Oh God, oh no, it's another 'wrapped'

You thought this was over? That the new year and the end of Stranger Things would bring an end to the 2025 wrapped? Well buckle up, buttercup.

It’s time to recap yet another part of your media diet: this newsletter.

Okay, this is not true, just aspirational. But I hope that you’ll keep reading in 2026. If you don’t like what you see, or want to see more of something, try submitting feedback at the link in our brand new Ethics and Transparency page.

First of all, we’re on beehiiv, not Substack, which the Wall Street Journal kindly wrote about this morning.

And yes, to promote Harry’s razors, I shaved my beard in November. I’m still hearing from you all as I continue to reflect and work hard on growing (my beard back).

In our second members-only town hall meeting, I asked where everyone found our content, and it turns out you all find us every from every corner of the internet.

This lends credence to my new theory that all apps are just morphing into different channels. Like CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox before them, YouTube, TikTok, Reels and Snap are just becoming different places that offer the same thing.

Luckily for you, I’m on all those platforms! I hope you’ll follow us on whichever ones you’ve downloaded to your phone:

We realized just a few weeks ago, when asking followers to fill out our survey, that many users still didn’t know I left the Post. I did! And it was the best decision of my professional career. Thank you so, so much for making it possible by subscribing and watching our videos.

What a year it’s been since posting this video on Monday. This story has gained a lot of attention and I’m glad we got ahead of it before even more misinformation spread.

It also turned out to be our most successful video on Reels! This is a good sign as we continue to push the boundaries on how long a vertical video can be. I hope to really lean into these 2 minute “short-form” videos in 2026, including the fact checks. And I also hope that the general public stops barging into daycares, pretending to enroll their imaginary child all in the name of clickbait journalism.

I genuinely think Taylor Swift is a masterful artist. I am not a full-on Swiftie, but I recognize her raw talent and the sheer work she puts in. Like me, you may have noticed the last album was not her best. But we all have Swifties in our life - whether they live in our house, in the mirror, or at work. I am here to tell you it’s okay to say the last album wasn’t very good. She will be okay.

My partnership with Free the Facts this year meant that you saw a new video about government policy every Tuesday for the entire year. It was a unique challenge working to make these important topics funny and interesting. Sometimes the most unique challenges are the most rewarding, and that was certainly the case here.

I understand. Chris will be back next week.

If you didn’t know the above was The Great British Baking Show, you must now watch all 16 seasons in one sitting.

And please prepare yourself for Survivor 50, premiering in February. It’s gonna be a doozy (and yes, the show has been on for 50 seasons).

It’s whatever you want it to mean. But in all seriousness, we’re really going to lean into that in 2026. Monday’s video, as an example, used both internationally-known sources (The New York Times and CNN) and local sources (MinnPost and The Minnesota Star Tribune).

Honestly, me neither. And if you’re a member, you’ll get those weekly videos before everyone else.

That’s a wrap on 2025. Thanks to all of your for giving me the best job I’ve ever had. Here’s a gif from the time I almost fell into the ocean in Portugal while pretending to fall into the ocean in Portugal.