Brad Mielke and the Problem of Punditry Disguised as Journalism

Brad Mielke and the Problem of Punditry Disguised as Journalism

In today’s hyper-partisan media landscape, many Americans look to journalists not only to inform, but to do so with fairness, clarity, and professional detachment. Brad Mielke, the host of ABC News’ Start Here podcast, is billed as one of those objective newsmen. However, to an increasing number of listeners, his coverage—particularly of conservative politics and former President Donald Trump raises serious concerns about tone, bias, and journalistic ethics.

Mielke’s podcast delivers a slick, fast-paced recap of the day’s headlines. It has won awards, earned industry praise, and been positioned as a flagship for ABC’s digital news strategy. But beneath the polish lies a recurring problem: a pattern of smug commentary and suggestive language when addressing conservative viewpoints, Republican policy, or Trump-aligned figures.

Listeners have noted that while Democratic controversies are often framed with nuance and institutional sympathy, stories involving Republicans are frequently delivered with an unmistakable undercurrent of ridicule or disbelief. Trump, in particular, is described with language that at times veers into editorial sneering through loaded words, exaggerated tone, or sarcastic inflection.

This is not just a matter of style. In an age where trust in media is historically low, the line between journalism and punditry matters more than ever. When a host introduces clear tonal bias especially in a news product presented as neutral it reinforces the perception that mainstream media is dismissive of half the country. It also risks alienating a large portion of the audience who feel their views are already caricatured in elite media bubbles.

There’s a difference between holding public figures accountable and condescending to them. Mielke, whether intentionally or not ( IT IS) often sounds like he’s doing the latter. His commentary on Trump-era politics has sometimes echoed the derision of late-night comedians rather than the discipline of impartial journalists. While some may argue that Trump’s behavior justifies harsher scrutiny, the role of the journalist is not to indulge in editorial scorn but to inform with integrity.

More troubling is that these issues are rarely acknowledged within the institutions that host them. ABC News continues to promote Start Here as a model for how news should be consumed in the digital age. But for a growing number of critics, it’s yet another example of how prestige media outlets are losing touch with the values of objectivity and public trust.

If media professionals like Mielke wish to maintain credibility across the political spectrum, they must re-calibrate. Tone matters. Fairness matters. And journalism must always strive to be better than the partisan noise it seeks to rise above.

A native of San Juan Capistrano, California, Brad Mielke graduated with a journalism degree from New York University. He lives with his wife in Brooklyn. Not a native New Yorker as he often likes to portray but hey, that’s almost everyone in Brooklyn these days. Since he enjoys being dramatic in his journalism, perhaps he’d be better suited enrolling in a drama class at his alma mater NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.