'Magda Goebbels made a great strudel'

short one, mostly sharing a new little media crit essay ...

Author

Sandy Allen
September 25, 2025

Welcome to What’s Helping Today, a newsletter about the everyday work of staying alive on earth — written by author and journalist Sandy Ernest Allen.

Hi all,

First of all thank you to everybody who’s subscribed to this newsletter since I’ve launched my new recipes club.

Immense gratitude to those who’ve signed up to give that suggested $5 a month (or more)! Your contribution again will help keep this newsletter free for all … Those who do sign up to give $5 or more monthly, I’ll be offering perks; specifics TBA. (As I’ve said, feel free to tell me what you’d prefer!)

If anyone has feedback after my first recipe club post, I’d love to hear it (or, better yet, share pics if you cook any of the recipes!). You’re welcomed to write me or let me know on Bluesky.

I’m mostly sending this brief post today to share a new piece I have out, in case you didn’t see already …

It’s for Equal Access Public Media: “Transphobic Misinformation Is a Gateway Drug" …

❝

“What to do about all this, I do wonder? I keep thinking about this helpful shorthand I just heard — Magda Goebbels baked great strudel — for that tendency of the mainstream media to help in normalizing the fascists.”

This one’s a little insider baseball-y (which is how media types say about media, LOL), but especially for those fellow editors/journalists/producers amongst you: I hope you’ll check this one out and share it with your colleagues. Again it’s short!

A few links, just FYC!

At least 43 outlets shared anti-trans misinfo after Charlie Kirk shooting: TJA | Xtra Magazine

A report from the Trans Journalists Association found that 43 outlets published misinformation about “transgender ideology” after Charlie Kirk’s killing

xtramagazine.com/video/anti-trans-misinfo-charlie-kirk-tja-276808

Are Democrats "talking too much" about left-wing issues?

The data mostly do not justify the conclusions people are drawing

www.gelliottmorris.com/p/are-democrats-talking-too-much-about?r=a9pj&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true

Transgender Americans are seeing a wave of hate unleashed by Charlie Kirk’s killing | Erin Reed

In the aftermath of Kirk’s death, the far-right and Trump administration have turned up attacks on transgender people

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/sep/25/transgender-americans-are-seeing-a-wave-of-hate-unleashed-by-charlie-kirks-killing?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=bsky_gu&utm_medium=&utm_source=Bluesky#Echobox=1758799825

What Am I Supposed to Tell My Terrified Friends?

Every time there's a mass shooting in the US, my trans friends and I hold our collective breath. If the shooter turns out to be trans, it could signal the final days of our human rights in a country that is supposed to be a shining beacon on the hill

burns-notice.ghost.io/what-am-i-supposed-to-tell-my-terrified-friends

The latest Cancel Me, Daddy episode is also excellent:

Last-last call! I hope any nonfiction writers out there will consider signing up for my writing workshop and/or tell your writer friends! Thanks all! If it doesn’t sufficiently enroll this time around maybe I’ll retry this winter …

Workshop: Writing About the Self — and the Other with Sandy Ernest Allen — The Shipman Agency

8 Sessions: Sundays, September 28 - November 16 4:00-6:00pm ET Sandy Ernest Allen Writing about ourselves, writing about other people; both sound seemingly simple — and yet! Each can prove quite tricky, depending. Join acclaimed essayist, journalist and author Sandy Ernest Allen for an advanced

www.theshipmanagency.com/classes/workshop-writing-about-self-other-sandy-ernest-allen

Thanks everybody,
Sandy

p.s. Truly adored this mess of a pancake demo; just so charming, the two of them:

p.p.s. For more of my Samin fanboying, hope you’ll check out this week’s inaugural Sandy’s Recipe Club post!

p.p.p.s. What’s Helping Today: Her new book arrived! It’s gorgeous. I got so excited thumbing through … even no joke teared up at full-page spread of a Dungeness crab-centered feast (because it made my Bay Area homesick heart ache). I cannot wait to start cooking from this book:

Samin's Good Things with tomatoes

Thanks for reading What’s Helping Today, a newsletter by me, Sandy Ernest Allen. If you like WHT, consider sharing it wherever you share things? Or forwarding it to a friend or two who may enjoy my work?

If you were forwarded this message, welcome! This newsletter’s totally free; you can subscribe here.

Once again: Please consider supporting me via my Buy Me a Coffee. The suggested is $5 a month (or more!) ... But whatever amount is greatly appreciated; thank you!!!