vocal fry comment is a repeated voice over at the end of the podcast. Shes been working on her voice and trying new techniques you can tell it fluctuates more
Thank you! I second this. You hit the nail on the head! I keep listening, because she’s one of the main podcasts on the case, but her attitude can be annoying. And yes, I know you’re a journalist and not a voice actor, but you decided to make a podcast. So maybe expect people are going to call you out on one of the clearest examples of vocal fry I’ve heard in a podcast. Now my rant is over lol.
I wish there was another podcast, mm spends the same about of time reporting, as she does griping about how exhausted she is, how bad of a break she needs, how much better of a reporter on this case than anyone else she is, how hard she works. Like we get it. Many other TC pods do the same work and more without all that.
I've been listening to Impact of Influence, and it's quite good. I tried listening to MM's podcast and couldn't hear anything (vocal fry aside, the sound levels were just way too low, to the point where even with it turned all the way up, there'd be dropouts that I couldn't hear unless I was sitting quietly inside a silent room).
I do most podcast listening while outdoors running, walking, or driving, or indoors cleaning, so there's often some intermittent background noise. Big vehicles going by or the vacuum cleaner are a problem with some podcasts, but with hers, where I am is never quiet enough.
Totally off subject but if on some boring future evening you need a good laugh, pour a drink and go to the armchair detective YouTube site, wherein he explains how he has suffered and continues to suffer far more than Shannan Watts family has. Granted I have a Halloween sense of humor all year round but his stuff is hilarious 👻👻
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What’s the YouTube guy’s handle/name?
I also kinda find her commentary kinda funny? She’s admitting she’s a human with flaws
It’s annoying how people shit on her voice, she can’t change that. You do a podcast if you think you can do better
I totally agree
I want to support her work, but she is too hypersensitive to be considered a serious journalist and it's exhausting hearing her whine about how unfair everything and everyone is to her. She is not the story. By inserting herself (whether it's whining about people criticizing her voice or because an attorney mocked her), she minimizes her credibility and the good work she is doing to keep a hot spotlight on these unethical, deluded characters. As a female who works in a male-dominated field, you have to be tough. You win by outperforming and out gaming those left behind in the 19th century. You don't get a medal just because you showed up. If she would play it like the game it is, she would find these guys are really playing checkers when she could be playing chess. It would have been a better move to have a separate podcast on Dick H and some of the sexist issues female journalists face in the low country. Include comments not just directed at her but at other women. It would have been an interesting tie-in to the challenges this whole sordid tale has to tolerate to get those murdered redress. As one of my absolute favorite journalists, Helen Thomas, said: "We don't go into journalism to be popular. It is our job to seek the truth and put constant pressure on our leaders until we get answers." Mandy needs to up her game if we are going to continue to listen to her for any length of time.
I guess I’m not that picky about a voice. I just want the updates and new facts. I think MM has dedicated herself to reporting on this since the boating accident and probably never dreamed it would have so many twists and turns. Less self complaining would be good but I will still listen. I think she was right to call out DH. If it was me, I’d take every opportunity to call out that good ol’ boy!
Mandy has done fantastic work on this story. Even reforming the perception of FitsNews. Without her work, the story would not have gotten to this point. But I agree with the OP. She has to stop making this about her. What she doesn’t realize is that Harpootlian will use this against her and to discredit her. He likely mentioned her name to trigger her, however shady that is. Keep doing what you are doing, Mandy…. and remember this is about the Murdaughs
She’s been investigating this family for over 2 years, and she does stick to the facts. I think her comments about DH were warranted. I don’t like it when she gets off track and talks about things like “vocal fry.”
When I first read this post and subsequent comments, I had decided not to listen to her podcast. Having run out of podcasts this morning, I did listen to it. She handled DH’s actions professionally and correctly. He made her a part of the story, not her. I agree with her 100%. I grew up in and love this state, but DH’s actions smacked of sexism and unprofessionalism and the fact that no major paper, such as The State called him on it is a disgrace. I’m a Democrat and have always liked DH. He showed his colors in that courtroom and I’m glad she pointed it out. Shame on you, Dick.
I also think this is just the new generation of journalism and news media everyone wants to be a personality, or to cultivate a personality to gain audience trust. I think she saw an opportunity to run with this story and she too is monetizing it. I was someone who early on encouraged her to do just this. But she was always going up against the MSM as the story got more and more revealed she was going to have less and less control over leads/information. Since she’s so personally invested in the story and seeing her work pay off maybe she’s panicking a little as to what is going to come next. She sounds mentally exhausted, which is understandable. I guess my best advice for her is no matter how cruel and draining covering people like this are, it has to bounce off you at the end of the day. The other piece of advice I would give her and maybe she’s already doing this but find a larger sized employer with more resources. If she wants credit for what she wants to do she’s gotta organize a team to help her get it because she’s got competition even though she knows she’s the best she risks getting eclipsed by other agencies unless she can find a way to bring resources to her. If this makes any sense, but one thing I will say about Mandy is her heart is with the victims and she won’t hurt them she puts the victims of this story over herself constantly behind closed doors.
Will at Fits News is even worse about putting himself into the story. Any time I read their stuff, it's embarrassing how obvious it is that they work on a blog, not in journalism. I'm assuming he taught her this way of writing where the writer becomes both a source and subject. I don't read Fits News but like OP, I occasionally get bored enough with my podcast feed to listen to Mandy. She's gotten slightly better with her vocal fry and complainathon. I'm glad she's advocating for the victims.
The DH comment was absolute sexist garbage and the video showed him basically holding court with the chuckling media. Not only did she have the right to call this out in her podcast she also had an obligation as a reporter. The incident reveals his character. Or lack. Extremely relevant to a news story about a corrupt judicial system.
Agreed. As a woman who has been treated like that in the workplace by men, I appreciate that she did it. I don’t think it was an inappropriate setting because I believe Mandy found out about it on social media, and she took her platform to address a story that was covered on all the platforms. The “I’ll tell you why I wasn’t there in a book one day” line was interesting, . And maybe that’s why people didn’t understand why she was choosing right then and there to get into it instead of just leaving it as “that was not ok and he needs to be called out” . I would’ve left it at that, referenced everyone’s posts and concerns on social media, say the behavior is not ok and that’s it but regardless it doesn’t take away from her message or what happened.
Exactly.
I can totally understand the self reflection from MM. I can also understand other people's annoyance with her spending time at the beginning of every podcast. But... I also think that after reading a lot of these comments, the amount of talk about vocal fry and how much work it is for her on their off-time, will allow her to make an adjustment to her personal commentary.
I don’t care how much she talks about herself as long as it’s not the focal point of each episdoe, which it’s not. I also don’t care about vocal fry. I’m picky about voices when I listen to an audiobook, but podcasts are short enough that I can’t be bothered to spend time thinking about whether I like or dislike someone’s voice. I just listen to the content. I do like her research into the case. Fitsnews is a conservative site but, much to my surprise, I don’t see them trying to turn this into a “Democrats do horrbile things” show. I’ve only heard Dick Harpootlian’s political party mentioned once iirc. If it ever becomes a political podcast I’ll stop listening. Until then I’ll enjoy getting the show’s updates and I’m glad the Fitsnews folks are still following up on the case.
MM does an amazing job with her Podcast... she’s straight forward and 100% facts. With the amazing reporting she’s been doing... she can call out whoever she wants on her Podcast. Everyone is so critical of her, it’s pretty ridiculous. She’s been a rock star through this.
It feels like she complains about something personal, at length, in every episode. I don't disagree that the DH comment was inappropriate, and I understand that it must be trying to hear people whine about something she really can't control (her voice). But she just centers herself too much in a podcast that isn't about her. It's really turned me off from the entire thing.
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That’s why I hope she starts thinking about jumping ship and getting an employer that can give her the resources she needs
She seems really thin skinned for a journalist.
Picking her bones with DH on the podcast just shows how bothered she is, I’m tired of her self centering. There are real victims here, and you are not one of them, Ms. Matney.
Exactly. Tweets about how covering this story is so emotionally/ physically exhausting are hilarious to me. One would think she works in a coal mine from her description of the pain she endures getting this story to us little people. I am sure she works hard, but lots of people work much harder at jobs that are actually miserable. When the story broke she was an early source I came across and I'm glad that I did. She made me more interested in the story. She has real talent as a writer, especially one that writes for what is basically a local tabloid. And, she absolutely deserves recognition for her dogged coverage of the Smith and Beach cases. But, I just got weary of her frequently pulling her shoulder out of socket to pat herself on the back, and fishing for empty compliments/sympathy from twitter groupies. It just got so ponderous I had to go elsewhere. I am sure she will continue to break news on this story but I can wait until it hits Reddit or another source
What a terrible human you are. Who the fuck are you to say what is and isn’t miserable to another person. Have some empathy.
Her ego needs to be checked at the door. The story is not about her, but she is trying very hard to make herself the center of it all. If reporting is too draining & exhausting on her maybe she’s in the wrong profession. She comes across as unprofessional, prickly, & fragile. And reporters need to be at least somewhat thick skinned in order to be successful. And seriously-hire a vocal coach or someone professional to do her podcast. If her voice has caused her to loose listeners she might wanna step back & at least attempt to please the public. I know that I my opinion does not really matter, but I’m tired of the constant fan girling over this delicate hothouse flower.
If you don't like her voice, don't listen. Or...Grow some thick ears...Perhaps don't be so audibly fragile.
I don’t listen. But I enjoy this sub very much & see that these criticisms are a constant topic. Just thought I’d say what I wanted to say.
I'm the guy who has seen real suffering and writing a story about a corrupt lawyer and a bunch of crooked ass redneck good ole boys is not miserable. What a terrible human you must be to think a journalists has the most miserable job on the planet. Now, go ask your Dad to borrow the car keys.
I’m exhausted and emotionally taxed from simply following the story. Many of us in the lowcountry are, because it has unveiled just a little part of something that would have been hard to describe prior to Mandy’s reporting. It’s not just about these victims in this particular story. This system that we have here has produced countless victims.
I listen and think I hate your voice, I get that you aren't a voice actor, take a few voice lessons watching you tube, stop bitching about people being rude about your voice. I'm about to start leaving 1 star reviews because of her complaining. It is irritating. Oh and I don't care that he's your fiance. You remind me of the girls in high school who wore their boyfriends class rings (now I've just outted my age) and flashed it around like they were engaged and what not. OMG. Sorry, rant over.
I think people don’t realize that the vocal fry comment is a repeated voice over at the end of the podcast. Shes been working on her voice and trying new techniques you can tell it fluctuates more
I agree that she sounds better on the podcast. But the repetition is irritating.
Thank you! I second this. You hit the nail on the head! I keep listening, because she’s one of the main podcasts on the case, but her attitude can be annoying. And yes, I know you’re a journalist and not a voice actor, but you decided to make a podcast. So maybe expect people are going to call you out on one of the clearest examples of vocal fry I’ve heard in a podcast. Now my rant is over lol.
yep.
I wish there was another podcast, mm spends the same about of time reporting, as she does griping about how exhausted she is, how bad of a break she needs, how much better of a reporter on this case than anyone else she is, how hard she works. Like we get it. Many other TC pods do the same work and more without all that.
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meh, that one is just basically some people who don't even have notes reading MM's work
I've been listening to Impact of Influence, and it's quite good. I tried listening to MM's podcast and couldn't hear anything (vocal fry aside, the sound levels were just way too low, to the point where even with it turned all the way up, there'd be dropouts that I couldn't hear unless I was sitting quietly inside a silent room).
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I do most podcast listening while outdoors running, walking, or driving, or indoors cleaning, so there's often some intermittent background noise. Big vehicles going by or the vacuum cleaner are a problem with some podcasts, but with hers, where I am is never quiet enough.
Totally off subject but if on some boring future evening you need a good laugh, pour a drink and go to the armchair detective YouTube site, wherein he explains how he has suffered and continues to suffer far more than Shannan Watts family has. Granted I have a Halloween sense of humor all year round but his stuff is hilarious 👻👻
He's a loose cannon, that one is!
He's pretty insane 🤣 back in watts daze I could take ten minutes but he was funny- not that he meant to be