On June 8, 2026, Poynter published an interview with Laura Williamson, the editor-in-chief of The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The New York Times.
The publication's investigative muscle is currently front and center. On Fresh Air, host Dave Davies highlighted an expose by Henry Bushnell on FIFA's ticketing strategies, calling the marketing "troublingly deceptive". Meanwhile, on On with Kara Swisher, host Kara Swisher pointed to the outlet's reporting that "there are still thousands of tickets for sale, the US opener against Paraguay" to question why pricing remains so stubbornly high.
This heavy focus on the business of sports reflects a broader tension within the newsroom. Dave Davies noted that while veteran sports journalists join the field because they "loved sports" and want to write about the players, the sheer scale of modern sports business forces editors to wrestle with how to apportion their reporting resources. Not everyone is thrilled with the resulting editorial mix, however. On Pardon My Take, co-host Big Cat complained about the publication's softer features on Wembanyama, admitting he is "a little exhausted on the Athletic article being like, 'Can you believe Wemby drew a picture in a park?'".